Euro & Floater Package
Two-foot gather into euro-steps and floaters over a defender pad. Both hands.
Setup
A coach or teammate with a pad just outside the restricted area, angled the way a help defender would be. Players start at the wing, or off a chair at the elbow.
How to run it
- 1Attack into a two-foot gather
Drive at the help defender and gather onto two feet — that gather is what keeps both the euro and the floater available.
- 2Read the defender
If they commit to your path, euro-step around them. If they hold and wall up, go to the floater over them.
- 3Euro: long, then long the other way
Step past on one side, then across to the other, keeping the ball away from the pad on the second step.
- 4Floater: early, high, soft
Release before the defender is set. The floater is a timing shot, not a power shot.
- 5Both hands, both sides
Right side and left side, finishing with the outside hand each time.
Coaching points
- The two-foot gather is what creates the option. A one-foot drive commits you before you've read anything.
- The euro's first step has to be genuinely long, or the defender just slides with it.
- Swing the ball across your body away from the defender on the second step, rather than carrying it straight up.
- The floater goes up early and high. Late floaters get blocked; flat ones get blocked harder.
- Make it a read. If the pad-holder does the same thing every rep, this is choreography, not finishing.
Common mistakes
- Choosing the move before reading the defender — which is why euro-steps look forced in games.
- A short first step that doesn't actually change the angle.
- Shooting the floater flat when it is an arc shot by definition.
- Running it only on the strong hand.
Make it harder or easier
- Easier: rehearse the euro and the floater separately with no pad.
- Harder: the pad-holder picks their own reaction so every rep is a genuine read.
- Harder: add a second defender behind so the finish has to clear two levels.
- Hardest: live 1-on-1 from the wing with this package as the only scoring option.
Coaching focus: Finishing at the Rim
Finishing drills train footwork, touch, and body control through contact near the basket. Reps with both hands and both feet build the habit of finishing strong regardless of angle.
Frequently asked questions
A coach or teammate with a pad just outside the restricted area, angled the way a help defender would be. Players start at the wing, or off a chair at the elbow. 1. Attack into a two-foot gather: Drive at the help defender and gather onto two feet — that gather is what keeps both the euro and the floater available. 2. Read the defender: If they commit to your path, euro-step around them. If they hold and wall up, go to the floater over them. 3. Euro: long, then long the other way: Step past on one side, then across to the other, keeping the ball away from the pad on the second step. 4. Floater: early, high, soft: Release before the defender is set. The floater is a timing shot, not a power shot. 5. Both hands, both sides: Right side and left side, finishing with the outside hand each time.
Euro & Floater Package works well for players in Ages 13–15, Ages 16+, and can be scaled up or down in speed and complexity for other age groups.
Run Euro & Floater Package for about 10 minutes as part of a broader practice or individual workout — enough reps to build the habit without losing quality.
Choosing the move before reading the defender — which is why euro-steps look forced in games. A short first step that doesn't actually change the angle. Shooting the floater flat when it is an arc shot by definition. Running it only on the strong hand.
You'll need: ball, hoop, pad.
Coaching Euro & Floater Package?
Swap notes with coaches running this drill in the free community, or build Euro & Floater Package into a timed practice plan, assign it to your roster, and track who's completed it in the app.
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