Passing - The chest pass

The chest pass seems like the easiest skill to learn, but because of that, players tend to never practice the correct way to make a chest pass. In addition, players neglect to perfect their accuracy as well. The chest pass is best performed from the triple threat position (see previous blog on triple threat here). On a well executed chest pass, the ball will start near your chest with both hands holding the ball with elbows out. You will extend your arms forward straightening out your arms towards the target. The index fingers and thumbs should be the last fingers to touch the ball. At the end of the extension, your fingers should be pointing down towards the ground.

The following video demonstrates the proper execution of a chest pass. Pay attention to the thumbs at the end of the motion.


The chest pass is one of the most basic basketball skills used by many but hardly perfected. Players should practice this pass in different situations. Younger or beginning players should practice this pass standing still with a partner or against a wall. Like all types of passing, find a target and practice hitting the target with the pass. For more advanced players, they should practice the chest pass while on the run especially in a break our outlet situation. The most important thing a player should realize during their practice is how fast they can get the ball to travel and at what distance. Over and over again I see passes in games where the player doesnt realize that they cannot throw far enough, or the velocity is not fast enough to beat the defender to the target. The more players practice passing, the more they will realize what they can and cannot do on the floor.