The chest pass is a two-hand pass pushed from your chest in a straight line to a teammate's chest, with a step toward them. Jr. NBA calls it the most accurate pass, and one analysis of game passing found it was the most-used pass, about 40% of passes. This is a passing skill — accuracy and timing, which a camera can't judge.
Set up
Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart, facing your target.
Balanced, square to the target.
Hold the ball close to your chest with both hands on the sides of the ball, fingers spread.
Ball to chest, fingers spread.
Keep your elbows tucked in, not flared out wide.
Elbows in.
Look at your teammate's chest before you pass.
Eyes on target.
Pass
Step toward your teammate with one foot as you start the pass. Either foot works; point the toes of that front foot at your target.
Step to the receiver.
Push off your back foot as you step to add power.
Back foot drives it.
Straighten both elbows to push the ball away from your chest in a straight line.
Push.
As your arms extend, turn your wrists over so your thumbs finish pointing down and your palms face out.
Thumbs down.
Finish with both arms straight out in front at chest height, fingers pointing at your target. You don't need to hold the finish like a jump shot.
Arms out, fingers to the target.
Aim at your teammate's chest. If they're moving, pass to where they will be, not where they are.
Hit the chest, lead the runner.
Feel it
Step, push, thumbs down. The step and the arm push happen together, the ball leaves your chest on a flat line, and your hands end out in front with palms facing out. If your arms are still bent at the finish or your feet never moved, the pass came from your arms alone.
Fix-its
- No step: you pass flat-footed and the ball is weak Step toward your teammate with one foot as you push, and drive off your back foot.
- Arms stay bent at the finish Push until both elbows are straight and your hands point at the target.
- Thumbs stay up or behind the ball at the finish Turn your wrists over as the arms extend so the thumbs end down and the palms face out.
- Passing to where a moving teammate is now Lead them: aim at the spot they're running to, chest high.
- Throwing a chest pass straight through a defender in front of you A flat chest-high pass is easy to intercept with a defender in the lane or at close range. Pick a different pass, such as a bounce pass, or move to open a passing lane.
Drill
- Stationary partner passing: stand 10 to 15 feet (3 to 4.6 m) apart, one ball, and pass back and forth using step, push, thumbs down.
- Count it: same setup, count consecutive good passes to the chest, or how many you make in a set time.
- Add distance: once the passes are crisp, step back to 20 feet (about 6 m) apart.
- Pass to a moving teammate: they jog across in front of you and you lead them, chest high.
- Add a defender: a third player guards the passer so you have to step around them to find a lane.
Sources
- Jr. NBA — Chest Pass
- Human Kinetics (Ward & Lehwald, Effective Physical Education Content and Instruction) — Stationary Partner Passing
- Coach's Clipboard — Passing
- Basketball For Coaches — How to Throw a Chest Pass in Basketball
- Izzo & Russo — Analysis of Biomechanical Structure and Passing Techniques in Basketball (2011)
Last checked 2026-10-25.