Questions From Subscribers...

Match up defenses are tough – no matter how athletic your players are. There are three essential elements involved with executing a successful match up defense:

Agility – so that your players can follow their match through the entire play without getting outrun or out maneuvered

Foresight – a successful defensive player can predict his match’s next move to stay one step ahead of the ball or the target

Strategy – defensive players need to communicate with one another when they make a match switch, employ defensive strategies or lose their targets

Here are some specific drills designed to address each of these elements:

Agility
Your players need to be light on their feet, fast, and able to turn 180 degrees without warning. Have your players run speed drills (also known as suicide runs) on the court. Line your players up along the bounds. Have them sprint together to the free throw line, touch the line then return to the boundary line. They should immediately turn on their heels to run for the center court line and then back. Finally, have them run to the opposite boundary line and run back. The fast players should complete this drill in about 10 seconds. This drill not only teaches speed, but it teaches your players how to turn quickly while keeping an eye on their opponents.

Foresight
The best way to help players learn foresight is simply to practice plays. Help your players learn how to pick up simple cues, such as eye signals. You can also help your players learn how to detect plays from the other team so that they can predict their match’s next move. It’s important for the defense to watch a match’s hips and eyes. The hips will almost always be pointed in the direction of action and the eyes will be focused on the next move.

Strategy
Your players need to not only know how to communicate with one another if they need to switch marks in the middle of a play, but they also need to be able to stay strategic on the defensive. One tried and true strategy for regaining possession of the ball is to steal it. Stealing the ball while defending in a person-to-person match is actually often easier than in zone defense simply because the players will be so close to the offense – close enough to bat the ball away with a hand.

Also, make sure that your defense always has their arms straight out to their sides and parallel to the floor. It’s important for your defense to take up as much room as possible in the zone, even when defending man-on-man. Your defender should always drop his or her butt, bend the knees and stay on the balls of his or her feet (feet should always be moving) in order to stay agile and effective.
As always, we recommend checking out our for more tips and practice drills:
http://www.breakthroughbasketball.com/freebooks.html

Remember: basketball is not just about physical abilities; it’s a game that requires strategy too!

Carrie Belt
Editor - BreakthroughBasketball.com

what are some defensive drills i can do one on one?

Coach Wilkerson,

Here's some things you can do to implement one on one defensive drills:

Close Out Drill -

1. Have a coach on the wing with the ball. Have another offensive player on the opposite wing. Have the defensive player in the lane in proper defensive position as if he was guarding the player on the opposite wing.

2. The coach passes the ball to the opposite wing and the defensive player does a proper close out. Once the offensive player catches the ball, he or she goes one on one with the defensive player from there.

This is a good drill, because it teaches the close out and allows them to play defense one on one.


One on One Drill (Make it, Take it) -

Match up the players and have them play one on one to 6 by 1's or some other number that's desired. The only difference here is that if the offensive player scores, he gets the ball back. This will force the defensive player to make a defensive stop before he gets the ball back.


Partner Sliding -

Have an offensive player dribble at 45 degree angles up and down the court forcing the defensive player to slide back and forth on the court and execute a change of direction with a swing step.


You can also find more drills in our free ebook, such as 'The Complete Man to Man Drill'

In order to sign up for our FREE drills & plays ebook, go here www.breakthrouhbasketball.com and sign up!