Pivot & Protect

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Categories: Ballhandling / Dribbling Footwork
Ages: All Ages Youth Middle School High School+

Purpose of the Drill:

This drill was provided by Steve Huston, one of our subscribers. The drill helps players improve ballhandling, jump stops, pivoting, and protect the ball.

Instructions

The defensive players in the diagram should be positioned outside of the court against the wall.
The offensive players dribble the ball down the court in a zig zag crossing over on each change of direction.

Once the offensive player gets about 4 feet from the endline, they jump stop and pick up the ball.
Defensive player then rushes from the wall and attempts to gain possession or get a jump ball.
Offensive player pivots away and moves the ball vigorously.

Offensive player passes to the coach when the coach points at them.
The former defensive player received the ball from coach and becomes the offensive player dribbling to the other end.

Points of Emphasis:

Defensive players do not leave wall until jump stop.
Offensive player must maintain one pivot foot with floor.
Defensive player should be encouraged to be more aggressive after first practice of this drill.

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Comments

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Jeff Haefner says:
10/1/2014 at 10:47:50 AM

Joshua -

In my opinion, I would not teach players to have elbows straight out like shown in that youtube video you mentioned. How are you supposed to shoot or dribble with your elbows flared out like that?

The only time you might want elbows out like that are right after ripping down a defensive rebound and looking for an outlet pass to a guard.

The only thing we teach is to keep the ball out of the "box" when a defender is close to you. The "box" is an imaginary area between your nose and your knees (where a defender can easily grab or strip the ball). So if a defender is close you rip the ball low (below your knees) or high (above your head).

Here's a video showing how to use a pivot to create space from a defender (pay attention to the second half of the video where the coach and final player demonstrates).
http://www.breakthroughbasketball.com/playcreator/view.asp?id=139&type=drill

I only teach basic step through pivot and ripping the ball high or low. That's about all you need from youth to high school.

Joshua Sanders says:
9/30/2014 at 6:43:28 PM

OK, now I'm confused because this video clearly shows to use the elbows as a "warning". What should I be teaching my kids?

http://youtu.be/qVs9LN9LE2E

Joshua Sanders says:
9/30/2014 at 6:27:43 PM

Nevermind, I found the answer to my question at this site. Rip down.....got it.
-J

http://socalelite.org/basketball-pivoting-beginners/

Joshua Sanders says:
9/30/2014 at 6:19:25 PM

I have a question about pivoting. In coaching my 9 year old YMCA team I realized I don't really know how aggressive for my boys to step into their defender and what is permitted. Isn't the whole point of pivoting with your elbows out, to be not a weapon per say but definitely a warning to the defender to keep back?

Many of the boys we play are hyper aggressive and crowd/swarm my offensive players. It seems like the only solution to get those kids back into an arms length or greater distance would be to pivot aggressively forward. Should I be teaching my boys to pivot and if the offensive player takes an elbow, then their bad?

vaas says:
1/30/2011 at 9:10:00 AM

its very help full to ball handling, its good and tanq

Ashley Villanueva says:
1/28/2011 at 11:13:57 PM

Great drill Steve. We will definitely run with your drill during our practice sessions. I coach U16's which mainly consists of boys aged 13/14. This will definitely help my boys learn to protect & pivot. Wish me luck. Thanks to you & thanks to everyone at Breakthrough Basketball.

Laters,

Ashley.

sabrina says:
1/27/2011 at 12:50:12 PM

i like this drill... i coach 3-6th grade girls.. but i the thing i find.. is my girls pivot well.. but then they don't look to where they are passing.. so i will run this drill.. but have me and my other coaches move so they have to look first...
we always say and have the girls repeat it over and over..: "pivot; look; pass!!!"
thanks will try it tongiht

Amy says:
1/27/2011 at 11:00:05 AM

I liked the drill also. However, my high post players have a larger problem when they receive the ball from the wing and then pivot to a shooting position or to reverse the ball. My thought is have the guard (under pressure) dribble the ball to the wing. Pass to the high post. Have defenders come up on the high post player and have the ball handler re-position to the baseline to cut and receive the pass from the high post. Same concepts but a different way to work the drill.

Yehudi E.S John says:
1/26/2011 at 11:21:26 AM

Jeff

This drill helps develop a number of different aspects of the game particularly when the suggested defender by stan is implemented. It is a simultaneous activity for both defensive and offensive positioning. Ball handling has already been mentioned along with pivoting..... A great drill for integrated skill development......
I coach my country's national (u-20) school teams and this drill will surely find it's way in the sessions during the training of the girls team...

Thank you Steve and Jeff!

Kyle Diehls says:
1/26/2011 at 11:03:54 AM

This will be good for my 5th and 6th grade players. I will have to shorten it since I only get a half court to practice on, but it will still hit the most important points we need help on. Thanks for the drill!

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