It sounds funny, but one of the easiest ways to remember proper screening angles is to think about one thing:

Where is your butt pointing?

A screen can be set in the right spot and still be ineffective.

If your angle is wrong, the defender can slide around the screen, stay attached to the cutter, and take away the advantage you were trying to create.

So instead of only thinking about where to set the screen, think about how your body is positioned.

Coach Bob Martin uses three simple cues:

Back Screen: Butt to the Basket

On a back screen, point your butt toward the basket.

That angle helps your teammate cut behind the defense and toward the rim.

If you’re turned the wrong way, the defender has a much easier path around the screen.

Flare Screen: Butt to the Sideline

On a flare screen, point your butt toward the sideline.

This gives your teammate a better angle to move away from the ball and into open space on the perimeter.

A good angle makes the defender work harder to stay attached and can create more separation for the cutter.

Down Screen: Butt to the Ball

On a down screen, point your butt toward the basketball.

This helps your teammate come off the screen toward the ball while forcing the defender to trail behind.

Again, the goal isn’t just to stand in the right place.

It’s to create the right path for your teammate.

A Good Screen Can Get YOU Open Too

Here’s the part players sometimes miss:

Your job isn’t over once you set the screen.

A good screen forces the defense to react.

Your defender may have to step toward the cutter.

They may switch.

They may help just long enough to give your teammate an advantage.

And when that happens, you can become the open player.

That’s why setting a great screen isn’t just something you do for a teammate.

It can also create your next scoring opportunity.

If you want to get open more often, one of the best things you can do is set a screen that actually makes the defense react.

Then keep playing.

Slip to the basket.
Pop into open space.
Re-screen.
Or simply recognize where the defense left an opening.

Three Things to Remember

The next time you set a screen, remember these three things:

1. Get the Right Angle

• Back screen → Butt to the basket
• Flare screen → Butt to the sideline
• Down screen → Butt to the ball

2. Go Opposite the Cutter

If the cutter goes to the basket, look to get high.

If the cutter goes to the perimeter, look to get low.

That helps maintain spacing and makes it harder for one defender to cover both players.

3. Read the Defense

What did your defender do after the screen?

Did they help on the cutter?

Did they switch?

Did they stay attached to you?

The better you recognize that reaction, the easier it becomes to find the next opening.

So don’t think of setting the screen as the end of the play.

Get the angle right. Go opposite the cutter. Then read the defense.

That’s how a good screen can create an advantage for your teammate...and for you.