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How to Execute Perfect On-the-Ball Defensive Pressure-hoopskills.com

How to Execute Perfect On-the-Ball

Defensive Pressure

-by Coach Dave Stricklin http://www.hoopskills.com

Every coach loves players who have the ability

to not just guard the ball on the perimeter

but can also apply constant and disruptive

pressure. Unfortunately, though, players like

that are sometimes hard to come by as many

athletes lack the natural athleticism necessary

to become the next feared defensive stopper

in your league.

In this guide we are going to discuss how by

grasping some key concepts, players can

become a supremely sound defender and

apply intelligent pressure regardless of their level of natural athleticism. These

concepts apply to both man to man and zone defenses.

Applying intelligent pressure starts with the understanding of two basic defensive

techniques. (My definition of intelligent pressure is pressuring with the ability to

anticipate the offensive player's next actions and therefore react in an efficient

matter.)

1. Closing Out. As soon as the offensive player catches the ball the defender must

execute a proper close out. After watching dozens of games every year I'm

convinced that most programs don't place enough emphasize on the importance

of a proper close out. This one technique is often the difference between a blow

by lay up or applying intelligent pressure. Here are 4 steps needed to execute a

proper closeout:

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How to Execute Perfect On-the-Ball Defensive Pressure-hoopskills.com

A) Run at the offensive player, and when you are about 4-6 feet away drop

your hips and chop your feet. This is going to slow you down and give you a lower

center of gravity which is necessary to react quickly.

B) After slowing down your next goal is to disrupt his vision and prevent him

from taking advantage of an open catch and shoot opportunity. To do this, simply

throw your hands above your head in hopes of disrupting his vision. Stay low

while you do this - do NOT stand up straight as you throw your hands up.

C) Another great defensive tool is your voice. Yelling "ball" or "shot" while

closing out gives the illusion that you are much closer than what you actually are.

D) Once the offensive man is clearly not going to shoot and is back in a triple

threat position, take a quick six inch hop back towards the basket. One of the

toughest shots in basketball is to face up and then to pull the trigger on a shot

that is not in rhythm. Many high school athletes and the majority of younger

players have not fully developed this part of their game yet. After preventing a

shot in rhythm this small hop back helps prevent the drive.

2. Tracing the Ball. The next aspect of guarding an offensive player in triple threat

position is the art of active hands. After understanding the proper placement and

tactics of active hands, a defender can greatly increase his ability to pressure the

ball.

Coaching Tip: Coaches should make sure to take the necessary time to explain the

difference between proper hand placement and out of control hands. It should not

be assumed that players already know this. Just yelling "Pressure the ball" is not going to be as effective as possible without teaching how and why first.

There are three places that the ball can be placed when in the possession of an

offensive player. The placement of the ball should dictate your hand movement

and the amount of pressure that can be applied

A) The first placement is to put the ball on the hip, which is the initial set up

for the Triple Threat Position. When the ball is on the offensive player's hip the

easiest way to defend him is to read his eyes. Simply noticing where he is looking

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How to Execute Perfect On-the-Ball Defensive Pressure-hoopskills.com

lets you effectively shade and pressure. When applying pressure in this situation

focus on using only your elbows and hands. Make sure that you are digging up at

the ball and not swiping down at it. Avoid long reaching movements that will

throw you off balance and make you vulnerable to getting out of position. When

the ball is in this position the defender needs to be close enough to the ball

handler that he can reach out and touch him.

B) The second place the ball can be positioned is below the hip. When most

offensive players when put the ball below their hip they are looking to penetrate

and get to the basket. Knowing this, as a defensive player I am going to take an

additional six inch hop backwards to give myself even more time and more room

to react. When applying pressure in this situation you must even use less arm

movement. Instead of using your entire arm (elbow to hands) to apply pressure

you must now only use your hands to dig or get a deflection. Don't over reach or

over step as you will more than likely find yourself watch the ball handler blow by

you.

C) The last defensive read occurs when the offensive player puts the ball at

shoulder level or higher. When this happens your eyes should get HUGE as this is

the time to apply extreme pressure the ball. When the ball is this high the

offensive player only has one option and that is to pass. More specifically he is

probably looking to skip the ball from to another player on the opposite side of

the court. You can now jam him with your whole body and then use your entire

arm from your shoulders on down to pressure the ball. If done properly you

greatly increase your chances of causing a turn over, deflecting the pass, or

getting a steal.

Now while I may be stating the obvious, it's important to realize that it is entirely

possible for the ball to sequentially be placed in all three positions during a single

possession. When that happens, the defender must also quickly adjust his own

positioning while following the guidelines written above.

A simple drill to work on these concepts starts with placing an offensive player on

the wing and having a defender start in the middle of the key, Skip the ball cross

court to the offensive player and have the defender close out correctly. Then

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How to Execute Perfect On-the-Ball Defensive Pressure-hoopskills.com

have the offensive player rotate the ball through all three positions and have the

defense react accordingly. When you first start using this drill it is important that

the offensive player go slow enough to allow the defense to react before

repositioning the ball.

One of the most frustrating feelings for an offensive player, especially a really

good one, is when he realizes that he is being stopped by an opponent who is far

less gifted in terms of athleticism. If you can accomplish this as an "un-athletic"

defender you will not only control your opponent physically but may be able to

dominate him mentally as well!