WALL DEFENSE
 To avoid fouling

5 Traits of great defensive.

1.     Get back on defense quickly

Once the opposition secures the basketball, your team must be determined to beat the other team up the floor.

2.     Be willing to sacrifice

If there's a 50/50 ball loose on the floor, your players must be willing to dive on the ground after it.   Every possession counts.

3.     Don't commit dumb fouls

 Players reaching in and slapping at the basketball instead of moving their feet on defense.

Great defensive teams play tough defense without fouling.

4.     Always be ready to help each other

Truth is, it's nearly impossible to guard a highly skilled offensive player one-on-one.

Which is why there should always be four defensive players ready to help if a player gets beaten off the dribble.

5.      Fight to secure defensive rebounds

Remember...

Defense isn't over until the ball is in your team's hands.

Too many teams quit competing after forcing the opposition into a difficult shot.

Players need to understand that forcing a difficult shot is only half the battle... after that, players must be willing, ready, and committed to attacking the glass and pulling down the rebound.

EUROSTEP

What is a Euro Step?

Rules allow ball handlers to take two steps toward the basket to complete a layup after they pick up their dribble, and the Euro Step is a creative way to use those two steps. Practice it over and over again.

How to Execute a Euro Step:

There are many variations of the Euro Step that players can use.

Assume a player is attacking the hoop from the right side of the floor.

1. Dribble Toward the Basket

A traditional euro step starts with a player who has the ball attacking the basket.

During this example, remember there’s a player between you and the basket.

Make sure you aren't dribbling the ball too far in front of you, otherwise there’s a chance the defender might steal the ball from you.

2.  Pick Up the Ball

As you’re closing in on the basket and the defender in front of you, pick up the basketball while your left foot is on the floor.

The key is to pick up the basketball when you’re close to the defender and close enough to the basket that you can finish with a layup.

3. Take Your First Step

After you’ve picked up the ball, take your first step with your right foot.

This step should be towards the baseline side of the defender. “Sell” the fake with head and body when you take the first step.

4. Take Your Second Step

At this point, the defender has hopefully taken a step towards the baseline to cut off where they thought you were going to go.

Sweep the basketball across your body and take your second step - with your left foot - in the opposite direction. Sweep the ball low (knee height), across the body (chest height), or high (above the head).

5. Lay the Basketball in the Hoop

Jump off your left foot, extend towards the basket with either your right or left hand and   put the basketball in the hoop.

Notes:

a. Exaggerate the first step

“Sell” the fake when you take the first step.

Exaggerate the movement of your head and body to force the defender to shift.

b. Slow down

Slow down and allow the defender to slide themselves out of the play before you attempt to finish with a layup or shot.

c.  finish

Some players have a lot of trouble putting the ball in the hoop after this move.

It’s an odd movement for players who haven’t practiced it much.  Practice this move from all angles.

FOUL SHOOTING

 Have a short, simple, consistent routine, the same in practice and games.

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Step off the foul line after each shot.

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In practice only count swish as a make.  Most misses are short or flat shots.

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Visualize the ball going through hoop.  Make every shot twice.  Visualize and actual shot.

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Focus on how shot feels, smoothness, follow through.

FRUSTRATION RESPONSE

Try the two clap response

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Clap twice and MOVE ON

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Bad ref call, you dribble the ball off your foot, you miss a wide open layup, your teammate did not pass the ball when you were wide open. 

CLAP TWICE and move on.

GET YOUR SHOT OFF QUICKER

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Rotate your shooting hand from the side to under the ball during your shot process.

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SIDE of the ball at the bottom.   UNDER at the top.

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Start practicing near the hoop.

A perfect shot isn’t only a swish… it’s BRADs

BRADS  =  Back rim and down

Rabbit vs Cheetah

Cheetah wins outdoors. Rabbit wins on the basketball court.

Rabbit vs cheetah speed. Athletes need to learn what the pros know, that while a cheetah is faster than a rabbit, a rabbit is harder to catch & a better basketball player. While a cheetah may run around at top speeds, a rabbit is nearly impossible to catch. It will just sit there while you walk towards it. You get closer to the rabbit, it still sits and waits. When you get just a step away, and you lunge towards it, BANG, it’s gone in the opposite direction leaving you reeling off balance,

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THE ART OF BASKETBALL IS DECEPTION. A rabbit is clever, it makes the defense wrong, it reads the situation and the GAME SLOWS DOWN for a rabbit.