Posts Tagged ‘Defense’
If you want to know about secret basketball plays for zone defense then do yourself a favor and read the following review – it’ll transform all you currently understand about playing basketball. What if we told you that you can quite quickly elevate your expertise in basketball by an impressive 30%? And better yet, you can do that without even going out from home. If it haven’t yet convinced you to be possible, or might think it’s just not possible, continue to read this brief report – it is going to shock you.
Before going any further, you should know a simple but key fact – in the game of basketball it is not about which player is a better runner or jumper, it’s also a case of split-second decision-making and avoiding careless mistakes. The power to know your rival’s game strategy, or to know when to pass, when to dribble, and when to shoot, is related to your cognitive skills, in two words: brain skills. Many incorrectly think of these athletic abilities as something athletes are predisposed to, when in actuality, they are not “natural instincts,” but rather are skills anyone can be trained.
Even if it happens that you are only interested about secret basketball plays for zone defense, or whether you play on your junior high, high school, or college team – it’s very possible to better your overall game level and statistics by “training” your brain. A group of scientists developed a specialized solution which helps you to do just that; it is based on a “video game”, and you need to “play” this game for only twenty to thirty minutes, one to two times a week, for few short weeks – the results are amazing. Head coaches from all across the country, including memphis, uconn, and others, have reported dramatic improvement after training individual players and even their entire teams with this amazing solution.
Prior to continuing your search about secret basketball plays for zone defense, i suggest that you try out this “life changing” new system. Thanks to this terrific system, the hope of becoming a dominant and successful basketball player for many young players has never been closer and possible; users of this innovative system described a striking improvement in their game level after “practicing” with this system for less than a month.
Defense is a key in basketball. A team that shoots hoops can only win if it has a great defense in place. Every basketball team needs to create a working defense system. And a team needs to be a well rounded one so that it can play even at high intensity.
Read how great defenders in basketball perfected their dense moves. Make notes of what will work for you and what will not. Get your mind to function like that of a soldier who is all set to defend his nation. Only in the case of basketball the nation is the ball and team position.
Here are a few defense tips:
1. Learn all about ball and man line. This is an imaginary line between the player you are defending and the man with the ball. Learn to position yourself on the basket side of the ball man line and form a defensive triangle.
2. Master the art of “cover down defense”. Position yourself to the level of the ball so that you can stop the ball before it reaches the lane.
]]>
3. Use double down strategy when a low post player gets the ball. Learn how to double team the post player.
4. Jump to the ball and be quick to make adjustments to your stance and position. Be in position and jump this will help you avoid front cutters and screens. This will make you a strong team player.
5. Use the strategy of strongside closure when your team member passes the ball and cuts to the basket. Jump to the ball side and slide along the lane.
Remember defense is what ensures that your team gets control of the ball so include in the basketball training aspects of team defense moves, post defense moves, on the ball defense moves, and off the ball defense moves.
A great basketball defense player is one who:
1. Moves quickly.
2. Has strength and stamina.
3. Trains throughout the year.
4. Has an in depth understanding of the game.
5. Is a communicator and team leader.
6. Studies the strengths and weaknesses of the opponent team before every game.
7. Is able to think on his feet and change strategy even mid-game should the need arise.
8. Is a listener and picks up clues as well as moves from others.
9. Plays strong-side and weak –side defense well
The World Wide Web is an information highway for basketball players. There are websites exclusively devoted to the game and these are full of coaching tips, articles on training, records of history of basketball, winning teams, great players, and on sports management. Use the in depth expertise of the internet and perfect your basketball plays to create a championship winning team.
Some coaches think that they don’t have the personnel or temperament on their team to press. If you find yourself in this boat, you may want to reconsider. There are several reasons to press and accomplishing just one of them might be the difference between a good season and a great one!
Here are 11 great reasons to press:
1. Pressing can force game tempo. Depending on the type of press you use and whether you play it “hard’ or “soft” you can press to speed teams up or to slow them down. Combine your press with an offense with a similar tempo and you can control the speed of the entire game.
2. Pressing gives you “spurtability.” Pressing gives you the chance to score points in a hurry and allows you to either come from behind or to blow the game wide open. This “spurtability” makes opposing coaches afraid to substitute because the outcome of the entire game can be decided in only a couple minutes.
3. Pressing forces turnovers and creates extra possessions. When offenses slow down, they become more tentative; when they speed up they become more reckless. Either way they are out of their normal rhythm and comfort zone and the result is often an increase in turnovers. Travelling, double dribbles, five seconds, and even jump ball situations all translate into extra possessions for your team.
4. Pressing generate steals. Forcing turnovers is great but generating steals is even better because they give you the opportunity to fastbreak and attack the basket with a numbers advantage. Steals that result in easy baskets are great for you and demoralizing to the other team and coach. One important thing to remember though is that rebounds are often as good as steals and so an extremely strong emphasis needs to be placed on going after and getting the ball.
]]>
5. Pressing lets you play more players. The more players that get in the game the higher your overall team morale. When the whole team knows that your roster is going to play their roster, practices are much more intense and competitive, which helps everyone improve in all areas. Depth often allows you to wear superior opponents down and then win the game in the last five minutes.
6. Pressing forces your opponents out of their offense. Because of how they have been coached, many, many teams are incapable of effectively attacking the basket and must run their set offense to have any chance of scoring. On one hand, if your opponents never attack and burn your press then you have absolutely nothing to lose by pressing. On the other hand, if they do attack they will undoubtedly take some rushed, unfamiliar shots. (Remember – rebounds are as good as steals!)
7. Pressing helps overcome size disadvantages. When executed properly, pressing stretches the floor and forces your opponent’s “Bigs” to play smaller as they get pushed farther from the basket. It doesn’t matter how big the opposition is if they are getting stuck running between top of the key and top of the key.
8. Pressing eats up your opponent’s practice time. It doesn’t matter how strong or how weak your press is, opposing coaches will worry about it because of its potential to wreak havoc on their offense. The more they worry, the more time they will spend preparing for it in practice. They more time they spend working against the press, the less time they will have to work on everything else.
9. Pressing prepares your own offense. I’ve never been a big believer of the theory that you should “always press a pressing team.” If you press us we are going to get a great shot at the other end. Why? Because we work on pressing a little bit every day and so pressure doesn’t intimidate us, which means we’ve overcome half the battle before the game has even started!
10. Pressing helps you win games early in the season. This might be the very best reason of them all! Teams are generally more prepared for pressure later in the season because by then they have probably seen it at least a few times. However, many teams are often not quite ready for it yet during the first several games. Many times you can press early in the season and win a few games that you might not normally win. These wins could give your players just enough confidence to carry them through the rest of the season and give you an immeasurable psychological advantage.
11. Pressing doesn’t have to be forever. Just because you start the game in a press doesn’t mean you have to stay in it. You can always try it out just to see if your opponent is prepared or not. If they go right through it a couple straight times and score then drop out of it. But what if they struggle? It only takes a few possessions to find out!
Good Defense is an inevitable part of any win in basketball game. When starting to intensify your skills with basketball there are a number of factors in defense that you must focus on.
Keep your body low
Keeping your body low will help you manage and balance your body weight effectively. The key is to keep your head low. Most players want to stand erect but coaches want you to crouch. So how low should you be crouching? Well, the good rule of thumb is to crouch lower than the person you are guarding. This will help you move more readily than the other player.
Hand Positions
There are apparently several hand positions that you must pay attention to. Letting your hands up would undoubtedly deflect a shot or pass. Positioning your hands at your sides could greatly help with defense against dribbling, passing, and faking the ball. Additionally, this is easy to do and would help retain your balance.
Get into the bubble
There is this thing we call the bubble, which basically relate to the sphere of movement players have. To be able to play good defense, you have to enter into his bubble and make the most out of this space. The efficiency of movement lies in the skill of intimidation. For example, if you can make the other player worry that you would interfere his next move or you would steal the ball in his next dribble, he would be intimidated and therefore hesitate. Once this occurs, he is likely to decrease actions in the play, which will limit his offensive moves. This will then create an effect of lower scores.
Just be close enough
Basketball isn’t merely a game of balls and moves, it is also affected by the mental battles that occur between the minds of the individuals playing. Be a constant irritation to your opponent because this will affect his ball handling. Be mindful that you don’t always have to be standing next to your opponent. Just be close enough so as to worry him all the time and distract him.
Determine to become a good defensive player
Some people just seem to have the talents and skills necessary for basketball. Some have to toil their way through it and really maximize and take to heart all the trainings. Which ever group you fit into, your success all lies in the determination to win the game and to be a good basketball Player. Any trace of hesitation can work against you.
For your basketball success, you can download a very informative complete basketball handbook here for free
Some people just seem to have the talents and skills necessary for basketball. Some of us though have to toil our way through it and really maximize and take to heart all the trainings we have to endure.
One area that is vital in playing basketball is good defense. There are several fields in defense that you must focus on when starting to intensify your skills with basketball.
Body weight The key is to keep your head low. Most players want to stand erect rather than crouching but coaches want otherwise. So how low should you be crouching? Well, the good rule of thumb is to crouch lower than the person you are guarding. This will help you move more readily than the other player. Moreover, keeping your body low will help you balance your body weight effectively.
Position of the hands There are obviously several hand positions that you must keep in mind. Hands up would undoubtedly deflect a shot or pass.
You can also position your hands at your sides. This would be easier for players and could greatly help with defense against dribbling, passing, and faking the ball. Additionally, this would help retain your balance.
Get into the bubble There is this thing we call the bubble which basically pertains to the sphere of movement players have. To be able to play good defense, you have to enter into his bubble and make the most out of this space. The efficiency of movement lies in the skill of intimidation. For example, if you can make the other player worry that you would interfere his next move or you would steal the ball in his next dribble, he would be intimidated and therefore hesitate. Once this occurs, he is likely to decrease actions in the play which will limit his offensive moves. This will then create an effect of lower scores.
Basketball isn’t merely a game of balls and moves, it is also affected by the mental battles that occur between the minds of the individuals playing.
Be a constant irritation because this will affect ball handling. You must also be mindful that you don’t always have to be standing next to your opponent. Just be close enough so as to worry him all the time and distract him.
Determination to become a good defensive player Lastly, it all lies in the determination to win the game and make a good defense. Any trace of hesitation can work against you. As much as possible, refrain from making such moves.
During a basketball game, people commonly shout the word “DEFENSE!”. Come to think of it, do people in the stadium really know the meaning of the word? Does the basketball team, players and coaches, understand the meaning of the word? Is the value and importance of the word defense recognized? Sometimes basketball players themselves take it for granted. Everyone should remember that it is as important as scoring. A closer look at playing basketball defense is done in this article to clearly stress the meaning and importance of the word DEFENSE.
Defense is the team which doesn’t have the ball. Defense is also the act of protecting the basket and making it impossible for the offense, which is the team who has ball, to score. It can be considered as a state of mind which dictates the body to do measures to keep the other team from scoring. It is the “get the ball” attitude that fuels the defensive team along with the desire to win. Defensive skills can be taught and learned as long as the player puts his heart in it and realizes its importance in every basketball game.
Transition Play
Moving from offensive to defensive play should be done quickly. Defensive assignments should be set as soon as the basketball gets out of the team’s hands so the offensive team can’t get ahead. The mentality of the players at this point should be to get the ball back immediately.
Purpose
Put the offensive team under a lot of pressure. Don’t let the other team peak through an open shot or an open man. Guard every player and every corner and be aware of the moves and observe the play of the offensive team. Distract the ball handler through noises and movements so the communication between the offensive players will be disturbed. Put those arms up and use the body to block the ball handler’s view. Decrease the chances of giving them opportunities to establish their team play. Keep your eyes open for rebounding and ball stealing opportunities and get the ball back! Stay between the basket and the offensive player.
Be Ready
Keep the lead hand close to the ball and wave the other hand to prevent a pass from taking place. The defense player’s opposite foot of the offense player’s dominant hand should always be kept forward with the same hand extended out with the palms up. This will allow an easy steal if an opportunity comes.
There are three types of defense: the man on man defense, the zone defense and the combination of the two, which is the Box 1 defense. Man to man defense is the simplest and most common among the defenses. One player is assigned to guard a specific player of the offensive team at all times. For example the point guard of the defense team guards the point guard of the offensive team. Match-ups are determined based from the player’s height, speed and athletic ability.
Man to man defense is an aggressive style that allows forced steals and puts every offensive player under a lot of pressure. The danger of this style of defense is that when the offense player outsmarts the defense player, there will be no defense player to help continue to screen the ball because everybody else is preoccupied with guarding their own man. These results in the outnumbering of offense players versus the defense players which can help make the offense score.
In zone defense, each player is assigned to cover a specific area or zone instead of one player. There are many kinds of zone defenses. These are usually listed with numbers wherein the numbers correspond to the number of players in a particular zone. A 2-3 zone defense for example indicates that there should be two players manning the area near the three point line and three players manning the baseline. More often than not, a zone defense is limited to the key or the painted area.
There are some instances when a man to man defense and a zone defense is simultaneously put into effect. A box-1 defense for example generally is a type of zone defense where four of the players man their respective areas around the key. The fifth player, usually a guard, is assigned to guard a specific player on the opposing team, playing him in a man to man type of defense.
They usually say that basketball wins are owed to the proper playing of the defenses. Honestly, when the best defense is projected at every single level of the basketball game, everything will turn out well for the team.
The best coaches know for a fact that basketball defense should be made the topmost priority. After all, basketball defense determines the after-effect of the players’ efforts on the courts. But are you sure that your team knows how to play basketball defense the right way? Will their knowledge on basketball defense satiate the requirements for bringing home the bacon?
Being cultured with the proper basketball defensive knowledge is hard to deal with especially with the lack of effort and time spent both by the player and the coach. Getting into the core of basketball defense is all about desiring to improve the rest of the fields of the game. Basketball isn’t only about passing, dribbling, or shooting. Furthermore, it is all about learning basketball defenses so these aspects will be perfected. Most dedicated coaches can attest to how vital basketball defense is especially when a team’s heart is into winning.
Here are the valuable tips that need to be kept in mind as one learns the ropes of basketball defense:
You’ve got to quicken your hands and feet.
Know how to repeatedly and swiftly jump.
Practice your instincts and reflexes so you can immediately jump into action. Be with a coach who prioritizes commitment and focuses not only on the individual members of the team but basketball defense as well.
Learn the different basketball defenses such as half-court trap, man-to-man defense, full-court press, and many others.
Be quick in your transitions from that of the offensive floor end to the defensive positions.
Comprehend the overall grasp of the game alongside its strategies and concepts.
Be an expert in handling not only the strong side basketball defense but also the weak side.
Constantly practice the necessary positioning, defensive bearings, and footwork.
The fans usually roar as they spot their favorite players handle the basketball defenses the flawless way. In reality, basketball defense is actually all in the mind and being in the right attitude. If one truly desires to win, his heart extends to being willing to handle basketball defensive learning. Remember that playing basketball isn’t only a matter of shooting the ball and scoring. Executing the best defenses should likewise be vitally played.
Defense is just as important as offense. Any basketball player that only thinks about scoring points, is only half a basketball player. Likewise, any basketball team that only emphasizes offensive plays without being equally committed to playing defense is only half a team. The reasoning behind this is simple: It does you no good to score 20 points in the first five minutes of a basketball game, if your opponent scores 35. In order to win a basketball game, you want to get ahead in score and stay ahead. You can only do this consistently by emphasizing defense as much as offense. The purpose of this article is to highlight some fundamental principles about playing defense in basketball that every basketball player, regardless of level, should know.
You need to have the “right attitude.”
When playing defense in basketball, you cannot layback and let the team with the ball do as it pleases. You must get very aggressive, outfight the offense. At every opportunity, take the initiative away from the offense, break up and disrupt their offensive attack. As you know, to score in basketball, you have got to have the ball. To get the ball, you have got to battle for it. A few ways that you can prevent the opposing team from executing their offense is by stealing the ball, by interception of passes, by controlling the backboards, by fighting through screens, by forcing held balls, by putting constant pressure on the offense. Without pressure, the offense will easily run one play after another. With pressure, it will make bad passes, commit walking violations, miss easy shots and lose confidence. This forcing of the offense is at the very heart of good defensive play. And that applies to any basketball team or to any individual basketball player.
Establishing the correct stance on defense.
When on defense, you should have your feet a little better than shoulder-width apart, toes pointing straight ahead, heels off the floor slightly. Your knees should be flexed, and your trunk inclined forward. To move sideward, you should never cross your legs. At the end of the movement, your feet should be at the original width.
If an opposing player fakes a shot, you should never, never leave your feet. If he fakes a drive, simply drop straight back a step until you are sure of what he is going to do. Should the offensive man-and we still assume he has the ball-be a faster player than you, play him looser than usual. If he is slower than you, close in a bit. An outside shooter wants to be played closer than a player whose best weapon is a driving layup.
Study your opponent
When you are assigned to guard an opposing player, study him carefully. Find out where he is strong, where he is weak. Take advantage of your opponent’s weaknesses. Force him off the strong part of his game. This is not as difficult as it sounds. For example, you will find that many players can only dribble or shoot with one hand (right-handed, or left-handed.)
If you are playing a man who does everything with his right hand, favor that side with your defensive position. In other words, if he dribbles with his right hand, force him to go to his left. When you constantly force this player to go to his weak side, you are hindering his play considerably; and,consequently, you will probably cause him to lose his composure.
When you are playing an offensive man who does not have the ball, try to be in a position to intercept passes, but do not be so close as to give him a chance to get behind you.
Guarding the Dribbler
As a defensive player you should try not to slap at the dribbler as he goes by. You should turn and go with the dribbler, get one step ahead and deflect or steal the ball by reaching underneath the dribbler’s hands with the inside hand. If this tactic fails, you should wait for the dribbler to either shoot or stop before you make another defensive move. If the offensive player attempts a jump shot, close with him as he puts both hands on the ball–stop the shot before it gets started.
On a layup, reach over with the outside hand and try to block the shot at the top of the offensive player’s jump. Do this without making contact. If you make contact, the shooter may get the field goal and a free throw. If you don’t make contact he will only have the opportunity for two points. The other alternative, of course, would be to block the shot.
Stopping the Give-and-Go
A pass and an immediate cut to the basket is the oldest maneuver in offensive basketball. Called the “give-and-go,” it sometimes causes a defensive player trouble.
The difficulty usually stems from two faults:
• The guard turns his head to watch the ball. When he does that the offensive man cuts behind him and easily takes a return pass.
• The guard remains flat-footed as the cutter goes by.
On the give-and-go, you as the defensive man should take a quick step backward and keep your eyes glued to the cutter’s midriff. The step back will give you a chance to find out which way the cutter is going to go–the ball side, or the far side. By watching the cutter’s midriff, the guard can’t be faked out of position. Despite tricky head, shoulder and hand movements, a cutter’s stomach will indicate his direction.
If the cutter goes to the ball side, you should turn and go with the cutter. If you can get one step ahead, you will have a chance of intercepting the pass, or getting a held ball.
If the cutter goes to the far side, you should turn that way, stay half a step ahead of the cutter and look for the pass. He is now on the inside and can easily be intercepted.
Blocking out after a shot
Defending after the shot is similar to defending against the give-and-go. If you are guarding the shooter, you should anticipate a drive for the rebound.
As with the give-and-go, you should take a step backward and watch the shooter’s midriff. As the shooter begins to break in for the rebound, you should turn directly in front of him. You do not hold the shooter off physically until about 10′ from the basket. Then you hold your ground and hope that the ball rebounds your way. Naturally, if all five defensive men “block out” on shots from long or medium range, they will have the best opportunity to catch rebounds because each will hold an inside position.
Blocking out should be attempted whether you are playing a man with, or without the ball. If your man does not drive to the basket, however, do not stay on the outside too long. Go in and help out. Since you will out number the opposing team, you will have a good chance to get the ball.
Defending after a foul shot
There is one positive rule about attempting to recover a foul shot from the defensive basket. Someone must always cover the shooter. If this rule is not followed, the ball may hit the outer rim, bounce right back into the shooter’s hands and present him with an easy field goal attempt. Instead of losing a point, he is apt to gain two.
So, as you line up with your teammates, be sure someone- usually the last man on the line-steps directly in front of the shooter as the ball hits. If the ball bounces straight back, your team will have it.
When lining up on the foul line at either basket, be certain the man next to you-especially if he is taller-does not hook his arms over yours. If he does, you will never have a chance at the ball.
And remember, when at the defensive basket, do not tap the ball on the rebound, catch it. And, do not pass across the lane to start the offense up court. Go directly forward, or to the sideline.
Switching on defense
Switching is one way to prevent cross-court screens. In the man-for-man defense, it is smart to point to the man you are guarding since switching is a possibility. When there is an easy and obvious opportunity to change assignments, the players should yell “switch” and point to the man being picked up. Remember, switching can only be effective against lateral movement. It will not work against direct cuts to the basket.
There is one obvious danger to the switching tactic: If one of the two defensive players involved fails to switch, two men are going to be guarding the same offensive player, while one offensive man will be running free. Do not yell “switch” unless you are sure your teammate can and will make the switch with you.
Take-Home Defensive Tips
• Never stop pressing the offense. In other words, don’t quit!
• Never tip the ball as it comes off the defensive basket. Always catch it.
• Never pass the ball across the back lane. Take it away from the lane. First, by a quick pass out to a breaking teammate. Second, by dribbling.
• When playing in the man-for-man defense, always stay between your opponent and the basket.
• If you think you are being screened, close up on your man and fight through. If you are being used to screen out a teammate, loosen up and let your teammate slide through and be alert to the possibility of a switch.
• If your man gets one shot and misses, do not let him get a second attempt.
• When playing two men, remember that the man closest to the basket is the most dangerous.
At all times, “help out” the rest of your teammates on defense.
If the man you are guarding has the ball, you should stretch one hand up (with fingers spread) to block a possible shot. The other hand should be stretched sideward. (Usually the sideward hand is the hand that is to the “inside” of the court. In other words, if you are located to the right of the court, your right hand is up, left hand sideward. )
The position of your head as a defensive player when guarding an opponent is extremely important. You want to see the ball and as much of the basketball court and offensive players as possible. To do this, you should make full use of your peripheral vision (sometimes called “split” vision).
How important it is for you to learn the fundamentals of playing defense as a basketball player cannot be emphasized enough. Remember, offense win games but defense win championships. Visit http://www.basketball-drills-and-tips.com to find more information on this topic, and to download a FREE copy of our Basketball E-Book ($29 Value) titled,”The Fundamentals of Basketball: A beginner’s guide for coaches and players.”
During a basketball game, people commonly shout the word “DEFENSE!”. Come to think of it, do people in the stadium really know the meaning of the word? Does the basketball team, players and coaches, understand the meaning of the word? Is the value and importance of the word defense recognized? Sometimes basketball players themselves take it for granted. Everyone should remember that it is as important as scoring. A closer look at playing basketball defense is done in this article to clearly stress the meaning and importance of the word DEFENSE. Defense is the team which doesn’t have the ball. Defense is also the act of protecting the basket and making it impossible for the offense, which is the team who has ball, to score. It can be considered as a state of mind which dictates the body to do measures to keep the other team from scoring. It is the “get the ball” attitude that fuels the defensive team along with the desire to win. Defensive skills can be taught and learned as long as the player puts his heart in it and realizes its importance in every basketball game. Transition Play Moving from offensive to defensive play should be done quickly. Defensive assignments should be set as soon as the basketball gets out of the team’s hands so the offensive team can’t get ahead. The mentality of the players at this point should be to get the ball back immediately. Purpose Put the offensive team under a lot of pressure. Don’t let the other team peak through an open shot or an open man. Guard every player and every corner and be aware of the moves and observe the play of the offensive team. Distract the ball handler through noises and movements so the communication between the offensive players will be disturbed. Put those arms up and use the body to block the ball handler’s view. Decrease the chances of giving them opportunities to establish their team play. Keep your eyes open for rebounding and ball stealing opportunities and get the ball back! Stay between the basket and the offensive player. Be Ready Keep the lead hand close to the ball and wave the other hand to prevent a pass from taking place. The defense player’s opposite foot of the offense player’s dominant hand should always be kept forward with the same hand extended out with the palms up. This will allow an easy steal if an opportunity comes. There are three types of defense: the man on man defense, the zone defense and the combination of the two, which is the Box 1 defense. Man to man defense is the simplest and most common among the defenses. One player is assigned to guard a specific player of the offensive team at all times. For example the point guard of the defense team guards the point guard of the offensive team. Match-ups are determined based from the player’s height, speed and athletic ability. Man to man defense is an aggressive style that allows forced steals and puts every offensive player under a lot of pressure. The danger of this style of defense is that when the offense player outsmarts the defense player, there will be no defense player to help continue to screen the ball because everybody else is preoccupied with guarding their own man. These results in the outnumbering of offense players versus the defense players which can help make the offense score. In zone defense, each player is assigned to cover a specific area or zone instead of one player. There are many kinds of zone defenses. These are usually listed with numbers wherein the numbers correspond to the number of players in a particular zone. A 2-3 zone defense for example indicates that there should be two players manning the area near the three point line and three players manning the baseline. More often than not, a zone defense is limited to the key or the painted area. There are some instances when a man to man defense and a zone defense is simultaneously put into effect. A box-1 defense for example generally is a type of zone defense where four of the players man their respective areas around the key. The fifth player, usually a guard, is assigned to guard a specific player on the opposing team, playing him in a man to man type of defense.
Some people just seem to have the talents and skills necessary for basketball. Some of us though have to toil our way through it and really maximize and take to heart all the trainings we have to endure. One area that is vital in playing basketball is good defense. There are several fields in defense that you must focus on when starting to intensify your skills with basketball. Body weight The key is to keep your head low. Most players want to stand erect rather than crouching but coaches want otherwise. So how low should you be crouching? Well, the good rule of thumb is to crouch lower than the person you are guarding. This will help you move more readily than the other player. Moreover, keeping your body low will help you balance your body weight effectively. Position of the hands There are obviously several hand positions that you must keep in mind. Hands up would undoubtedly deflect a shot or pass. You can also position your hands at your sides. This would be easier for players and could greatly help with defense against dribbling, passing, and faking the ball. Additionally, this would help retain your balance. Get into the bubble There is this thing we call the bubble which basically pertains to the sphere of movement players have. To be able to play good defense, you have to enter into his bubble and make the most out of this space. The efficiency of movement lies in the skill of intimidation. For example, if you can make the other player worry that you would interfere his next move or you would steal the ball in his next dribble, he would be intimidated and therefore hesitate. Once this occurs, he is likely to decrease actions in the play which will limit his offensive moves. This will then create an effect of lower scores. Basketball isn’t merely a game of balls and moves, it is also affected by the mental battles that occur between the minds of the individuals playing. Be a constant irritation because this will affect ball handling. You must also be mindful that you don’t always have to be standing next to your opponent. Just be close enough so as to worry him all the time and distract him. Determination to become a good defensive player Lastly, it all lies in the determination to win the game and make a good defense. Any trace of hesitation can work against you. As much as possible, refrain from making such moves.