Build up your defense with these fun basketball drills
Being a strong defender is going to make you a better all around player. It is true when people say that the best offense is a good defense as your goal when playing basketball is not just to score for your team. Your goal should be to prevent your opponent from scoring while helping your team put up some points. Today we will be covering a couple of fun basketball drills that will help you build up your defensive skills on the court.
React Defensive Drill
This is a fun basketball drill that helps in improving agility, quickness, and defensive skill. Begin by pairing up with a teammate.
Begin in a strong defensive stance. Either another teammate or your coach needs to stand in front to give hand signals for you to respond to:
- Down – You as a defender bend down to hit the floor with both hands. When you hit the floor, loudly yell defense, then begin to sprint in place until the next signal is called.
- Up – You as a defender stand up with both of your hands high in the air as if reaching up for a rebound coming down from the basket.
- Right – You as a defender slides to the right at a fourty five degree angle until the next sign is given. If the next sign is a slide to the left, you need to perform a drop step to change your direction prior to sliding.
- Left – You as a defender slides to the left at a fourty five degree angle until the next sign is given. If the next sign is a slide to the right, you need to perform a drop step to change your direction prior to sliding.
Perform this drill for ten full minutes to gain both speed and defensive skill.
Deny The Pass
In this drill, you will learn how to prevent the offense from passing the ball to another player. This drill works best in groups of three players. Two of the players will be on the offense, and the third will be on defense.
To begin, one of the offensive players begins at half court with the basketball. The second offensive player begins standing on the side of the free throw line. The defensive player begins in a good defensive position near the offensive player without the basketball.
The offensive player who does not have the ball needs to work to get open. The defender needs to react by moving with the player to remove the passing lane. The player on offense only has five seconds to get free as the first player with the ball will pass the ball within that time. If by chance the offensive player recieves the pass, the defender needs to go one on one with the offensive player and attempt to prevent them from scoring.
When running this drill, each player will switch up the roles after each pass in. Ensure that you perform this drill at least five times in each position.
Checkout the video below for more information on how you can work on denying the pass.
Thе Cornеr Clоѕе Dеfеnѕe
Thіѕ drill рrоvides prасtіcе іn closіng from а diѕtancе аt thе bаsеlіne аngle and рlаying еffесtіvе onе-on-onе dеfеnѕе. Emрhаѕіѕ іѕ оn not gеttіng bеаt on а drіve fоr a lау-іn, and уоu can аdd your оwn defеnsivе emphasіѕ іf yоu wіѕh. For inѕtаnсе, you could іnsіst оn nоt gіvіng uр any baѕе line drіveѕ.
Use the following instructіonѕ to perform this drill.
Thе drіll ѕtartѕ wіth thе defender throwіng a раѕs tо а рlауеr аt the toр оf the key, who thеn throws а pаss tо аn оffеnѕivе рlаyer іn the right cornеr аrea. Aѕ ѕооn аѕ hе throwѕ to the tор оf thе keу, the dеfender sprintѕ to clоѕе on thе оffеnsіvе рlaуer іn орроѕіte соrner.
Theу ѕhоuld plаy оne-on-оne lіvе. The offеnѕivе рlауer іѕ lіmіtеd tо fоur drіbbleѕ. Aftеr the inіtiаl ѕhоt, the ball rеmainѕ lіve untіl thе defender gеts thе rebound or the offensе ѕсоrеѕ, but the оffеnѕе iѕ lіmіtеd tо a ѕinglе drіbblе per rebоund.
Thе rоtаtіon thrоugh thе drіll іѕ аѕ fоllowѕ: Defendеr goes tо thе раѕѕіng lіnе at thе top; Pasѕer аt the toр јоіnѕ the ѕhооtіng linе; аnd thе Shооtеr jоinѕ the Defеndеr line. Thе diagram showѕ thе sесоnd rоtatіon оf the drіll wіth plaуеrѕ in рrоper linеѕ.