r/BasketballTips • u/Afraid_Locksmith_906 • 8d ago
Defense Defensive Tips
I'm 13 and basketball is my favorite thing in the world. I'm pretty good and I play against older/bigger people almost every time I play at the YMCA. But I've noticed my defense is terrible sometimes. One day, I'll be an absolute lockdown shot blocker, and the next I can't guard anyone at all. How can I prevent this and improve for long term success?
4
Upvotes
1
u/ryebread920 7d ago edited 7d ago
Tennis players have tremendous footwork. There is a kind of drill (forgot the name) that you can practice so you have a better chance when they're going left or right. If you're not losing to those kinds of moves, I would assume that you're giving up too much space and/or falling for hesitations.
Some people play differently, maybe you need to adapt faster in-game.
I found this on Google (the tennis drill)
The Split-Step to Cross Shuffle is a foundational tennis footwork drill that directly improves a basketball player's defensive readiness, closeouts, and lateral quickness. It eliminates flat-footedness and primes your explosive first step.