Defensive Stance: Athletic Position and Active Hands
Defensive excellence begins with proper stance.
Foundations
Individual Defense
Defensive excellence begins with proper stance.
Direct answer
What is Individual Defense?
Defensive excellence begins with proper stance.
Quick facts
| Category | Foundations |
|---|---|
| Source volume | Basketball Knowledge Vault/vol1_beginner_first_principles.md |
What it is
- Defensive excellence begins with proper stance.
How it works
- The lateral slide (or defensive slide) is the primary movement for on-ball defenders to stay in front of a moving ball-handler.
- The key is never crossing the feet (which opens the body and slows recovery) and maintaining the athletic stance throughout.
- Common mistakes include: (1) walking backward instead of sliding (opening the hips), (2) crossing the feet, (3) upright stance that prevents quick recovery, (4) looking at the ball instead of the offensive player's body.
- Lateral slides should be practiced extensively until automatic—a defender who cannot laterally slide quickly will be easily beaten off the dribble.
- A closeout is the action of quickly closing the distance to a shooter after the ball has left their hands or when they have space to shoot.
Bilingual terms
| English | Individual Defense |
|---|---|
| Simplified Chinese | 个人防守 |
| Traditional Chinese | 單兵防守 |
Related concepts
Individual Scoring Breakdowns
Side Step: SGA uses a lateral step to create space on pull-up jumpers — forces defenders to stop lateral movement, then he creates just enough daylight
Basic Floor Balance Concepts: 5-Out and 4-Out 1-In
Two fundamental spacing configurations in modern basketball are 5-out and 4-out 1-in.
Rebounding Basics
Rebounding is the contest for the ball after a missed field goal or free throw.
Running Plays for Non-Shooters
Modern NBA/college defense is built to sag off non-shooters.
Box Out Technique: Establishing Position
Rebounding is the contest for the ball after a missed field goal or free throw.