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Archives by Tag 'Defensive Drills'

2 Competitive Defensive Drills that Get Results

By adam.warner - Last updated: Wednesday, April 4, 2012

An effective defensive drill should really get your team some key repetitions in practice, reinforce core principles, and replicate game-like situations. In this week’s Playbook Series, we’ll focus on a competitive group drill before getting into denial defense. Check out these two new drills and use them to spice up your practices this year.

Four Groups Defensive Drill

Submitted by Phil Martelli, St. Joseph’s University, Philadelphia, PA

Divide the players into four groups of two all over the court. The “O’s” have the ball and “X’s” are the defenders. Tell your defensive players to guard the ball for three slides, forcing the ball to the sideline. Meanwhile, the ball handler tries to beat the defender off the dribble.

After the initial slides, both players line up outside the three-point circle (elbows extended) and the ballhandler tries to beat the defender to the basket. The defender should look to force his opposition to the baseline. The players sprint back to their original spot, switch roles, and do it again.

Defensive Denial Drill

Submitted by Alex Allen, Mohawk HS, Marcola, OR

Overview: This effective drills is used to work on the following defensive skills: denying the passing from the point to the wing, denying the ball from the corner to the wing & the post, and using the chest to fend off the offensive player as they make a ballside cut and denying him/her the ball. This drill also gets players to also work on 1-on-1 defensive and offensive skills.

Set-Up: The drill begins with a coach holding a ball at the point and players at positions 1 to 5. 1 is on the right wing area, 2 in the right corner, 3 on the right low block, 4 on the left wing, and 5 in the left corner. Emphasize players on defense they mustbe intense on defense and offensive must make players work hard.

Action: The first defensive player starts by denying the pass from the point to the wing. Player 1 V-cuts back and forth from the wing to the block. The coach passes to 1, either on the wing or via backdoor pass. Next, the coach passes the ball to 2 in the corner. 1 steps aside. Pass the ball to 2 and attempt a few passes down low to 3. The defender covers 3 and defends the post-up and works on post-up defensive strategies.

The ball is then reversed from 2 to the coach, across to 4 and then to 5. As the ball is reversed, the defender down low must adjust accordingly and switch ballside positioning. After 5 gets the ball, 3 cuts hard to the near low post. The defender must chest 3 off as the pass looks to go down low from 5. Once 3 has the ball, he can go 1-on-1 with the defender. See if you can run this drill on both sides of the court simultaneously. Rotate offensive players through each rep.

Keys: We are only working on one defender at a time here in different denial situations.

The previous clips can be seen on Championship Productions’ DVD “35 Dynamic Defensive Drills” by Winning Hoops. To check out more set plays and drills, simply head over to our basketball library.

Filed in Basketball • Tags: BasketballCoach eNewsletter, Defensive Drills, special situations & inbounds plays, Winning Hoops

Shutdown Defense: Key Techniques for Effective Individual Play

By adam.warner - Last updated: Tuesday, April 3, 2012

In this week’s player development feature, we’ll focus on individual defensive technique, a crucial area that defenders must be proficient at in order to stop the opposition. Duke assistant coach Chris Gabrielli breaks down key defensive concepts like trailing, angles, and footwork before revealing a key defensive drill to help your defenders take that next step.

The Complete Defender: Individual Technique

A complete defender has terrific individual technique on the ball. You must be able to deter an opponent and stop them from accomplishing what they are trying to do, all while playing within your own team system. The better we can defend the ball, the easier it will be for our off-ball teammates and goalie. Focus on being aware on the field, take a great approach, and put yourself in a good spot to be successful.

Trailing

Trailing is a term used to describe areas where the ball carrier is going that aren’t threatening to us. For instance, if he’s running toward X, this isn’t threatening to us and we have accomplished something. So the goal is to trail our opponent and keep him over there.

Angles

Once a ball carrier decides he wants to become a threat and tries to get to an area that we may be vulnerable, we need to take a proper angle to deter him from getting to that spot. If we beat him to that spot, we then want to hold him. This is where it becomes a strength competition between two opponents. If you are in the proper spot and use the proper technique of holding, you should be in good shape.

We also believe there is a certain progression in defending one-on-one. It all begins with your feet. A good defenseman in our sport is similar to a basketball player. He wants to move his feet and get himself in front of that ball carrier. Our advantage is that we can foul and use our hands and stick to push and hold people.

Next, we emphasize the hands. If we get to the spot with our feet, we can put ourselves in a good position where our hands will be there. Now we can apply some pressure and get our hands on the ball carrier and push them around.

Finally, it’s key to use the stick effectively, sometimes a last resort to throw a check or get the stick in there and lift to force a turnover.

Behind the Cage

Behind the cage, the goal for the ball carrier is to get to 5 & 5, an area five yards off the pipe and five yards off the GLE. If he gets to this area of the field, he’s a threat. The offensive player could inside roll his man and get to the front of the cage easily, he can also step away and shoot, step away and feed, or come up with many other options in this area. Being an aware defender, we don’t want our man getting to that area of the field at all.

So how do we force a player out of this area? It starts with footwork. If the defender can beat his man to his spot with great footwork, he’s thinking of turning him back and not getting to 5 and 5, plus he’s putting himself in a great position to be successful through great footwork. The goal is to turn the defender at a 45-degree point behind the cage. If he doesn’t do that, and say cuts him at the GLE, by the time he stops the goal carrier’s momentum, very often the offensive player will still end up at 5 and 5.

Therefore, we want to beat our man topside by the time he gets to that 45-degree mark behind the net and apply our hands. Play with your feet first, and then with the hands. Do not lunge with the hands. Instead, bring your hands to the correct spot through proper footwork and team speed.

Behind the Cage Drill

For this drill, get the guys to drop the sticks, grab an 8-lb. med ball, and focus on moving their feet quickly, all while having their hands away from their body to apply hands and push opponents out. Once a ball carrier gets into your chest, you will get pushed back and moved around. Defensively, we want to do the pushing and move people around.

This drill gets players to squat with their hands away from the body and moving the feet. Simply, we set out two cones at the 45-degree marks behind the cage. Defenders one at a time go back and forth between the cones moving their feet quickly and holding out the med balls with proper technique. Pretend you are cutting angles as if going against an offensive player.

The previous clips can be seen on Championship Productions’ DVD “Becoming a Champion: The Defender.” To check out more defensive oriented videos, head over to our lacrosse library.

Filed in Lacrosse • Tags: Chris Gabrielli, Coaching Instruction, Defensive Drills, Duke Men's Lacrosse, Inside the Crease

All Access Kentucky Basketball Practice: Transition Defense and Closeout Drills

By adam.warner - Last updated: Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Ever wanted to see a top college basketball team go through a typical midweek practice session? In this week’s edition of All Access, we take you to Lexington, Kentucky for an exclusive look at a University of Kentucky men’s basketball practice. Watch as head coach John Calipari walks through several team defensive drills for you and dishes out overall strategies, general tips, and player guidance.

This behind-the-scenes glimpse comes from the first few days of practice during the 2010-2011 basketball season with the focus being squarely on defense. According to Coach Calipari, while many people may talk about the program’s effective dribble drive offensive approach, defense has really been the key for years. In this feature, you’ll see exactly how Kentucky teaches defense and hopefully this will give you some insight into what the Wildcats do, the intensity they play with, and the key pieces of defense the program works on in order to be successful.

Transition Defense

This drill starts with an offensive set — “Money” — in the half court (and involves a ball screen first). As soon as the ball goes in the basket, the unit must sprint back on defense. Says Calipari, “If we are going to be good defensively, we gotta get back on defense.” As the team gets back, a pass up court is intercepted, and the squad finishes the play offensively on transition. The goal is to get from defense and back to offense as quickly as possible.

Many people will want to run back to the opposite paint, but the problem with this is that they throw the ball, suck your defense down, and all of a sudden you have problems. For Calipari’s teams, the key is trying to run back, cover both wings, cover the basket, and shadow the ball. For this drill, the one big man who rebounded is behind the ball.

It’s also crucial to get the players to communicate. According to Calipari, at that moment, the team doesn’t talk much and they won’t be good if they continue to not talk. When the squad hits the road, it’s very difficult to hear each other. Therefore, it’s imperative that the players communicate effectively. This drill works on building team communication extensively.

The team works on the following offensive sets while practicing its transition defense: Crunch, Motion, and X.

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Box Closeout

Calipari’s teams will typically run this drill for the first three weeks of practice before incorporating it into more game-like situations. It’s not quite game-like enough, but it’s simple and very effective. If you’ve got 15 guys and want to work them, this is a perfect defensive drill.

One at a time, players will sprint from the middle baseline with both hands out/up and proceed to close out on a coach with the ball at the elbow. Players will then slide diagonally across the lane to the baseline and then will immediately close out again, this time towards another coach standing on the opposite elbow area. The player will finish by sliding to the far corner of the court and return back to the end of the line. Once the first player makes his first diagonal shuffle, a second player should commence.

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Impossible Close

The Wildcats typically go through this drill early on in practices. The bottom line here is that you must closeout to the wing and be the weakside help. This is called the “Impossible Close.” It’s key that your team can do this well.

If the defender’s hands are not up, the offensive guy should be shooting. If his hands are up, the guy is driving. Players end with a rebound in this drill. With the closeout, you don’t have to stop the offensive player from going anywhere, you just have to make him go wide because your help will come if he’s wide. However, on a straight drive, there’s no help, so you better hope for a charge.

The drill can play out on both ends of the floor. It starts with the defender in the middle of the paint. Next, there’s a pass across to the wing and the defender must closeout on the wing player. Players finish the play (and always with a rebound) with a 1-on-1. Remember, the goal for the defender is to make it as hard as he can for the offensive guy to score.

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The previous clips can be seen on Championship Productions’ DVD “All Access Kentucky Basketball Practice 2010-2011” with John Calipari. To check out more college teams in our All Access lineup, visit our basketball DVD library.

Filed in Basketball • Tags: All Access Basketball Practice, Defensive Drills, Individual Defense, John Calipari, Team Defense, University of Kentucky

Two Fundamental Drills for Basketball Practice with Ben Jacobson

By adam.warner - Last updated: Wednesday, December 14, 2011

No matter if it’s the preseason or middle of the season, Northern Iowa head men’s basketball coach Ben Jacobson works on fundamental skills with his team throughout the campaign — whether it be shooting, passing, dribbling, or rebounding. In this week’s team development feature, learn two effective fundamental basketball drills from Coach Jacobson that should pay immediate dividends with your squad this year.

Two Minute Layup Drill

While a very basic drill, the two minute layup drill is a great way to start practice. It’s typically run at the start of practice to get their minds working. It also promotes communication and works on passing and catching at the same time.

Put two minutes on the clock. Players must make 22 layups in two minutes. Jacobson’s players have gotten to 23, though it took some practice. However, the only way to reach that goal is to make each layup, make sure they are clean, and ensure the ball doesn’t hit the rim or hit the floor. In other words, you can’t have any errors.

Start at the free throw line at the far end of the court. Three players at a time should be spread out evenly. Players are just passing and catching all the way down the court. Be sure to shoot each layup without a dribble. As it comes through the net, the next guy in the middle will grab it and start up with his new group. The ball should never hit the floor, so be sure to use only chest passes. Tip: The rebounder should grab the ball on the run. Each pass has got to be on the money.

Alley Drill

This drill works both offense and defense. You need one player on offense and one player on defense. The goals of the drill are to defend without fouling, contain the dribble, turn the ball handler, and don’t foul.

Guarding the basketball is the key to our entire defense. With that said, players must be able to play 1-on-1 basketball. Remember, if you can guard the basketball, you don’t have to be in help defense as long and you don’t have to go into rotations.

The offensive player will handle the ball starting at half court. He can only work within the free throw lines extended out to half court. He must get the ball from the half court line to the end line. This player is not trying to score but rather attempting to get to the endline with a jumpstop. Defensively, we are working on turning the player and making it as hard as it can for the offensive player.

Key to playing defense: Keeping your feet on the ground and being in a position to defend. Positioning is very important.

Note: If the ball is knocked loose, go get it. You can also run this drill with one offensive guy vs. three defensive players or one defensive guy against three offensive players. This will really work each player and give them increased reps against fresh troops.

The previous clips can be seen on Championship Productions’ DVD “Ben Jacobson: Fundamental Drills for Basketball Practice.” To check out more videos featuring drills and fundamental skills, head over to our extensive basketball library.

Filed in Basketball • Tags: BasketballCoach eNewsletter, Ben Jacobson, Defensive Drills, Offensive Drills, Practice Organization

All Access Duke Lacrosse: Transition Drills and Defending Behind the Cage

By adam.warner - Last updated: Tuesday, November 29, 2011

In the latest edition of All-Access, we take you to Durham, North Carolina for an exclusive look at a Duke men’s lacrosse practice. Watch as head coach John Danowski leads his squad through a number of shooting and ball handling drills.

This exclusive access gives you a glimpse of how an elite Division I program prepares on a daily basis. Be sure to pick up some new tips, drills, and overall concepts so that you can implement them with your squad.

Execution Drill: Fire

Any time that we turn the ball over anywhere on the field and we are scattered, and someone yells “Fire”, that means we sprint and defend the paint. This drill starts with a loose ball in the defensive zone before the defense breaks out to midfield looking to push it up field on the transition break.

The defender moves it to the nearest middie and it transitions into three middies breaking up the field into the offensive zone. Then at the sound of the whistle and the call FIRE, the middies sprint back down field towards the defensive zone and they must defend the paint and find the ball. It’s a continuous drill. Once the three middies come back and finish defending the paint, they move the ball back up the other way, and new players rotate in from there.

Defending Behind the Cage

The next drill is a one-on-one drill. When behind the cage, we trail to the X ( the midpoint directly behind the cage). The defender will do whatever he can to keep the offensive player toward the X.

The first rule here is don’t get beat top side. For defenders, you want your stick in your left hand. Here’s why: It helps as a deterrent, you are a little bit stronger, and it reminds you of what you are trying to do. If the offensive player crosses the X and tries to go top side, you have the advantage of being able to run through the crease.

In this spot, it’s okay to be behind your man. If he takes another step towards top side, the defender will change hands and this will remind him of what his job is. The offensive guy can’t score a goal back there at X. He can feed, but your teammates will do their part. Remember the ultimate goal here: Stop the dodger from scoring a goal.

Defensive Tips and Drill Techniques

You need a lower center of gravity. When you stand up tall, you are not as quick or fast. However, when you lower your center of gravity, you are quicker. Defensively, we also want to be athletic, but make sure that you don’t lunge.

In the drill, we’ll first go right-handed and one time left-handed – at HALF SPEED. The key here is trying to understand what we’re trying to accomplish. Remember, don’t get beat top side.

Now, one player at a time, the players make their defensive movements behind the cage going 1-on-0 — at FULL SPEED. After this, players will go full speed in a 1-on-1 situation looking to keep their offensive counterparts around the X.

The previous clips can be seen on Championship Productions’ DVD “All Access Duke Lacrosse Practice, Volume I: One-on-One and Team Drills.” To check out more videos in our All Access library, click here.