94' of Pressure Defense

Frank Martin knows defense! His teams are consistently among the best at ramping up pressure and playing tough, hard-nosed defense.

Through this on-court presentation, Coach Martin details the principles and philosophy behind his renowned half and full court man-to-man defense. Each concept is thoroughly explained and demonstrated. Martin highlights the importance of knowing the ins & outs of what you teach. His attention to the details of defense is on display as he shares the little things that make his defenses deadly. He also explains why he does what he does, and why he teaches certain things the way he does.

Half Court Defensive Positioning

To begin, Coach Martin walks through half court defensive positioning, showing how your players should align themselves relative to the ball and position of the ball handler. Denial techniques are shown one, two, and three passes away as well as proper hip and foot placement of defenders.

The most important aspect of the defense is the on-ball pressure and half-court pick up points. Martin shows how to pick up at half-court and force the ball handler to choose a side. The underlying theme of the defense is trust and communication; teaching your players to trust that everyone has their back will encourage communication and tough on-ball defense. Martin also explains how teams will react to this style of pressure defense and what he has done to counter those adjustments.

Chute Drill

How do you play the ball once it's in the middle of the court? Martin shows the Chute Drill, which teaches players how to guard the ball in the middle of the floor. The drill is shown first in a 1-on-1 scenario prior to progressing to 3-on-3. Athletes play in the full court with other players on either side of the "chute" prepared to swipe at the ball handler while the defender practices making the ball handler turn in the back court. Once they reach half court, play becomes live.

Full Court Defensive Positioning

In this segment, Martin details how to adjust when players get beat middle by using the "sell-out" concept to continually apply pressure. Variations and progressions of how to teach the full court man-to-man defense are explained. Martin explains the basics of how they would practice 2-on-2, 3-on-3, and 4-on-4 full court, working to perfect the rotations and responsibilities of the defenders.

Shell Drills and Q&A

Exposing your players to several different alignments using the Shell drill will help them transfer practice skills into games. It's important to approach your Shell defense alignment differently depending on how your opponents might play you on offense.

The final segment of this video includes an insightful Q&A session from high school coaches; questions regarding baseline rotations, roles on coaching staffs, and transition defense. Coach Martin also explains his 4-on-4 plus 1 drill that will help your players prepare for opponents and how they will try to adjust to their defensive pressure.

This video will instantly help make you a better defensive coach, giving you teaching points, drills, and concepts that will take your defense to the next level!

100 minutes. 2020.