Coaches Resources
"Defensive Stance"
This is an area of basketball that is definitely open to interpretation. "Defensive Stance" is the body position necessary to play defense successfully. Having played basketball for years and coached for some time I have witnessed many different coaches teach different ways to get into "defensive stance". I have also seen many people play defense successfully, and do so without one consistent "stance". This is not to say that there are not parts of the stance that are the same. Rather, the overall stance varies from athlete to athlete. Firstly, lets outline the consistent parts that make up a good defensive stance:
- Being in a position that allows the defender to change directions quickly is absolutely key. Thus, having knees bent is essential. If you are trying to play defence while standing up there is no way you will be able to stay in front of a good offensive player.
- Foot position is also something that can make the difference between staying in front of someone or not. Meaning that if your feet are crossing over, are too close together or too far apart the defender is becoming less athletic. The best foot positioning is to teach just over shoulder width apart. This allows players to take stance from a "big to bigger" foot set up. Once again, this allows players to react in numerous directions. I have witnessed players be very successful with a wide stance, but often players lack the ability to make their first foot movement in the direction of the offensive player attack. Since their feet are already very wide. Thus, just beyond shoulder width is most efficient.
- Straight back. This really lends more to the player being on balance. If your head is too far forward it is difficult to maintain balance. If you are off balance you are not in good defensive stance.
- On toes is another pjrase often preached by coaches. The aim of this is to get players off of their heels. As a defender if you get caught on your heels there is no way to react to any move made by the offensive player.
These are a few things that are important to defensive stance regardless of the defender. Obviously different players are going to look different in their specific stance.
Overall, you can teach players defensive stance absolutely perfectly but it does not necessarily make a perfect defender. Defence is an attitude and involves working hard. Defensive stance merely puts the defender in the best position to do that hard work and shut down the offensive player.
