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Introduction

You may very well have developed all the skills required to excel at the game of basketball. You may also have the physical strength, stamina, height and athleticism to overwhelm your opponents, however all of this is relatively insignificant if you have not taken the time to cultivate the essential basketball mindset that will allow you to take your game to yet another level. As a matter a fact, the skills you develop on the basketball court and the mindset you project go hand-in-hand and work together in conjunction to develop your legend as a basketball player.

This IQ Matrix Mind Map will specifically focus on the development of a resilient, disciplined and determined mindset that will set you apart from your Teammates and Opponents.

• The 1st Branch of this IQ Matrix Mind Map breaks down the personal and team spirit you must cultivate in order to develop a Superstar attitude that will break down the obstacles standing in your way on the basketball court.

• The 2nd Branch of this IQ Matrix Mind Map delves into the mindset you must bring forth into your daily training regimes on and off the basketball court.

• The 3rd Branch of this IQ Matrix Mind Map presents you with several techniques and strategies you can utilize on Game Day in order to bring about clarity, focus and a killer instinct that will help you to excel on the basketball court.

This article post is part of a Basketball Success Series of IQ Matrix Mind Maps. Topics within this series include:

• Part 1: Basketball Shooting Skills
• Part 2: Basketball Defensive Skills
• Part 3: Basketball Dribbling Skills
• Part 4: Basketball Passing Skills
• Part 5: Basketball Offensive Skills
• Part 6: Basketball Rebounding Skills
• Part 7: Basketball Movement Tactics
• Part 8: Basketball Post Play Skills
• Part 9: Basketball Mindset

The Attitude of a Basketball Superstar

The 1st Branch of this IQ Matrix Mind Map breaks down the personal and team spirit you must cultivate in order to develop a Superstar attitude that will break down the obstacles standing in your way on the basketball court. We will specifically discuss the fundamental traits and characteristics that you must instill into your personality and briefly throw caution to the wind on other areas that you must effectively manage and control.

Your Personal Spirit

Your Personal Spirit will help you to excel as a basketball player whether practicing alone or within a team setting. It is highly recommended that you cultivate and develop each of the following qualities meticulously. Each one will help you to grow and develop emotionally, mentally and physically as a complete all-round player.

Believe in Self & Ability

You must believe in yourself and your abilities at all times. You will never be perfect, because if you were than there would be nothing to improve upon, and no growth to gain. Never doubt yourself in any capacity for even an instant.

Model Great Players

Great players have learned hard lessons that have brought them to the pinnacles of their careers as professional basketball athletes. Learn from their mistakes, learn from their movements, copy their fundamental skills, and most importantly model their mindset. It is after all their mindset that has kept them at such a high level of achievement over an extended period of time. Without it they would be nothing. Yet with it, the World is their Oyster.

Persist with Determination & Resilience

Persistence, Determination and Resilience are possibly the most important and fundamental qualities of a Superstar basketball athlete. You can work as hard as you want on improving your basketball game. However, if you do not persist with determination and resilience to outlast others vying for the same goals as you, than you will struggle to amount to anything of any significance.

Guard Your Emotions, Mind & Thoughts

Without a question, there is no doubt that we are all very emotional beings. This is great when it is working for us, however if our emotions begin to sabotage our progress towards our basketball goals and ambitions, than they do become a major hurdle in our lives. This is why it is absolutely critical that you guard your emotions at all times. Do not let circumstances on or off the basketball court impact your game plan, do not allow your personal feelings to get in the way, and most importantly DO NOT allow other players, spectators, umpires or coaches to push your emotional buttons. You are always in charge of your emotions and mind – don’t ever forget that!

Cultivate Alertness

Playing the game of basketball at your peak level requires a certain amount of focus, awareness, alertness and concentration. Sometimes it is very easy to allow our minds to drift onto other matters. However, if you seek to become an outstanding player than you MUST get out of the habit of allowing your thoughts to scatter. The key is to stay focused and be alert at all times to everything that is going on around you at every moment, on the basketball court and off it.

Cultivate Confidence NOT Cockiness

Every great player has a certain amount of confidence about their game. It is after all this confidence that helps them to take their games to even higher levels of achievement. On the other hand, some players mistaken Cockiness, Vanity or Arrogance as a sign of being confident. Mark my words, these are not signs of confidence. Instead they are simply signs of a hidden low self-esteem, insecurity and emotional instability. Arrogance could also be a sign of fear that is brought about by feelings of inadequacy. In such instances players show their arrogance in order to hide their self-sabotaging and limiting emotions from others.

Confidence on the other hand is simply a feeling of certainty that you have about yourself and your ability. It is displayed in the way you move, talk, walk and play the game of basketball. On top of this your confidence shines through in how you play the game, and not what you say on the basketball court.

Cultivate Poise Under Pressure

When things are going well, it is very easy to feel under control and confident in your personal abilities out there on the basketball court. However, it is when things start to get somewhat out of control that cracks begin to open up and players become emotionally erratic on the basketball court. Their decision making starts to wain, their skills go out the door, and their mind begins to panic. Feeling incapable of dealing with circumstances, they simply crash emotionally and physically.

Conversely, it is the Great Players who remain poised under pressure circumstances. In fact, the more pressure, the more poise they display and the more effective they are on the basketball court.

Cultivate Ambition to Improve & Excel

Unless you are growing as a player on a daily basis, than you are simply stagnating and falling behind those who are working constantly on improving their basketball skills and mindset. You must cultivate the quality of ambition to improve and excel as a basketball player at every moment on the court. Learn from your mistakes, take chances to step outside of your comfort zone, and grow as a basketball player on all levels.

Cultivate Solutions NOT Problems

When things are not going well on the basketball court, it is easy to become overwhelmed with the problems and obstacles standing in your way. However, thinking about your problems won’t make them go away. Instead you must work on cultivating solutions on the basketball court. Whenever you are facing a challenge, ask yourself better questions that will help you to find creative solutions that will likewise assist you and your team to gain the upper-hand at the end of the game.

This is of course all about trial and error. However, you will eventually learn from your mistakes and the answers will be revealed in time, as long as you focus on the solutions to the problems and not the problems themselves.

Cultivate Patience

You must be patient with yourself, with your team, with the game, and with your understanding about the game of basketball. Learning new skills and basketball tactics takes time. However, with a lot of patience and discipline you will progressively take your understanding of the game and your skill level to yet another level.

Cultivate Discipline

Discipline goes hand-in-hand with the quality of Patience. You need to be disciplined to stick to a basketball workout regime, to practice consistently and persistently, and to learn diligently from others.

Cultivate Decisiveness

There is no room for second guessing your tactics or decisions on the basketball court. The moment you hesitate, is the moment you will be “schooled” by your Opponent. This is why it is absolutely critical that you cultivate the quality of Decisiveness deep into your psyche. It is like Yoda said, “Do or Not Do. There is no Try”.

Be decisive and get the job done on the basketball court. It doesn’t matter if you make mistakes as long as you take time to learn from them and therefore change your tactics the next time around.

Cultivate Courage

Basketball is a game of courage. The more courage and heart you have on the basketball court, than the more valuable you will be to your team. When courage is activated, than it simply does not matter how much skill (or lack of it) you have as a basketball player. Your courage alone will be the defining quality that will win the hearts of fans and the respect of your teammates.

Display courage on the basketball court by hustling for loose balls, by rebounding and knocking your body into bigger players, and by pushing your limits each and every time you step out onto the wooden surface.

Set Goals Regularly

Great basketball players are goal oriented individuals. They take time regularly to set daily, weekly, monthly, yearly and long-term goals that will progressively help them take their game to another level of achievement.

Goals help to align your thoughts, body and emotions in the direction of what you want most. Hence, it is important to set achievable goals for different aspects that you would like to improve on, learn and master about the game of basketball.

Your Team Spirit

Your Team Spirit will help you excel as a basketball player in a team environment. It is highly recommended that you cultivate and develop each of the following qualities meticulously. Each one will help you to grow and develop a close unbreakable bond with your Teammates, Coach and Club.

Believe in Your Coach & Teammates

When we are “believed in” by others, an incredible force begins to move us to even higher levels of success. This is why it is absolutely critical that you openly support your Teammates and Coach at all times. A little belief in another person can go a very long way. And the funny thing is, that this “Belief” you project to others will usually boomerang back in your direction. And that can only be great for your team spirit and moral.

Cultivate Friendship

We enjoy playing most with close friends and people we know well and respect from the bottom of our hearts. If you are not friends with everyone on your team, than take the time this week to get to know them a little more. Ask them questions about their life, about their family, about their interests and hobbies. The more you get to know a person, the more things in common you will find, and this can only help to bring the both of you closer together.

Cultivate Dedication

Dedicate your time, effort and energy to your team by showing up to trainings, by staying back after trainings to work on your game, by helping Teammates who are struggling with certain aspects of their game, and by taking the time to really create great team chemistry and unity throughout.

Cultivate Cooperation

When the entire team is working together for one goal, purpose and vision, a magical thing happens. It is known as “synergy”. When “synergy” occurs, everyone feels as though they are part of a large canvas that only comes into full view when the entire team is working and cooperating together to achieve these goals and visions that have been outlined. Cooperation is after all the glue that will keep your team together no matter how many obstacles are standing in your way. And this cooperation must begin with you.

Cultivate Enthusiasm

When you are enthusiastic and passionate about the game of basketball, about your team, coach, tactics, yourself and about the season, than at that very moment a wave of energy passes through the team that helps raise everyone’s game to yet another level of skill and achievement.

As much as basketball is a physical game, it is also very much a mental game. And this passionate and enthusiastic attitude you project will certainly provide your entire team with the fuel they need to keep going even when the outlook doesn’t look so rosy.

Cultivate Loyalty

For a moment, bring to mind an image of a Dog, and put yourself into its paws. Aren’t they usually the most loyal creatures? No matter what you do to them, how much you scold them for ripping up your homework, they will always be loyal to you and will love you all the same. It is exactly this kind of loyalty that you must bring forth and cultivate into your daily interactions with your basketball team. And yet again, it all starts with you.

Cultivate a Willingness to Learn

When everything is said and done, if you simply do not have the passion or willingness to learn and better yourself as a basketball player and a team, than you might as well give up before you start. Life is all about learning, basketball is all about learning, and in many ways basketball is all about LIFE. YES, that’s right, basketball is about life.

Did you know that how you play the game of basketball is exactly how you “currently” live out your life? If you react emotionally on the basketball court, than you most likely react emotionally in real life. If you hesitate and make poor decisions on the basketball court, than that is also a reflection of your life.

Conversely if you are calm and collected on the basketball court, no matter what is going on around you, than this is a good indication of how you live your life when put under pressure. This is why it is so very important to have a willingness to learn from your experiences on the court to help better yourself, not only as a player, but also as a human being for the rest of your life.

Beware of the Following…

Becoming a Great Player isn’t always about what you do. In fact it is usually about what you DON’T Do! Here are some traps you should be wary of when playing the game of life… sorry I meant to say “the game of basketball”

Beware of Making Excuses

Excuses only breed more excuses, that breed even more excuses in an unending cycle that never seems to subside. When you step out onto the basketball court, throw your excuses out the door. No one cares that you are not shooting well today, that the Umpires are not giving you a break, or a myriad of other possible excuses you could make.

Excuses are for losers. No one likes to hear them, except for the person making them. Breed this self-sabotaging habit out of your game immediately. If you don’t, than it will eat you alive and sabotage your growth as a basketball player.

Beware of Reacting Emotionally

Always stay in control of your emotions no matter what happens on or off the basketball court. When you react emotionally you effectively lose your intellect. And when your intellect gets kicked out the door, than your decision making begins to fail, and you begin to fall down a spiral that spins your head and emotions in an uncontrollable manner right down to the bottom of the pit.

Beware of Blaming Teammates for Losses

At the end of the day it’s the result that counts. What happened in between is a team effort, and therefore it is the Team as a whole that must take responsibility for the outcome. Do not point that index finger at your Teammates, because the moment you do is the moment 3 other fingers are pointing right back at you.

Babies do not learn to walk after one try, birds do not learn to fly after flapping their wings for the first time. And your team will not play to their highest levels every time you step out there on the basketball court. It is all about trial and error, learning from mistakes and moving forward.

Beware of Fearing to Make Mistakes

Basketball is a game of mistakes. As a matter a fact, life is all about making mistakes. When we make mistakes we learn, we grow, and we improve our efforts the next time around. You must take this frame of mind into every basketball game, and as a consequence grow yourself physically, emotionally and mentally as a solid and intelligent basketball player.

Mindset for Training

The 2nd Branch of this IQ Matrix Mind Map delves into the mindset you must bring forth into your daily training regime on and off the basketball court. We specifically discuss what you must do during and after your training sessions in order to develop yourself into a solid, committed and disciplined basketball player.

During Training

Basketball training is an important component of a basketball player’s weekly regime. It helps to build fundamental skills and is utilized as a tool for correcting mistakes that were made throughout the game.

The following presents you with a set of actions, guidelines and qualities you should bring into every training session:

Show Commitment

Whenever you would like to excel at something, you need to cultivate an unshakable commitment. When it comes to your basketball training sessions, you can show your commitment in the following 4 ways:

Be Punctual

Come to training on time, all the time. In fact come to training earlier before your Coach and Teammates arrive. Now that shows true commitment on your part.

Be Last to Leave

Be the last to leave training every week. Spend this time to shoot a few extra baskets, to chat with your Coach, or to simply work on improving your level of skill, stamina or proficiency.

Be First to Participate in Drills & Activities

Be the first to take the chance and participate in drills and activities. When we participate we learn more than if we were to just watch from the sidelines. Do not be afraid of making mistakes. Just go out there and be the first to take a chance on yourself.

Ask Intelligent Questions

When you ask intelligent questions that throw in new ideas, or expand the Coach’s strategy, tactics and drills – at that moment you will be displaying to others that you are paying attention, and that you care about the success of your team.

Participating in Drills

Drills are a fundamental aspect of basketball that teach players key skills while role-playing aspects of the game that need practice and attention. Here are a few guidelines that will help you to get the most out of the drills and activities your Coach runs during your training sessions:

Break Out of Your Comfort Zone

“Training” is defined as: “the process of bringing a person to an agreed standard of proficiency by practice and instruction”.

Your training time is a time to practice your skills so that you can become a more effective and efficient player during your basketball games. If you hold back and don’t step out of your comfort zone when you are training and running drills, than you will likewise struggle to grow as a player, and will play with less confidence throughout a basketball game.

It is your training time. Are you going to make the most use of it? Of are you just going to stand around and wish you could get better?

Train at Game Speed

Unless you physically and emotionally simulate a “game situation” throughout your training sessions, than you will simply struggle to bring the required physical and emotional intensity into your Games. You must therefore get into the habit of training at Game Speed, running all your drills at Game Speed, and partaking in every exercise at Game Speed.

Train with 100% Commitment & Determination

Commit to your training sessions as though you are preparing for the biggest game of the season. This very commitment and determination you bring forth into these training sessions will do you great justice when it comes to Game Day.

Ask for Help

Unless you ask a question, how will anyone know that you need help? Your lack of curiosity may indeed be seen as a lack of commitment or interest in the game of basketball. This in turn will sabotage your ability to grow and improve as a basketball player on a weekly basis. After all, it is those who ask the right kinds of questions who end up knowing all the answers. Therefore don’t be shy, and ask for help from your Coach and Teammates to improve your Basketball IQ, skill level and fundamentals.

After Training

If you are serious about improving yourself as a basketball player; than your training never ends. Here are some guidelines that will help you to gain the most out of your training regime outside of your team training schedule:

Practice Your Basketball Skills

If you seek to improve your basketball game than you need to practice each and every day. After your team training session or when school closes, step out onto the driveway and practice the fundamental skills and moves that will help turn you into an absolutely astounding basketball player. Even while watching TV, start multi-tasking by picking up a basketball and tapping it as quickly as you can from hand-to-hand. This particular exercise is so simple, yet it will help you improve your ball-handling skills dramatically over several weeks of consistent practice. This is just one example of many you could use.

Visualize Yourself Playing Basketball

Studies have shown time and again that making use of simple visualization strategies can help you to improve your skills as a basketball player.

A study by Dr. Blaslotto at the University of Chicago was conducted where he split his participants into three groups and tested each group on how many free throws they could shoot with accuracy. He had the 1st Group practice shooting free throws every day for an hour. He had the 2nd Group just visualize themselves shooting free throws for an hour every day. And the 3rd Group did nothing over this period of time.

After 30 days, he tested them again. The 1st Group who practiced shooting free-throws every day for an hour improved their free-throw shooting by 24%. The 3rd Group who didn’t practice at all, showed no improvement. Finally, the 2nd Group who just visualized shooting free-throws for an hour each day improved by 23% without touching a basketball.

Isn’t that just Amazing?

You must therefore practice daily visualizing in your mind shooting, dribbling and passing the ball with all your senses – seeing the sights, smelling the air, feeling the ball on your finger tips, tasting your sweat sliding off your top lip onto your tongue, and hearing the sounds of the stadium rise as one while you are shooting a last second shot to win the game.

It won’t hurt you to try, will it? However, the key is to be consistent, disciplined and focused for several weeks before you begin seeing some good improvement.

Flex Your Mental Muscle

Work on methods and tactics that will help you to build mental toughness and resilience you can utilize throughout a basketball game. This can be achieved by projecting what you do on the basketball court into every activity you partake in during your normal day.

Stay Physically Fit & Active

Basketball is a game that requires endurance, athleticism, agility and strength. However, you will not develop these abilities to their full extent by just playing on the basketball court. You must instead develop these abilities through other that are discussed below:

Increase Your Physical Capacity

Flexibility: Will help you to move more freely and with more agility on the basketball court. You can develop your flexibility by stretching, partaking in Yoga, Pilate’s and other related activities.

Strength: Will assist you to stand your ground against your Opponents and help you to take hard hits with less chance of injury. You can develop your strength by lifting weights, climbing stairs and partaking in physical manual work that requires muscle.

Endurance: Will help you to keep moving at a high energy level during the dying moments of the game when others are falling off their feet in exhaustion. You can develop endurance through physical activity such as swimming, cycling, jogging and skipping. It is recommended that you partake in a variety of these activities throughout your day. Each one will develop your conditioning to a different level, thusly making you a complete “endurance athlete”.

Athleticism: Will help you to jump higher, rebound more effectively and rise above your Opponents when going in for a layup or taking a shot. You can develop athleticism by stair climbing, skipping and stretching. Did you know that the more flexible you are, the more capacity you have to develop your athletic ability?

Speed: Will help you to react quickly on the defensive end of the floor, to pick off passes, and to run ahead of your Opponents on the Fast Break. You can develop speed by strengthening your legs, correcting your running technique, and by practicing sprints on the athletics track. Also practice quick sharp movements that help you to change direction rapidly.

Mindset for Game Day

The 3rd Branch of this IQ Matrix Mind Map presents you with several techniques and strategies you can utilize on Game Day in order to bring about clarity, focus and a killer instinct that will help you to excel on the basketball court. We specifically discuss several habits you must instill pre-game, during the game and post game, that will help you to become a more effective and efficient player.

Your “Pre-Game” Routine

Before you step out onto the basketball court it is critical that you get into the right frame of mind that will help you relax and mentally prepare for the upcoming game. Here are some guidelines that will set you on the right track:

Listen to Inspiring Music

Music has a wonderful effect on our body’s cells and emotions. When we listen to up-lifting and inspiring music we naturally feel more energetic, focused and lively. For some players this could be upbeat music, while for other players it could be more mellow music that relaxes the body and mind. However, no matter what kind of music is to your liking, it is worthwhile to take time to prepare your body and mind by listening to a little inspiration before the game.

Visualize Yourself Playing Basketball

As you are listening to your inspirational music, take time to visualize yourself hitting your shots and playing the entire game out in your mind’s-eye before physically stepping out onto the basketball court. We have already discussed how important and powerful the visualization process can be. And now is the perfect moment to utilize it to its full effect.

Stretch Correctly

Take time to stretch your legs, chest, neck, back, arms, shoulders, and hands in order to loosen your body before stepping out onto the basketball court.

Warm Up at Game Speed Progressively

We have already discussed how important it is to Train at Game Speed. Now, before the game this is even more critical, because the frame of mind you bring into your Warm-ups will reflect in the intensity you display in the opening moments of your game. However, make sure to stretch appropriately beforehand, this will ensure your muscles are ready for “high impact” movement.

Your “In Game” Routine

The game of basketball is made up of many layers that are important to keep in mind as you step out onto the court. This is especially true if you seek to play to your highest potential at all times.

There are a lot of things we could effectively discuss here, however, that would probably be rather overwhelming and confusing for most players. I have therefore pieced together only the most important key components of the game of basketball that you MUST keep at the forefront of your mind from the moment you step out onto the basketball court, till the moment you hear the buzzer sound for the end of the game. These are in fact key components of the game that all Basketball Coaches expect each and every one of their players to master. So it is in your interest to go out there and give it your very best effort.

Here they are in random order:

Communicate Vocally with Enthusiasm

Communication is of critical importance on the basketball court. You should be communicating both on the defensive as well as the offensive end of the floor. However, don’t communicate and shout just to create noise. Instead ensure that you communicate with purpose by vocally supporting and empowering your Teammates and Coach with motivating words and inspiring emotional outbursts.

Also communicate on the defensive and offensive end of the floor by giving your Teammates another pair of eyes at the back of their heads. And finally, when you are resting on the bench, stand up, cheer and support your Teammates with all your mite.

Box-Out & Rebound Aggressively

As soon as a shot is released on the offensive or defensive end of the floor be sure to get into the Key area and Box-Out your Opponents aggressively. Once you have Boxed-Out, move in with commitment and determination to pull down the rebound for your team.

Share the Ball with Teammates

Nobody likes playing with a HOG who doesn’t share the ball with their Teammates. Basketball is all about the team game. You will become more effective and efficient on the basketball court when you learn to share the ball around with your Teammates. Your Teammates will not only appreciate you passing the ball to them, they will also gain confidence in their own ability, and this can only help to better your chances of winning the game.

Play Defense with Intensity

Master the fundamentals on how to play effective and solid defense. Your shooting will have a tendency to let you down at times, however your defensive intensity should never fail you no matter how ineffective you are on the offensive end of the floor.

Hustle Aggressively for Loose Balls

Coaches absolutely love players who fight and hustle aggressively for the basketball, doing whatever it takes to win the ball for their team. This is a sign of a committed and determined player who is respected and admired by their Teammates and fans.

Avoid Turning the Ball Over

Basketball is a game that is all about minimizing mistakes. By all means, it’s perfectly okay to make mistakes on the basketball court. However, we must learn from them immediately so that we minimize the long-term impact they could have on the game. That is of course how we grow as a player and improve our skills in the long-run.

Keeping all of this in mind, be sure to look after the ball, passing with precision and care to your Teammates and not dribbling unnecessarily when a quick pass is the better option to take.

Question Your Personal Weaknesses & Strengths

Throughout the game it is important to continuously question your personal as well as your team’s weaknesses and strengths, and then adapt your game tactics accordingly in order to maximize these strengths while minimizing the weaknesses. There are in essence a myriad of questions you could effectively ask yourself. However, here are just a few to get you started:

How can I best utilize my personal strengths throughout this game?

How can I best hide my personal weaknesses throughout this game?

What are my Teammate’s strengths in terms of passing, shooting, dribbling, rebounding, handling pressure, etc?

What are my Teammate’s weaknesses in terms of passing, shooting, dribbling, rebounding, handling pressure, etc?

How can I play to my Teammate’s strengths throughout this game?

How can I nullify my Teammate’s weaknesses throughout this game?

What must I do to get my Teammates more involved in the game?

Question Opponent’s Weaknesses & Strengths

In the same way you questioned your personal and your team weaknesses and strengths, you must also ask similar questions about your Opponents. In this way you will gain better insights about the way your Opponent’s play the game of basketball and can as a result adjust your game strategy and tactics to gain an advantage out on the basketball court. Here are a few questions to get you started:

What are my Opponent’s strengths?

What are my Opponent’s weaknesses?

How can we as a Team best exploit the other team’s weaknesses?

How can we as a Team best nullify the other team’s strengths?

Adapt Your Game Accordingly

By answering all the above questions, you should now have enough insight and understanding about yourself, your Team and your Opponent in order to adjust your game plan accordingly and improve your chances of winning. And if you don’t yet have the answers, than you simply have not yet asked the right kinds of questions.

Your “Post Game” Routine

When the game has finished, most players either bask in the glory of victory or simply wilt in the sorrow of defeat. Even though winning a game is great for team spirit and morale, it is in other ways a very dangerous place to live. When we win, we celebrate and usually become complacent. However, when we lose, we contemplate, and this is what helps us to grow and develop ourselves as a quality basketball player.

Whether you won or lost, here are a few things you should reflect upon at the conclusion of each and every game you play:

Identify Learning Experiences

Every game, whether you won or lost, has within it the seeds of insight that will unlock hidden opportunities to help you grow and improve yourself as a basketball player.

Learn from Team Tactics & Strategy

Reflect upon what worked well for you as a team, and what didn’t work so well when playing against certain defensive and offensive sets. Also determine at what periods of the game your team played at their highest intensity, and during what periods you struggled to get it together.

Learn from Personal Attitude Projected

Reflect on the personal attitude you projected throughout the game. Think about the thoughts that ran through your mind, the emotions that circulated through your heart, and the questions you persistently asked yourself. Where they focused on solutions or problems? Really think about things, and reflect. The more insight you gain into your personal emotions, thoughts and questions, the better and more effective player you will become when you step out onto the basketball court for your next game.

Learn from “In Game” Mistakes

Reflect for a moment on the missed shots, defensive lapses, bad passes, other turnovers, etc, you committed throughout the game. Why did these mistakes occur? And how can you ensure that they will not reoccur during your next game? Really think about it and reflect. Sometimes the most obvious answers are not the right answers you are looking for. And at other time it is the most obvious answers that will bring you the greatest insights.

Finally, reflect on the wonderful things you did throughout the game. Think about the clever shots you hit, the great passes you made to your Teammates, the super defensive stops you instigated, etc. It was all your doing. How did you do this? Can you do it all over again during your next outing on the basketball court? Really think about it and reflect.

Ask Questions to Improve Your Game

Finally, here are 3 critical questions you should be asking yourself at the end of each game that will help with the reflection exercises we discussed above:

What could I have done differently?

What have I learned from my mistakes?

How have I grown as a player?

Final Thoughts

In a lot of ways, basketball is a game of “mind over matter”. No matter how much strength, height, stamina, athleticism or natural ability you have, it will all be quite ineffective if you don’t have the mental toughness, intelligence and resilience to get through the obstacles and challenges that you will no doubt need to deal with both on and off the basketball court. After all, you are only as strong as the mental muscle you flex.

I hope you enjoyed this post. If you have any further queries or questions, or would like to share your experiences about this topic, than please do so in the comments section below.

Free Articles & Online Resources

Here are a number of highly recommended free articles and online resources that will further help expand your understanding about this topic:

• The Coach’s Clipboard
• Basketball Playbook
• Coach Like a Pro
• Degerstrom Basketball Drills
• Basketball Life Tips

Recommended Products

• Better Basketball DVDs @ Better Basketball.com

Recommended Books

• Basketball Skills & Drills by Jerry Krause, Don Meyer & Jerry Meyer
• Basketball Fun & Games: 50 Skill-Building Activities for Children by Kevin Prusak
• Coaching Basketball Technical and Tactical Skills by Kathy McGee & American Sport Education Program
• Basketball Skill Progressions by Jerry Krause, Curtis Jazn & James H. Conn
• Basketball Skills: How to Play Like a Pro by Tom Robinson

If you would like to download a copy of this IQ Matrix, it is available from the IQ Matrix Shop.

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Introduction

It is a common misconception to assume that unless you are tall or solidly built that you therefore don’t need to learn how to play effectively in the Post. There is no doubt that tall and strong players are more likely to find themselves playing in the Post position throughout the game. However, at any moment in time you may find yourself matched up man-to-man within the key area holding the basketball. There are essentially two scenarios here. Either kick the ball out, or “school” your Opponent with a nifty post move of your own.

Which option would you choose? Isn’t it better to know rather than to be ignorant and miss a perfect opportunity to score?

This IQ Matrix Mind Map will specifically focus on the key components, techniques and strategies on how to play effectively in the Post.

• The 1st Branch of this IQ Matrix Mind Map breaks down some fundamental aspects of playing in the Post.

• The 2nd Branch of this IQ Matrix Mind Map tackles some “In Game” scenarios for getting open and receiving the ball in the Post.

• The 3rd Branch of this IQ Matrix Mind Map provides a quick overview of several Post Play training moves for you to practice and assimilate into your game.

• The 4th Branch of this IQ Matrix Mind Map provides you with a number of essential Post Play tips, techniques and strategies that will help you to excel as an inside force on the basketball court.

This article post is part of a Basketball Success Series of IQ Matrix Mind Maps. Topics within this series include:

• Part 1: Basketball Shooting Skills
• Part 2: Basketball Defensive Skills
• Part 3: Basketball Dribbling Skills
• Part 4: Basketball Passing Skills
• Part 5: Basketball Offensive Skills
• Part 6: Basketball Rebounding Skills
• Part 7: Basketball Movement Tactics
• Part 8: Basketball Post Play Skills
• Part 9: Basketball Mindset

Post Play Basics

The 1st Branch of this IQ Matrix Mind Map breaks down some fundamental aspects of playing in the Post. We Specifically discuss effective Post positioning, shooting, shot fakes, and the principles of drawing fouls in the Post area.

Post Positioning Strategy

Playing in the Post requires a great deal of commitment, strength, agility and discipline. For this reason you must master the fundamentals that will help you to establish good, solid Post positioning at all times on the basketball court. With these principles thoroughly ingrained into your psyche and body, you will be able to solidify yourself as an effective inside Post presence.

Your Physiology

How you position yourself in the Post area and to what effect you use your body will determine how effectively, efficiently and quickly you will be able to establish yourself as a solid inside presence on your team.

The following presents you with a few guidelines that will help balance, prepare and strengthen your body and stance when playing in the Post area:

Wide Stance

In order to gain maximum strength and balance, it is important to utilize a wide and solid stance that glues you securely to the ground. You need to be a “force” when playing in the post area, and your stability always begins with your feet.

Bum Sticking Out

Your Bum is to be utilized as a leveraging tool against your Opponents. However, in order for it to be effective you must position it so that it stick out behind you. Only in this way will you be able to gain the necessary leverage to move your Opponents in an effective and efficient manner that will enable you to rebound and score with greater ease and proficiency.

Knees Bent

Your knees are like Springs that will help you to jump with force, speed and precision. They will also assist you to solidify your stance and position on the basketball court. Finally, they are also utilized for balancing purposes and leveraging your Opponent under the basket. However, in order for your knees to be effective you must bend them slightly to allow you to solidify yourself in the Post.

Back Straight

When your back is straight you naturally have better balance, stability, and agility to move any which way at a moments notice. It also makes you taller and positions your shoulders and hands higher, thusly enabling you get better reach when receiving a pass or pulling down a rebound. Conversely, arching your Back forward will tend to destabilize you and will allow your Opponent to knock you off balance with the slightest shove.

Shoulder’s Parallel to Backboard

You must train yourself to hold your shoulders parallel to the backboard when going up for the rebound or taking a shot from the Post area. This will yet again balance your body and enable you the best possible chance of scoring a basket or pulling down the rebound.

Provide a 2-Handed Target

Whenever possible always provide a two-handed target for your Teammates to pass to. This means raising your hands above your shoulders with open palms and fingers spread. Only in this way can you maximize your ability to receive a pass from your Teammates. Finally, as a general rule, whenever you are positioned within the Key area, always raise your hands in the air, thusly providing and ongoing target for your Teammates to pass to.

Location of Post Positioning

As a Post Player you would position yourself in and around the basketball Key area either high at the free-throw line or low on either side of the basket. Keep in mind that you cannot stay within the Key area for longer than 3 seconds at a time. Therefore it is paramount that you make sure to gain Post positioning just outside of this Key area. Once you have the ball you can then begin working your way towards the basket.

Post Shooting Strategy

As a Post Player it is important to develop the ability to use both hands when shooting under the basket. You should ideally shoot with your right hand on the right side of the basket, and use your left hand when shooting on the left side of the basket. However, if you Opponent is bearing down on you on your left or right side, than you must use your non-contact hand (the furthest hand from your Defender) to shoot the ball with.

To be effective when shooting with your non-contact hand, make sure to release the ball slightly in front of your body and head. This should allow you just enough leverage to ensure that your Defender doesn’t reach over the top of your head to block your shot.

Whenever going up for the shot in the Post, you must always be consciously aware of using your body appropriately to protect the ball from your Opponents. As a general rule, your body must always be between your Opponent and the basket.

Finally, when shooting the ball from under the basket, be sure to hit the top corner of the small square on the backboard softly to ensure that your shot has the most chance of going into the rim.

Faking Shot in the Post

In many instances it will be very crowded within the Post area, and you will need to know how to fake your Defender in order to create more space for yourself to shoot the ball in the Post.

Initiate your fake by pumping (lifting) with your head and the ball. At the same time keep your Bum out and knees bent to maintain maximum power within your legs.

Drawing the Foul in the Post

Drawing effective fouls within the Post area is a fundamental skill in basketball. Great Post Players have an uncanny ability to draw fouls from their Opponents. This therefore allows them to score cheap points from the free-throw line.

To draw a foul from your Defender, begin by creating contact with them in mid-air as the Defender is coming down after their jump. At this point simply lean in by planting your inside shoulder into your Opponent. And finally, make sure to finish your shot with your outside hand, which is the hand furthest away from the body contact of your Defender.

“In Game” Post Play Scenarios

The 2nd Branch of this IQ Matrix Mind Map tackles some “In Game” scenarios for getting open and receiving the ball in the Post. We specifically discuss what to do and what NOT to do when getting open in the Post area. We also break down the mechanics of how to receive the ball in the Post using one and two hands.

Getting Open in the Post

The following are a set of guidelines that will help you to avoid fouling, turning the ball over, and will enable you to get good position to receive the ball in the Post.

Don’t Lean Back into Defender

When you are leaning back and literally resting on your Defender in the Post area with your Back and Bum, this should immediately tell you that you are off balance and do not have stable footing on the ground. The instant your Defender decides to step back, you will most likely lose your footing and could potentially fall to the ground.

Don’t Push Off Defender

Any type of pushing with your hands or arms within the Post area will most likely be called as a foul. Gaining position and leverage is not about pushing your Opponent off balance. It is rather about effective footwork and perfect balance.

Don’t Knock Defender’s Arms Away

Defenders will always attempt to frustrate you by reaching in with their arms to prevent you from receiving a pass from your Teammates. If you get into the habit of physically knocking their arms away, than it’s very likely you will be called for the foul. Instead, work on getting better foot positioning, which will likewise help you win the “arm battle”.

Don’t Extend Elbows to Create Space

When playing in the Post area it is very tempting to extend your elbows in order to gain more space. This however can work against you, especially if you swing your elbows wildly into your Opponent’s body and face. Instead, consciously contain and control your elbows by keeping them closer in to your body. This does not mean that you should never extend them. To the contrary, extending your elbows is a great tactic once you have taken a rebound and tucked the ball under your chin. However, still under these circumstances be very careful not to swing them uncontrollably, otherwise you may be called for the offensive foul, or worse still, injure someone in the process.

Gain Leverage through Solid Footwork

How you use your feet will not only allow you to gain leverage on your Defender in the Post, it will also enable you to maintain good stability and balance to ensure that you are most effectively poised and positioned when receiving the ball from your Teammate.

Good stability and balance is achieved when your feet are positioned wide and your head is squarely over your knees. This will ensure that you a securely grounded and can take maximum advantage of your body to gain leverage and better positioning over your Defender.

Once you have position in the Post you must seal your Defender off in order to receive the ball from your Teammate. To do this you must effectively control your footwork by shuffling your feet to gain maximum positioning, by bodying up your Defender hip-to-hip and body-to-body in the post, and if necessary stepping over your Defender’s foot if that is what’s required to gain maximum leverage in the Post to safely and securely receive the ball from the perimeter.

Gain Leverage Using Arms

Your arms are just as important as your feet when it comes to gaining leverage over your Opponent in the Post. If your Opponent wants to instigate an arm battle inside the Post area, than oblige them by utilizing bicep and armpit clamps. Also gain maximum leverage by using your arm-bar to create space for yourself to receive the pass from your Teammate. Once you have locked your arm-bar into your Opponent, simply reach over with your “free hand” to receive the ball from your Teammate.

Catching the Ball in the Post

You can catch the ball in the Post in one of two ways. By catching with 1 hand or with 2 hands. The following set of guidelines takes you through the process on how to catch the ball in the Post using these options.

Catching with 2 Hands

Before receiving the pass from your teammate, make sure that you have both of your hands outstretched with your palms open and all 10 fingers providing a target for your Teammate to pass to.

When you see the pass coming towards you, immediately release your Opponent from the seal you created and jump towards the ball landing in a hop while tucking the ball under your chin for maximum protection. From here you can instigate any number of Post moves within your repertoire.

Catching with 1 Hand

Step into the pass while using your offhand arm-bar against your Defender. This arm-bar is to be utilized as a leveraging tool to keep your Opponent at bay and allow you to securely take the pass from your Teammate.

As soon as you receive the pass, drag your back-foot into your Defender. This will allow separation between you and your Opponent, which will further open up space within the Post area for you to instigate any number of Post moves within your repertoire.

Finally, when you catch the ball in the Post with 1 hand, be sure to immediately tuck the ball into your chest area in shooting position. At the same time keep your shoulders up and your elbows vertical in order to maximize the leverage you have gained over your Opponent.

Post Play Training Moves

The 3rd Branch of this IQ Matrix Mind Map provides a quick overview of several Post Play training moves for you to practice and assimilate into your game. We specifically target moves you can make while facing the basket, and with your back to the basket.

Post Moves: Facing the Basket

The following describes several Post moves you can utilize when facing the basketball rim. It is important to practice these moves regularly and consistently up until the point they become second nature. Only then will you gain the necessary confidence to make best use of these moves during “In Game” situations.

Hook Shot

Begin by facing the basket and holding the basketball waist high. You will be using your left foot as your pivot. Now face the rim just outside of the Key area on the right side of the basket. Turn sideways making sure that your shooting arm and the ball are straight out to the side, and not in front of your body. Make sure also that both your shoulders and the ball are positioned in a straight line. Your right elbow must be pointing behind you and positioned slightly down. While your left elbow must be pointing towards the basket positioned slightly up. Now square up to the basket by aligning your shoulders and the ball in a straight line to the basket you are shooting at. Finally, hook the ball directly over your head using a simple wrist flick motion.

Jump Hook

The execution of the Jump Hook is almost exactly the same as was discussed for the Hook Shot above. The only difference is that you must jump when you shoot the Hook Shot. This allows you better height and arc on your shot, which comes into full effect against taller Opponents.

Fake, Step, Hook

Begin by facing the basket. Step fake to your left and pivot forward about a quarter turn. Now square-up to the basket and shoot the Hook Shot.

Step Fake & Shoot Around Basket

Begin by facing the basket holding the ball waist high and making sure that your knees are slightly bent. Now, initiate the Step Fake by slowly pushing the ball in a direction away from your pivot foot, while simultaneously stepping in the same direction. Once you have initiated the fake, bring your feet back in so that they are now shoulder width apart as you move the ball over your head. From this position, square-up to the basket and shoot the ball.

Pivot Fake & Shoot Around Basket

Begin by facing the basket. Now pivot forward about 180° degrees so that your back is now facing the basket. From this position simply push the basketball to the outside as you initiate the Pivot Fake. Now pivot backward again into your original position facing the basket. Make sure to hold the ball above your head. From this position square-up to the basket and shoot the basketball.

Post Moves: Back to Basket

The following describes several Post moves you can utilize when you have your back towards the basketball rim. It is important to practice these moves regularly and consistently up until the point they become second nature. Only then will you gain the necessary confidence to make best use of them during “In Game” situations.

Spin & Go

Begin with your Back to the basket. Determine where the defense is pressuring you most (to your left or right). Immediately pivot off your Defender and spin towards the basket attacking the weak-side where you experienced least pressure from your defender.

Step Hook

Begin with your Back to the basket. Now pivot a quarter turn with your right foot. Step with your left foot, square-up to the basket and shoot the basketball.

Step, Pound & Hop

Begin with your Back to the basket. Fake the ball in one direction. Now, point your lead foot and toe into the direction you want to go and immediately drop-step to the other side. Follow this up by moving aggressively towards the basket with one power dribble dropping the ball down with two hands. Now land in a hop on both feet and shoot the basketball.

Hook Shot

Begin with your Back to the basket while holding the basketball about waist high. You should ideally be positioned about a step to the left of the basket. Once positioned, simply pivot and turn 90° degrees forward, square-up to the basket and shoot the ball.

Pivot Backwards & Shoot

Begin with your Back to the basket. Raise the ball above your head then pivot back towards the basket. Now square-up to the basket and shoot the ball.

Pivot Around Basket

Begin with your Back towards the basket on the right side. You will be using your left foot as your pivot foot. Now, move one step to the left, so that after you pivot you are in a good position to shoot the ball. Raise the ball over your head and then pivot forward to face the basket. Now, square-up to the basket and shoot the basketball.

Post Play Tips & Strategies

The 4th Branch of this IQ Matrix Mind Map provides you with a number of essential Post Play tips, techniques and strategies that will help you to excel as an inside force on the basketball court. We specifically break down the mindset you must bring to every game, the skills you must master and discuss several “In Game” tactics you can utilize to get the edge on your Opponents.

The Mindset of a Post Player

Great Post Players have certain and specific qualities that enable them to gain the most out of their abilities when playing under the basket. These qualities are quite generic and apply to many aspects of basketball and life. However, when it comes to Post Play, they are of critical importance, and will help you to gain the most out of your potential in quick succession. Here they are in no particular order:

Patient

A Great Post Player is incredibly patient all the time. They realize that mastering the skills that are required to play in the Post can take a lot of time and practice. They also understand that playing effectively from the Post requires patience to setup your Opponent in the perfect position to score a basket; patience to pinpoint gaps that open up in defensive sets; and it takes patience to learn the movement and footwork that is necessary to excel as a Great Post Player.

Determined

A Great Post Player is at all times 100% determined and committed to score a basket, to pull down a rebound or to draw a double team that will help one of their Teammates to get off an easy shot. Their determination when hustling for loose balls is just extraordinary and helps win the hearts of their Teammates.

Persistent

A Great Post Player Never Gives Up! They always do whatever it takes to follow up a missed shot, to tip the ball into the basket, or to get their hands on a rebound that seems almost out of reach. And it is this persistence that wins them a loyal fan following and makes them the undisputed “heart” of their team.

Mentally Resilient & Tough

Becoming a Great Post Player not only requires physical strength, stamina and agility, it also requires a mental resilience and toughness that will keep a Post Player playing at their highest level from the moment they step onto the basketball court, till the moment the final buzzer sounds to end the game.

When the body tires from physical strain and exhaustion, than it’s up to the mind to stand tall and help the Post Player to keep “keeping on” no matter what their physical condition or “In Game” circumstances.

Asks Questions

A Great Post Player always asks themselves questions throughout the game. These questions enable them to gain new and better insights about the game, themselves, their Teammates and Opponents.

A Great Post Player understands that they are in a very important and powerful position on the basketball court. Within this position they are able to draw defenses and double-teams, which consequently helps their Teammates get wide open scoring opportunities on the basket.

Specifically when it comes to shooting, a Great Post Player will ask themselves the following set of 3 questions before shooting the basketball. These questions enable them to make better and more calculated decisions during the game:

Is there traffic in the key area?

Is there space to make my move?

Is one of my Teammates open to receive the pass?

A Post Player’s Critical Skills

Playing in the Post requires a certain set of skills that a Post Player must learn and master in order to be the very best they can be on the basketball court. The more these skills are developed, the more effective the Post Player will be throughout the game, and the more valuable they will be to their team.

Shooting 80% + Free-Throws

A Post Player will find themselves playing under the basket and in the Key area for the majority of the game. Within this region of the basketball court there usually isn’t much room to move, making physical contact a very real possibility every single time down the court. As a result the Post Player is likely to get fouled often while shooting the basketball. This will put them at the free throw line where they are expected to hit the vast majority of their shots in order to justify their efforts under the basket.

Great Post Players are in essence complete players, and are therefore able to hit over 80% of their free throws from the line. Anything less than this is just not good enough, and will impact your team in a very negative way. You also work hard to get good looks at the basket from the Post position. If you get fouled, you therefore deserve to give yourself justice by hitting your Free Throws and penalizing the defense for their foul. And if over time your free throw shooting improves to such an extent that you are hitting almost every shot when you step up to the line, than this can only help your offensive game as Defenders will tend to hesitate fouling you, fully knowing you will hit your free throws.

Creative & Solid Passing Ability

When playing in the Post, you will usually find yourself being double and sometime triple-teamed by your Opponents. In such instances your Teammates will most likely be available for open looks at the basket. However, if your passing ability isn’t up to scratch, than you will simply fail to find your Teammates when these scoring opportunities pop up. This is why it is of major importance that you are able to develop solid and creative passing skills and awareness.

Good Defensive Footwork

When you are on the defensive end of the floor you will naturally be guarding good Post players on the other team. In order to prevent them from scoring easy baskets you will need to develop solid defensive footwork that will enable you to always stay between your player and the basket.

Defensive Anticipation Skills

Leading on from Good Defensive Footwork, you also need to develop the ability to anticipate your Opponent’s movements at a moments notice. This involves knowing when your Opponent is going to drive to the basket, realizing when your opponent is faking a shot, and understanding when to jump and how to reach for the ball in order to prevent your Opponent from scoring a basket.

“In Game” Tactics for Post Players

The following set of “In Game” tactics outlined below will help a Post Player to become more efficient and effective when playing in the Post. In essence, these tactics are nothing more than essential habits that must be developed at such a deep level of awareness that they become second nature, and can be actioned during a game without thinking.

Playing in the Key Area

When you have the ball and you are playing in the Key area, it is important to remember to use your dribble sparingly. It is usually very crowded within the Key as many players fight for position. And therefore, the less you use your dribble, than the less likely you are to turn the ball over unnecessarily.

Because it is so crowded within the Key area, it is important for a Post Player to protect the ball at all costs in order to avoid unexpected strips or deflections from Opponents. The best way to protect the ball is to make most use of your shoulders, chin and chest to help maneuver the ball away from the grasp of Defenders. As a general rule, whenever possible, keep your body between the ball and your Defender at all times.

Gaining Leverage & Positioning

We have already discussed how important it is to gain good positioning within the Post area. If you are not capable of gaining good positioning, than you will struggle to be effective throughout the game.

To gain good positioning within the Post, be sure to always think about creating maximum space between you and your Opponent. Also utilize effective footwork and arm movement tactics to seal your Defender behind you so that you can easily catch the pass from your Teammates.

Finally, playing in the Post is all about your ability to gain maximum leverage over your Opponent. The better you are at gaining leverage, than the more space you will create for yourself, and the more effective your Post moves will become.

Other Post Play Tactics to Keep in Mind

Here are a few other Post Play tactics that you should keep in mind when playing a game. These are all very much self-explanatory, however they will take time to master through conscious awareness, practice and repetition.

Keep Things Simple

Playing in the Post is all about keeping things as simple as possible. Don’t complicate matters by trying to be too fancy or doing too much. Instead, go for the high percentage plays and make the most use of your strengths and abilities.

Read Your Defense

Pay solid attention to your Opponents while on the basketball court. Get a sense for their reactions, where their eyes focus, what defensive and offensive moves they consistently utilize, and how they use their body position to their advantage.

Once you are consciously aware of your Opponent’s habits, moves and actions, than you will be better able to counteract their effectiveness on the basketball court.

Everyone you play against is like an open book. All you have to do is read it / them.

Run Length of Floor

Many Post Players believe that their role is to just gain position under the basket. Therefore anything that involves running, simply does not fit into their game plan.

Did you know that it actually takes a very special Post Player to run the length of the floor on the fast-break. These players are special because it is so very rare to find. And if you become one of these players, than you will have an undeniable edge over your counterparts who couldn’t be bothered running the length of the floor on defense or offense.

Running the length of the floor will also provide you with new and potentially uncontested opportunities to score baskets.

Develop a “Go To Move”

Great Post Players have perfected a “Go To Move” in the Post that they utilize to great effect on unsuspecting Defenders. Yes, it will take time and practice to develop and master this move. However, the long-term benefits will certainly be worth the effort. You may like to start with the Post Play moves discussed a little earlier. Once you have mastered a few of them, you can then mix them up and create a “Go To Move” that incorporates several moves and “Fakes” in a few deadly steps.

Develop Counter Moves

Great Post Players understand that solid Defenders will read them like a book and will be fully aware of the repertoire of moves that can be initiated from the Post position. In such instances, these Great Post Players develop several Counter Moves that draw the defender IN while opening up new avenues to the basket.

The key here is to be creative and unpredictable, always leaving your Defender second guessing what you will do next.

Recognize Scoring Opportunities & Gaps

A Great Post Player has an exceptional ability where they are able to recognize scoring opportunities and gaps within defensive sets that others simply would not see. However, this isn’t something that can be taught through reading an article, it is instead something that comes through experience on the basketball court.

The key here is to always be aware, to read your Opponent accordingly, and to take advantage of what they give you each and every time down the court.

Final Thoughts

Playing effectively in the Post requires dedication, commitment, practice and patience. There is no doubt that it is arguably the most difficult position to master on the basketball court, as it involves close contact and provides you with little space to move or get to the basket. However, with a dedicated spirit and a willingness to learn, anyone can master the footwork and technical skills that are required to play this position, no matter how tall, small, bulky or lean you may be. After all, the only limitation is the limitations you set in your mind.

I hope you enjoyed this post. If you have any further queries or questions, or would like to share your experiences about this topic, than please do so in the comments section below.

Free Articles & Online Resources

Here are a number of highly recommended free articles and online resources that will further help expand your understanding about this topic:

• The Coach’s Clipboard
• Basketball Playbook
• Coach Like a Pro
• Degerstrom Basketball Drills
• Basketball Life Tips

Recommended Products

• Better Basketball DVDs @ Better Basketball.com

Recommended Books

• Power Post Play: A Complete Guide to Developing Basketball’s Big Men by Terry D. Battenberg
• Women’s Basketball: The Post Player’s Handbook by Anne Donovan
• Playing the Post: Basketball Skills and Drills by Burrall Paye
• Basketball Skills & Drills by Jerry Krause, Don Meyer & Jerry Meyer
• Basketball Fun & Games: 50 Skill-Building Activities for Children by Kevin Prusak
• Coaching Basketball Technical and Tactical Skills by Kathy McGee & American Sport Education Program
• Basketball Skill Progressions by Jerry Krause, Curtis Jazn & James H. Conn
• Basketball Skills: How to Play Like a Pro by Tom Robinson

If you would like to download a copy of this IQ Matrix, it is available from the IQ Matrix Shop.

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Introduction

Basketball is fundamentally a game of effective spacing and movement that requires precision passing, communication and team chemistry that helps synchronize the movement of the player with the ball and his/her teammates without the ball. In fact, when it comes to pure efficiency and effectiveness on the basketball court, it is equally – if not more – important to move well without the ball when compared to moving with the ball. And it is these dynamics that separate the great players from the rest. This IQ Matrix Mind Map will specifically focus on the dynamics of moving without the ball on the perimeter, while setting screens and within a variety of other critical basketball scenarios.

• The 1st Branch of this IQ Matrix Mind Map breaks down the fundamentals of playing on the perimeter in relation to the position of your Opponent.

• The 2nd Branch of this IQ Matrix Mind Map delves into the intricacies of setting effective basketball Screens.

• The 3rd Branch of this IQ Matrix Mind Map discusses the fundamentals of intelligent movement on the basketball court.

This article post is part of a Basketball Success Series of IQ Matrix Mind Maps. Topics within this series include:

• Part 1: Basketball Shooting Skills • Part 2: Basketball Defensive Skills • Part 3: Basketball Dribbling Skills • Part 4: Basketball Passing Skills • Part 5: Basketball Offensive Skills • Part 6: Basketball Rebounding Skills • Part 7: Basketball Movement Tactics • Part 8: Basketball Post Play Skills • Part 9: Basketball Mindset

Playing & Moving on the Perimeter

The 1st Branch of this IQ Matrix Mind Map breaks down the fundamentals of playing on the perimeter in relation to the position of your Opponent. We specifically discuss how you must move depending on the spacing that your Defender allows you to have on the perimeter.

Receiving Pass on the Perimeter

In this scenario you are standing outside the 3-point line on either the left or right Wing position facing your basket. Your Teammate has the ball on top of the 3-point line (middle of the Key area extended) and is in the process of passing the ball to you.

Defender Gives You Space to Move

In this scenario your direct Opponent who is guarding you on the Wing allows you space to move freely and receive the pass on the Wing perimeter outside the 3-point line.

Observe Defender’s Foot & Hand Position

Before you receive the ball from your Teammate, you must first take note of your direct Opponent’s foot and hand position. This will determine whether you should cut to the basket or take the pass from your Teammate on the perimeter.

You would immediately cut to the basket attacking your Opponent’s “Back” if their elbow is positioned in a direct line between you and your Teammate who is about to pass you the ball.

Reading your Opponent’s lead-foot will give you a good indication of where to make your cut towards the basket. You would cut left if their lead-foot is their right foot. Conversely you would cut right if their lead-foot is their left foot. However, at all times remember to stay as unpredictable as possible. You can do this by initially cutting one way and then moving in the opposite direction moving directly to the basket.

Also if you do make a cut, be sure to stick your lead-hand out in order to display a target for your Teammate to pass to.

Defender is Standing Inside 3-Point Line

Here your defender is standing inside of the 3-point line. This should tell you that they are in a good defensive position to prevent your Cut towards the basket and to potentially deny you the pass on the perimeter.

In this instance you should use a V-Cut moving into the path of your Defender in order to open yourself up to receive the pass from your teammate.

1. Force your Defender closer to the basket with your body by taking a couple of steps inside the 3-point line.

2. Suddenly and immediately release your Defender and move to receive the pass behind the 3-point line in a “V” formation.

Defender is Standing Outside 3-Point Line

Here your Defender is positioned outside of the 3-point line. This should tell you that they are out of position. You must therefore take advantage of this and Immediately attack your Defender’s “Back” and cut towards the basket with your lead-hand outstretched and ready to receive the pass from your teammate.

Defender Gives You Little Space to Move

In this scenario your direct Opponent who is guarding you on the Wing gives you very little space or freedom to move or receive the pass from your Teammate. In this situation you will need to get open first before receiving the pass.

Defender Does Not Move to Deny the Pass

Here your Defender has not moved to deny the pass on the perimeter from your teammate. In such instances do the following:

1. Your first step must move towards your Defender forcing you to body up with them.

2. Your second step is a “hop back” (you are hopping back with your feet towards the perimeter) which must come out and across your Defender back towards the outside perimeter area. You are essentially hopping back in order to create space between yourself and your Defender to receive the safe pass from your teammate on the perimeter.

Defender Moves to Deny the Pass

Here your defender steps out to deny the pass to you on the perimeter. In such instances, simply take a step towards the ball allowing your Defender to follow you. Your next step must immediately “backdoor” your defender (attacking their back) and cutting towards the basket while flashing your lead-hand to receive pass from your teammate for a potential layup.

Defender Makes Contact with You

Here your Defender is pretty much body-to-body with you in a “pass denial” position. In such instances you must move your Defender into position by spinning and sealing them off behind you.

Defender Gives You Space Behind

Here the Defender is standing in the passing lane, however you cannot cut effectively towards the basket because there are other Defenders positioned within the key area. At the same time you realize that there is space behind you towards the baseline where you can receive a pass safely from your teammate.

In such instances, you must seal your Defender with your arm-bar while reaching for the overhead pass from your Teammate. Keep in mind that you must keep your Defender sealed with your arm-bar up until the moment the ball passes over your head. If you do not follow this rule and release your Defender too early with your arm-bar, than this will increase the chances of your Opponent deflecting or stealing the basketball.

Attacking the Basket Off the Pass

Once you receive the ball on the perimeter you must immediately pressure your Defender and attack their “Back” off the dribble. This can be achieved through rear/back or front cutting by your Defender to the basket. When you receive the ball on the perimeter your Defender will most likely move and react to the pass, and may therefore be in a vulnerable position leaning on their back or front foot. You must notice this and take immediate advantage by attacking their weak-side (this is the foot they are not leaning on). As a general rule, the more “TIME” you allow your Defender to settle down into a defensive position, the more effective they will be in guarding your position on the court. The bottom line is to not allow them any time at all to get into defensive positioning in the first place.

The Fundamentals of Effective Screening

The 2nd Branch of this IQ Matrix Mind Map delves into the intricacies of setting effective basketball Screens. We specifically discuss the movement of the Screener and Dribbler within a Ball Screen scenario, and briefly touch upon the mechanics of setting an Away Screen, Back Screen and Down Screen.

The Ball Screen

The Ball Screen is a very effective basketball offensive strategy that will free up your Teammates and create better scoring opportunities. It involves two players working together in conjunction (one with the ball and the other without the ball) moving in a way that will effectively stop a Defender in their tracks. It is especially useful against man-to-man defensive sets.

Screener Guidelines

When coming off a screen, the Screener is always the most dangerous threat to score a basket.

If you are playing as the “Screener” keep in mind the following principles:

Setting Up the Screen

The following presents you with some general guidelines on how to setup the screen:

1. Sprint to setup the screen while the Dribbler’s Defender is out of position and cannot see you coming.

2. Approach the Defender from the side. Keep in mind that your Teammate who is dribbling the ball may do the work for you and move their Defender into position straight into your screen. In this situation you will just need to stand and prepare yourself for impact when the Defender unknowingly walks into you.

3. Land in a hop, straddling the legs of the Defender you are setting a screen on. Make sure to control your arms and hips to avoid fouling your Opponent.

4. Point your “Back” towards where the Dribbler will be cutting.

Your Scoring Options

The following presents you with some general guidelines on how to score off a screen:

Option 1: Break or cut in the opposite direction of your Dribbler.

Option 2: Slip the screen by making a front or reverse pivot move rolling towards the basket while raising your lead-hand to receive pass from the Dribbler. This is known as a Pick & Roll.

Option 3: Flare Away from the Defender and Dribbler and create space for yourself on the perimeter to receive the pass.

Option 4: If after having set the screen an opportunity to score does not open up, than simply set another screen on the opposite shoulder of your Teammate’s Defender.

Dribbler Guidelines

The Dribbler is a very important component of the Ball Screen, as it is their decision making and passing awareness that could potentially set the Screener up for a great scoring opportunity.

If you are playing as the Dribbler keep in mind the following principles:

Setting Up the Screen

The following presents you with some general guidelines on how to setup the screen:

1. Take your Defender below the vertical line of the screen (that is being set by the Screener discussed above) making sure to control the spacing accordingly.

2. Move your Defender immediately into the path of the screen. Make sure to brush the Screener’s hip and shoulder with your hip and shoulder in order to minimize the chances of your Defender coming over the top of the screen that is being set. Also, by staying low and explosive will give you an advantage if a “basket cut” opens up.

Your Scoring Options

The following presents you with some general guidelines on how to score off a screen:

Scenario 1: The Defense Hedges… Solution: Keep your dribble alive.

Scenario 2: The Defense Double Teams You… Solution: Keep your dribble alive.

Scenario 3: The Defense Slides Behind the Screen… Solution: Take your shot from behind the Screener’s Back.

Scenario 4: The Defense Switches… Solution: Pass to the Screener or signal the Screener to provide you with a Re-Screen in the opposite direction.

The Down Screen

The Down Screen is a screen set by players moving towards the baseline or from the Perimeter into the Post area.

The Back Screen

The Back Screen is a screen set by players who specifically target the Defender’s blind-spot by setting the screen on the Opponent’s “Back”. This type of screen is usually accomplished moving from the Post up to the Perimeter.

The Away Screen

The Away Screen is a screen set on players who do not have the ball. These types of screens usually occur off passes and are set in the opposite direction to where the ball is on the court. This is a very effective screening method that allows teammates to get open cuts moving towards the basket.

Intelligent Basketball Movement

The 3rd Branch of this IQ Matrix Mind Map discusses the fundamentals of intelligent movement on the basketball court. It specifically outlines how to move without the basketball as an individual player, in pairs and as a team within the Motion Offense.

Individual Movement Tactics

Because basketball is a team sport, it is easy to forget the importance of individual movement tactics that will enable you to get open for a scoring opportunity, or simply to receive the ball from a Teammate. Here are some principles you should keep in mind when moving independently on the basketball court:

V-Cut

The primary purpose of a V-Cut is enable you to get better position to receive a pass from your Teammate. You would utilize a V-Cut whenever you need to create space between you and your Defender.

For instance, your Opponent is playing you very tight high on the Wing perimeter. In order to get open you would first walk them body-to-body towards the basket (this is the 1st line of the “V”), then you would immediately break away moving back towards the perimeter to receive the pass from your teammate in a “V” formation (this is the 2nd line of the “V”). Notice that you are not cutting back towards the ball into the exact same position from where you began moving your Opponent to the basket, but rather a little off to the side, which is what forms the “V”.

L-Cut

The primary purpose of an L-Cut is to penetrate immediately towards the basket after passing the ball off to a Teammate on the perimeter (this is the 1st line of the “L”). If you do not receive the ball back from your Teammate, than you would simply make a 90° degree turn and cut off to the far outside Wing area in an L-Cut formation (this is the 2nd line of the “L”).

Rear & Front Cut

Whenever you are being overplayed by your Defender, this is the moment you would choose to either Rear-Cut or Front-Cut them. Whenever an Opponent “overplays” you, this simply means that they are guarding you too closely, and you can use this to your advantage by immediately cutting in a straight line to the basket with your lead-hand outstretched ready to receive the pass from your Teammate.

A Rear-Cut involves cutting behind your Opponent’s Back. On the other hand, a Front-Cut involves cutting in front of your Opponent’s face directly towards the basket.

No matter which Cut you use, it is important to make sure that you are not too predictable in your movements, otherwise your Opponent will read you like a book and will deny your penetration towards the basket. It is therefore critical that you fake your Opponent first by taking a single step in one direction, and then immediately cutting in the opposite direction in a straight line towards the basket.

Another important factor to keep an eye on is to identify where your Opponent’s “Back” is facing. You will always have a better chance cutting towards the basket by penetrating in the direction that your Opponent’s “Back” is facing. The only reason you would not do this would be if your Opponent was overplaying you towards their Backside. In this instance you would utilize a Front-Cut and charge towards the basket with your lead-hand extended ready to receive the pass from your Teammate.

Intelligent Penetration Tactics

Efficient, consistent and persistent penetration towards the basket is the best way to wear down your Opponent’s defensive strategy. The more movement you essentially create and the faster the ball is passed between each of your Teammates, than the more gaps will begin opening up allowing you more freedom and good scoring opportunities. Here are 3 guidelines you must keep in mind in relation to this:

• Penetrate into open spaces consistently and persistently.

• Penetrate into gaps that open up within Zone and Man-2-Man formations.

• Penetrate by constantly moving without the ball. This means that if you don’t have the ball, you should be moving and getting into a position to receive the pass no matter where the ball is on the basketball court. Always ask yourself:

“Am currently in a position to receive the pass from my Teammate?” - If NOT than move immediately into position.

Moving the Ball in Pairs

Another important and fundamental skill that we must all master as basketball players is the process of moving the ball effectively and efficiently between pairs of players. Here are a couple of tactics you should consider absorbing into your game, and a few general guidelines that will assist you further in developing your court awareness in this area:

The Give & Go

The Give & Go is one of the most fundamental skills of basketball that can potentially create an infinite amount of scoring opportunities if run correctly. In its most basic form, it involves passing to a Teammate and then immediately cutting towards the basket with an expectation that you will receive the pass back from your Teammate if you are open. When utilizing this tactic be sure to extend your lead-hand out and in front of you the moment you begin cutting towards the basket in order to provide your Teammate with a target to pass to. Speed and precision is the key.

Pick & Roll

This was discussed in detail within the Ball Screen section of this article post. Within this section we touched upon the specifics of how the Screener and Dribbler must move leading up to the Screen and when coming off the Screen. Please reread this section for further details.

General Guidelines

Under most circumstances, when you are receiving the pass from your Teammate, it is important to step into this pass in order to minimize a defender sneaking up from behind you and deflecting the ball away. Make sure to do this aggressively, decisively, with purpose, and ALWAYS extend your lead-hand out so that your Teammate knows where you would like to receive the ball.

Team Movement within Motion Offense

Many teams these days run a Motion Offense that requires a great deal of movement, understanding and effective communication. When playing a basketball game you may very well be instructed to run a set-play by your Coach. This is all well and good. However, if you are ever in doubt and do not know what to do, than the following guidelines will help to keep you moving and playing effectively on the basketball court while minimizing the impact of your movement on the set-play your Coach has drawn up:

Balance the Court

Making sure that you and your Teammates do not crowd one side of the court is of primary importance. Crowding can lead to silly turnovers and ineffective decision making. In order to avoid overcrowding one side of the court, make it a habit to always be aware of the position of your Teammates in relation to your position on the court. Your team must always be spread and balanced far enough in order to open up good passing lanes and scoring opportunities.

Keep the Defense Spread

By balancing the court you are also keeping the defense spread. This can only help open up gaps, passing lanes and potential scoring opportunities.

Pass & Screen, or Pass & Move

Whenever you pass the ball off to one of your Teammates, you MUST move immediately into open space using any of the Cutting tactics we discussed above. Another option after a pass is to set a Screen for your Teammate utilizing the screens we discussed in an earlier section.

Dribble Under these Conditions…

Within the motion offense, dribbling must be minimized at all costs in order to improve the speed, movement, and efficiency of the team. You should therefore ONLY dribble the ball under the following conditions:

• When attacking the basket. • When improving your passing angles. • When switching positions with a teammate. • When overcoming double-teams or tight situations (only when passing lanes have been closed down). • When penetrating into gaps.

Final Thoughts

Knowing how to move effectively on the basketball court without the ball is a fundamental aspect of the game. It is all about understanding where to move in relation to the ball, and how to take advantage of defensive lapses that can open up avenues to the basket. To become a proficient “mover without the ball” requires discipline, focus and concentration, which can be learned through patience, repetition and practice. And finally, it also takes knowledge and insight to realize and understand that great teams are built on effective movement principles and not on superstar athletes. I hope you enjoyed this post. If you have any further queries or questions, or would like to share your experiences about this topic, than please do so in the comments section below.

Free Articles & Online Resources

Here are a number of highly recommended free articles and online resources that will further help expand your understanding about this topic:

• The Coach’s Clipboard
• Basketball Playbook
• Coach Like a Pro
• Degerstrom Basketball Drills
• Basketball Life Tips

Recommended Products

• Better Basketball DVDs @ Better Basketball.com

Recommended Books

• Basketball Skills & Drills by Jerry Krause, Don Meyer & Jerry Meyer
• Basketball Fun & Games: 50 Skill-Building Activities for Children by Kevin Prusak
• Coaching Basketball Technical and Tactical Skills by Kathy McGee & American Sport Education Program
• Basketball Skill Progressions by Jerry Krause, Curtis Jazn & James H. Conn
• Basketball Skills: How to Play Like a Pro by Tom Robinson

If you would like to download a copy of this IQ Matrix, it is available from the IQ Matrix Shop.

| Buy Poster | IQ Matrix Gallery | MasterMind Matrix | FAQ |

Introduction

In a lot of ways rebounding is a completely misunderstood aspect of the game of basketball. Many believe that it simply requires athleticism and strength to soar above your opponents and pull the ball down aggressively. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, rebounding is actually a gentle skill that requires patience to learn and master. Moreover, it is a skill that if learned correctly will help you to gain pivotal positioning under the basket therefore allowing you to out-rebound seemingly taller and stronger opponents.

This IQ Matrix Mind Map will specifically focus on the fundamental aspects of rebounding, boxing-out and subtle observation skills that will help you to get the edge over your Opponent.

• The 1st Branch of this IQ Matrix Mind Map provides an overview of the fundamental rebounding technique you must incorporate into your basketball game in order to become an effective rebounder.

• The 2nd Branch of this IQ Matrix Mind Map breaks down the rebounding strategy you must utilize when playing against a Zone defense.

• The 3rd Branch of this IQ Matrix Mind Map breaks down the rebounding strategy you must utilize when playing against Man-2-Man defensive pressure.

This article post is part of a Basketball Success Series of IQ Matrix Mind Maps. Topics within this series include:

• Part 1: Basketball Shooting Skills
• Part 2: Basketball Defensive Skills
• Part 3: Basketball Dribbling Skills
• Part 4: Basketball Passing Skills
• Part 5: Basketball Offensive Skills
• Part 6: Basketball Rebounding Skills
• Part 7: Basketball Movement Tactics
• Part 8: Basketball Post Play Skills
• Part 9: Basketball Mindset

The Fundamental Rebounding Technique

The 1st Branch of this IQ Matrix Mind Map provides an overview of the fundamental rebounding technique you must incorporate into your basketball game in order to become an effective rebounder. We specifically discuss what you must do Before, During and After rebounding the basketball.

Before Rebounding Ball

The following presents a list of guidelines that lay down the fundamentals of what you must do before rebounding the basketball. These suggestions will allow you to gain good position under the basket and gain leverage on your opponents.

Box-Out Your Opponent

It is important that as soon as the shot is released that you immediately box-out your opponent in order to prevent them from bringing down an easy rebound. The discussion that follows will show you a number of techniques and strategies on how to specifically go about boxing-out your opponent within a Zone or Man-2-Man basketball game scenario.

Low & Wide Stance

When you position yourself in a low and wide stance this naturally provides you with good stability and balance. It also grounds you securely to the floor making it difficult for Opponents to shove you off your feet.

Maintain Position & Balance

When the ball is on its way towards the basketball rim, it is important to maintain your position and balance under the basket. It is after all the player who gains the most leverage at this time who will be in the prime position to rebound the ball when it hits the basketball rim.

Create Leverage Using Solid Footwork

Your goal before rebounding the ball is to gain as much leverage on your Opponent as possible. To do this you must use your strength and tenacity to body up your Opponent and progressively nudge them away from the basket while maintaining your ground.

Shuffle Feet Quickly

You must stay loose and light on your feet, while at the same time standing solidly on the ground with a good Center of Balance. This may seem like a contradiction, yet it is this very delicate balance in basketball that is required if you seek to become an effective rebounder.

Stay loose by lightly shuffling your feet on the ground. This will enable you to react to changes in the bounce of the ball and to your Opponent’s movement. Staying loose on your feet will also make you quicker and improve your jumping ability when it comes time to pull down the rebound.

Stick Bum into Opponent’s Mid Section

When it comes to basketball, your Bum is designed as a leveraging tool that keeps your opponent locked away behind you in a weak position to rebound the ball. You must therefore use your Bum to your advantage whenever possible, and the best way to do this is to push it into your Opponent’s mid-section or thigh area just before going in for the rebound.

Knees at 90° Angle

When your knees are bent they naturally enable you to draw power from them and rise for the rebound with more force and greater athleticism. Bent knees also provide you with stability and enable you to gain greater leverage over your Opponent.

Arms Extended Outwards

Extend your arms outwards in order to gain better positioning over your Opponent and to balance your body before going in for the rebound.

Extending your arms outwards also adds size to your frame. When you are wider and more solid, than it is more difficult for Opponents to step by you. Instead they will be forced to try and step around you in order to get to the basket.

Hands Firm, Fingers Widely Spaced

Make sure that your hands are firm and that your fingers are widely spaced and directed at the basket. Your hands are very much like magnets for the basketball. The wider you position them, the greater the chances that you will get your hands on the rebound.

Palms Above Shoulders Facing Ball

When preparing to rebounding the ball it is important to keep your palms above shoulder height. After all, the ball is falling from the top down and not from the bottom up. It just makes sense that if you prepare your hands in a good high position that you will have more of a chance of rebounding the basketball than someone who keeps their hands “low” up until the very last moment.

Concentrate on Ball & Opponent’s Movement

While you are gaining leverage and position under the basket, make sure to concentrate on the trajectory of the ball and your Opponent’s movement. The better you are able to predict where the ball will hit the rim and how your opponent will react to your movements, than the more chance you will have of rebounding the basketball.

We will discuss this in greater detail and depth a little later within this article post.

While Rebounding Ball

The following presents a list of guidelines that lay down the fundamentals of what you must do while rebounding the basketball. These suggestions will allow you to gain good position under the basket and gain leverage on your Opponent.

Explode to the Basket

Explode to the basket with commitment and determination to rebound the ball for your team. Your objective is simple: seek out the ball and secure the rebound safely in your hands.

After Rebounding Ball

The following presents a list of guidelines that lay down the fundamentals of what you must do after rebounding the ball. These suggestions will allow you to gain good position under the basket and gain leverage on your Opponent.

Chin the Ball

Your “chin” acts like a clamp that locks the basketball against your body. As soon as you pull down the rebound you should immediately bring the ball up and tuck it into your chin, while protecting the ball on the outside with the palms of your hands.

Protect Ball with Body

Your body is another essential tool that can be utilized to protect the ball after you have pulled down a rebound. Your body should always be the “center piece” that stands between your Opponent and the ball. This means, that no matter where your Opponent moves, your body will always be between them and the ball. Making the most use of your pivot foot is important in such situations.

Stick Elbows Out

Your Elbows are utilized as a third protective mechanism that will secure the ball firmly in your hands. As soon as you have rebounded the ball and tucked it under your chin and against your body, simply extend your elbows out in order to discourage your Opponent’s wondering hands trying to scoop the ball out of your grasp.

However, be very careful not to swing your elbows around too much once you have pulled down the rebound, as this may lead to an offensive foul being called on you, and can also injure other players.

Look for Outlet Pass

Once you have secured the rebound and the ball is safe within your grasps, immediately look for an outlet pass to another teammate who can begin moving the ball up the court.

And of course, once you have passed off the basketball, sprint up to the other end of the court for a possible fast-break layup on the transition.

Rebounding Within a Zone Defense

The 2nd Branch of this IQ Matrix Mind Map breaks down the rebounding strategy you must utilize when playing within a Zone defensive formation. We specifically discuss what you must observe, how you must box-out and rebound when playing against a Zone defense.

Observe Carefully

Becoming an effective observer is one of the most important skills of the game of basketball. In this scenario, before rebounding the ball, you must become a diligent observer in order to gather a deep insight and understanding on how to maneuver yourself into an ideal position to pull down the rebound.

Observe Shot Release

Pay careful attention to the “shot release action” of the shooter. This will give you a good insight as to whether the ball will fall through the basket or hit the outside or inside of the basketball rim, or possibly miss the basket all together.

Observe Flight of Ball

How the basketball flies through the air – it’s spinning rotation and motion – will give you an even better insight and understanding of where the ball is likely to hit the basketball rim. Pay particular attention to the trajectory of the ball. Is it a flat or arcing shot?

Position yourself accordingly under the basket based on your observations.

Observe Location of Closest Opponent

Immediately lock your eyes and attention onto your closest opponent in order to get an understanding of their movement and field of vision. You must position yourself to “box them out” accordingly with the observations you have made.

Box-Out Immediately

Once you have gained good position under the basket, have carefully observed the flight and bounce of the basketball, and are in optimum position to gain leverage on your Opponent, than you must immediately box-out your Defender in order to gain the best advantage to pull down the rebound for your team.

Box-Out Technique

First you must make sure that you go body-to-body with your Opponent. This is important as it will allow you to feel your Opponent’s movements and reactions to the bounce of the ball on the basketball rim. It will also allow you to maneuver into optimum position to pull down the rebound.

Here are some guidelines that will help you gain good leverage on your oOpponent when boxing-out:

Bum Low & Sticking Out

Make sure that your bum is low and you are leaning directly into your Opponent’s mid-section or thighs. This will help stabilize you and lock your Opponent behind your body.

Arms Extended & Elbows Out

Arms must be extended and your elbows need to stick out in order to make yourself as wide of a target as possible. The wider you become, than the more difficult it will be for your Opponent to maneuver past you to get the rebound.

Hands Up & Fingers Spread

Keep your hands up above your shoulders with fingers spread and face them directly into the path of the ball following it’s trajectory as it bounces off the basketball rim. This is important as it enables you to react quickly to unexpected bounces of the ball that suddenly swing in your direction. It also provides you with an advantage over Opponents who begin their rebounding motion holding their hands below their waist.

Feet Shuffling in a Solid Stance

Stay balanced by shuffling your feet in a rapid and controlled motion while standing in a solid stance. This rapid foot movement will allow you to gain better balance and enable you to adjust your position under the basketball rim more effectively and efficiently in response to the bounce of the ball and the movement of your Opponent.

Boxing-Out Shooter

If your direct Opponent has suddenly shot the basketball, than your main objective is to “box them out” by keeping your Opponent at arms-length while utilizing your arm-bar as a leveraging tool that is locked into your Opponent’s chest area, or your Bum into their mid-section. If you are able to, than also gently nudge your Opponent away from the basket in order to enable you to rebound with more freedom and space. The key is to make sure that your Opponent does not get a second opportunity to score off an offensive rebound.

Boxing-Out Non-Shooter

Whenever an Opponent who isn’t within your “zoned area” shoots the ball, you must immediately box-out the closest Opponent within your space and force them a step or two away from the basket if possible. However, be careful not to push, but rather use your arm-bar, body, elbows and your hips to move your Opponent out of position.

The key here is to stay between your Opponent and the basket at all times. In this fashion you will minimize their chances of grabbing a rebound while maximizing your ability to do the same.

Rebounding Within Man-2-Man

The 3rd Branch of this IQ Matrix Mind Map breaks down the rebounding strategy you must utilize when playing within Man-2-Man defensive pressure. We specifically discuss what you must observe, how you must box-out and rebound when playing against a Man-2-Man defense.

Observe Carefully

Becoming an effective observer is one of the most important skills of the game of basketball. In this scenario, before rebounding the ball, you must become a diligent observer in order to gather a deep insight and understanding on how to maneuver yourself into an ideal position to pull down the rebound.

Observe Shot Release

Pay careful attention to the “shot release action” of the shooter. This will give you a good insight as to whether the ball will fall through the basket or hit the outside or inside of the basketball rim, or possibly miss the basket all together.

Observe Flight of Ball

How the basketball flies through the air – it’s spinning rotation and motion – will give you an even better insight and understanding of where the ball is likely to hit the basketball rim. Pay particular attention to the trajectory of the ball. Is it a flat or arcing shot?

Position yourself accordingly under the basket based on your observations.

Observe Location of Direct Opponent

Immediately lock your eyes and attention onto your direct Opponent in order to get an understanding of their movement and field of vision. You must position yourself to “box them out” accordingly with the observations you have made.

Box-Out Immediately

Once you have gained good position under the basket, have carefully observed the flight and bounce of the basketball, and are in optimum position to gain leverage on your Opponent, than you must immediately box-out your defender in order to gain the best advantage to pull down the rebound for your team.

Box-Out Technique

First you must make sure that you go body-to-body with your opponent. This is important as it will allow you to feel your Opponent’s movements and reactions to the bounce of the ball on the basketball rim. It will also allow you to maneuver into optimum position to pull down the rebound.

Here are some guidelines that will help you gain good leverage on your opponent when boxing-out:

Bum Low & Sticking Out

Make sure that your bum is low and you are leaning directly into your opponent’s mid-section or thighs. This will help stabilize you and lock your opponent behind your body.

Arms Extended & Elbows Out

Arms must be extended and your elbows need to stick out in order to make yourself as wide of a target as possible. The wider you become, than the more difficult it will be for your Opponent to maneuver past you to get the rebound.

Hands Up & Fingers Spread

Keep your hands up above your shoulders with fingers spread and face them directly into the path of the ball following it’s trajectory as it bounces off the basketball rim. This is important as it enables you to react quickly to unexpected bounces of the ball that suddenly swing in your direction. It also provides you with an advantage over Opponents who begin their rebounding motion holding their hands below their waist.

Feet Shuffling in a Solid Stance

Stay balanced by shuffling your feet in a rapid and controlled motion while standing in a solid stance. This rapid foot movement will allow you to gain better balance and enable you to adjust your position under the basketball rim more effectively and efficiently in response to the bounce of the ball and the movement of your Opponent.

Boxing-Out Shooter

If your direct Opponent has suddenly shot the basketball, than your main objective is to “box them out” by keeping your Opponent at arms-length while utilizing your arm-bar as a leveraging tool that is locked into your Opponent’s chest area, or your Bum into their mid-section. If you are able to, than also gently nudge your Opponent away from the basket in order to enable you to rebound with more freedom and space. The key is to make sure that your Opponent does not get a second opportunity to score off an offensive rebound.

Boxing-Out Non-Shooter

Whenever an Opponent who isn’t within your “zoned area” shoots the ball, you must immediately box-out the closest Opponent within your space and force them a step or two away from the basket if possible. However, be careful not to push, but rather use your arm-bar, body, elbows and your hips to move your Opponent out of position.

The key here is to stay between your Opponent and the basket at all times. In this fashion you will minimize their chances of grabbing a rebound while maximizing your ability to do the same.

Final Thoughts

Effective rebounding is all about careful observation, good footwork, balance, positioning and aggression. Tick all of these off your list and you will be well on your way towards becoming a solid and efficient rebounder on any team. However, keep in mind that rebounding also requires intelligent decision making and stamina that will help you to excel down the stretch when the game is on the line.

I hope you enjoyed this post. If you have any further queries or questions, or would like to share your experiences about this topic, than please do so in the comments section below.

Free Articles & Online Resources

Here are a number of highly recommended free articles and online resources that will further help expand your understanding about this topic:

• The Coach’s Clipboard
• Basketball Playbook
• Coach Like a Pro
• Degerstrom Basketball Drills
• Basketball Life Tips

Recommended Products

• Better Basketball DVDs @ Better Basketball.com

Recommended Books

• 101 Basketball Rebounding Drills by George M. Karl, Terry Stotts & Price Johnson
• Basketball Skills & Drills by Jerry Krause, Don Meyer & Jerry Meyer
• Basketball Fun & Games: 50 Skill-Building Activities for Children by Kevin Prusak
• Coaching Basketball Technical and Tactical Skills by Kathy McGee & American Sport Education Program
• Basketball Skill Progressions by Jerry Krause, Curtis Jazn & James H. Conn
• Basketball Skills: How to Play Like a Pro by Tom Robinson

If you would like to download a copy of this IQ Matrix, it is available from the IQ Matrix Shop.

| Buy Poster | IQ Matrix Gallery | MasterMind Matrix | FAQ |

Introduction

Scoring the basketball is the primary purpose of the game. However, there is far more to scoring than simply shooting the ball through the hoop. Cultivating the ability to score effectively and creatively is required as opponents become more resilient and efficient on the defensive end of the floor. Moreover, great offensive skills will allow you to open up easier avenues to get to the basket, which will thusly enable you to dictate the state of affairs on the basketball court no matter what strategy the defense uses against you.

This IQ Matrix Mind Map will specifically focus on essential offensive skills that will add flexibility, creativity and a dash of intelligence to your basketball game.

• The 1st Branch of this IQ Matrix Mind Map breaks down the fundamentals and mechanics of the Triple Threat attack positioning strategy.

• The 2nd Branch of this IQ Matrix Mind Map delves into some simple yet effective strategies on how to beat defensive pressure throughout the game.

• The 3rd Branch of this IQ Matrix Mind Map provides a number of effective techniques and strategies that a player can implement when attacking the basket.

This article post is part of a Basketball Success Series of IQ Matrix Mind Maps. Topics within this series include:

• Part 1: Basketball Shooting Skills
• Part 2: Basketball Defensive Skills
• Part 3: Basketball Dribbling Skills
• Part 4: Basketball Passing Skills
• Part 5: Basketball Offensive Skills
• Part 6: Basketball Rebounding Skills
• Part 7: Basketball Movement Tactics
• Part 8: Basketball Post Play Skills
• Part 9: Basketball Mindset

The Fundamentals of Triple Threat

The 1st Branch of this IQ Matrix Mind Map breaks down the fundamentals and mechanics of the Triple Threat attack positioning strategy. We specifically discuss how to position your body and mechanics of the Triple Threat positioning strategy.

Triple Threat Offensive Positioning

The Triple Threat offensive position is an aggressive stance that allows a player 3 attacking options; the dribble, the shot or the pass. It is an explosive, aggressive and controlled stance the readies the player for an attacking assault on the basket. It is in fact a fundamental aspect of basketball that every player must learn and master till it becomes an integrated part of their game.

The following discussion presents you with a list of guidelines you must cultivate in order to integrate the basic fundamentals of the Triple Threat offensive positioning into your game:

Knees Are Bent Slightly

The Triple Threat stance is an aggressive and attacking body formation that requires speed and precision. Because of the sudden power that is required to explode out of this stance at a moment’s notice, it is important to bend your knees slightly in order to improve your quickness and agility off the mark.

Feet Are Shoulder Width Apart

Good balance is a requirement of the Triple Threat stance. To ensure that you are balanced accordingly, make sure that both of your feet are standing about shoulder width apart in a slightly “staggered stance” (one foot being slightly ahead of the other).

Back is Straight

A straight back will provide you with better balance, stability and power when it comes time to shoot, pass or dribble to the basket.

Bottom is Sticking Out

When your Bum is sticking out, this will assist you to pull more power and force from your legs when it’s time to move quickly and with precision off your Triple Threat attacking position.

Vertical Alignment of Body

In order to further improve your balance make sure that your feet, knees and head are vertically aligned as you stand in Triple Threat.

Hands in Shooting Position

Your hands must be positioned on the basketball in a shooting position. This is important, because the moment your Opponent lets their guard down, this will enable you to shoot quickly with precision.

Another important reason to have your hand in shooting position on the ball, is that you will be able to transition to either a dribble or a pass without really needing to adjust the movement of your palm or fingers.

Ball is in Shot Pocket

Finally, you must hold the ball in your Shot Pocket. The Shot Pocket is the area between the top of your hips and the bottom of your ribcage. This is the most threatening position to hold the basketball. As it is this position that will enable you to shoot quickly, pass with precision, or drive explosively towards the basket.

Location of Triple Threat Positioning

When you receive the basketball you should establish yourself in Triple Threat position anywhere on the perimeter (outside of Key area) or within your personal scoring range. The scoring range will obviously vary from player-to-player, however the Triple Threat stance should stay consistent throughout.

Attacking off Triple Threat

Once you have established Triple Threat positioning, you are now ready to attack off a pass, a shot or dribble. However, in order to do this effectively it may be worthwhile to learn a few fundamentals about utilizing a “Fake” in order to maneuver your Defender out of position, and therefore open up opportunities to attack the basket.

Shot / Ball Fake Guidelines

The following are a set of guidelines you should stick to when faking your shot:

• Make your fake slow enough in order to allow your defender’s eyes to recognize and react to it.

• Stop the ball short of your nose when going up for the fake.

• Lower your bottom as you fake the shot.

• Maintain Triple Threat body positioning at all times in order to leave your options open and to remain explosive.

• Once your opponent commits and reacts to the fake, immediately take the opportunity to quickly penetrate towards the basket.

Types of Shot Fakes

We already discussed the Ball Fake above. There are however three other “Shot Fakes” you can utilize off of Triple Threat to great effect that will help you maneuver your Opponent out of position and allow you great space and freedom to dribble, pass or shoot the basketball.

Head & Shoulder Fake

The Head & Shoulder Fake involves faking your opponent by simply raising your head and shoulders towards the sky making it seem as though you are about to shoot the basketball. This movement should be quick and deadly. As soon as your Opponent takes the bait, you must immediately attack the basket.

Pass Fake

The Pass Fake simply involves the process of pretending to pass the ball to your Teammate. To do this, begin by lifting the ball from your Shot Pocket and pushing it towards a Teammate as you extend your arms without letting go of the ball. Make sure also to look in your Teammates direction in order to make the fake look more realistic. Once your Opponent leans over to try and deny the ball, quickly pull it back in, and attack their weak foot (the foot that they are not leaning on) off the dribble.

You may need to experiment with the speed of your Pass Fake against different players. If for instance you Fake your Pass and then pull the ball back into your Shot Pocket too quickly, than your Opponent may not even have a chance to move. Conversely, if you do it too slowly, than you will simply be giving your Opponent a chance to get back into good defensive positioning, or worse, they may be quick enough to knock the ball out of your hands.

Drive Fake

The following are a set of guidelines you should stick to when utilizing a drive fake:

1. Square Up to your defender.

2. Instigate a short JAB step towards the opposite side of your penetration.

3. While JAB stepping, move the basketball into your shot-pocket while swinging your head forward.

4. Once your defender moves to deny your penetration, simply pivot in the opposite direction and explode to the basket.

The Mechanics of Your Movement

Once you have faked with a drive, pass, head & shoulder or ball fake, you must immediately attack your defender who at this stage will very likely be out of position and committed towards the direction of your fake.

The following are a set of guidelines for your arms and feet that will help you to move by your defender more efficiently once you have setup your fake:

Arm Movement

In order to get by your defender efficiently it is recommended that you sweep the ball low under their hands in a tight “C” motion before attacking the basket in either a curved or straight line. The lower you are able to sweep the ball, the less likely your defender will be able to get their hands to it.

Footwork Mechanics

Once you have Faked, you now have an option of either taking a Cross-Step or Open-Step by your defender.

The Cross-Step simply involves stepping one foot in front and across the other as you penetrate towards the basket. Conversely the Open-Step involves stepping outwards – opening up your legs – as you penetrate towards the basket. No matter which Step you choose to take, you must ensure that you utilize the front leg to protect the very first bounce of the ball on your way towards the basket.

It is also important to time your 1st Dribble and 1st Step together after your Fake, making sure they hit the ground at the same time. This will effectively minimize travel violations that could be called against you if you do not get the timing right.

Once you have taken your first dribble and first step by your Defender, you must decide whether to attack the basket in a straight or curved penetrating line. This will all depend on the positioning of your Opponents, and on the reaction and speed of the Defender that is guarding you. If in doubt, a straight line to the basket is usually the best way to penetrate. Otherwise just pull the ball up and reset you offense.

Beating Defensive Pressure

The 2nd Branch of this IQ Mind Map delves into some simple yet effective strategies on how to beat defensive pressure throughout the game. We specifically discuss how to handle shot-pocket pressure in scenarios when you have little or no space to move.

Scenario 1: Given Little Space to Move

In this scenario you have the ball in your hands in Triple Threat position, and you are given very LITTLE space to move by your defender.

What can you do?

Solution 1: Reverse Pivot and attack with your outside foot while sweeping the ball low under your defender’s hands.  First sweep the ball in one direction to get the defender leaning and committed. Once your defender is off balance, immediately follow this up by sweeping quickly in the opposite direction and attacking the basket off your dribble.

Solution 2: Square up to your defender, and place the ball on your back knee. This will usually have a tendency to draw your defender forward. Once they go for the bait, quickly Front Pivot and attack the defender’s “Back” while sweeping the ball low under their hands. Once you have moved through with your first step, reach past your defender with your inside arm (your non-dribbling hand) in order to protect the ball and to ensure that your defender remains removed from good defensive positioning. All this time, make sure to stay low and not give away any ground to your defender.

Scenario 2: Given No Space to Move

In this scenario you have the ball in your hands in Triple Threat position, and you are given absolutely NO space to move by your defender.

What can you do?

Solution: Begin by Reverse Pivoting on your inside foot. Follow this up by spinning and sealing your defender behind you and immediately make your way towards the basket.

Scenario 3: Dealing with Shot Pocket Pressure

In this scenario you have the ball in your hands, and your defender is putting a lot of pressure on your shot-pocket area making it very difficult for you to maintain your Triple Threat positioning.

What can you do?

Solution: To begin with you must do whatever it takes to maintain your Triple Threat positioning in order to remain quick and explosive. Now, quickly circle the ball under your defender’s hands, and immediately attack their “Back” off the dribble.

Attacking the Basket

The 3rd Branch of this IQ Matrix Mind Map provides a number of effective techniques and strategies that a player can implement when attacking the basket. We specifically break down how to read your defender’s positioning strategy and react accordingly in order to get to the basket.

Countering Your Defender’s Moves

No matter how great of an offensive player you are, there will be times when you will come across a super quality defender who will be able to read you like a book and will therefore be able to react to your fakes and the penetration attempts you make towards the basket. In instances such as these you must develop a repertoire of “counter moves” that will knock your defender off balance, and will therefore open up avenues for you to attack the basket off your dribble.

The following presents you with a combination of 3 progressive offensive movement strategies that will help throw your defender off balance and allow you to create space for yourself to penetrate towards the basket. Keep in mind that this progression isn’t complete. I have left it up to you to decide which Offensive Move you will finish off with.

Move 1: This move is very slow. Begin by drawing back your dribble in order to pull your Defender closer to you.

Move 2: This move is fast. Once you see that your Defender is committed to reach for the ball, then immediately attack your Defender’s “Back” off your dribble.

Move 3: If the first two moves haven’t enabled you to beat your Defender off the dribble, then you would simply experiment with dribble combinations that will unbalance your defender and open up new avenues towards the basket. Have a read of the Dribbling Skills Mind Map for further clarification and ideas.

Reading Your Defender’s Positioning

Here we briefly discuss a number of things you must observe in respect to your defender’s positioning on the basketball court in relation to you. Here are the offensive options you should consider:

Shoot the Basketball whenever you are open, when your Defender backs down, or when your Defender’s hands are not in your shot-pocket.

Drive and Attack the Basket when your Defender is in close proximity to you. Remember to attack your Defender’s “Back”. This will put them on the back-foot and their reaction speed will by somewhat slower than if you attack the direction their “Chest” is facing.

Apply the “Fake” whenever your Defender is about at mid-distance from you. In this position you cannot shoot and you are a little too far away from your Defender to be able to penetrate towards the basket. Fake your shot, bring the Defender closer to you and then attack the basket.

Finishing Your Shot

You have made all the effort to get to the basket. Now what?

Now you must finish your shot and get a score for your team. Here are a number of things you must avoid doing when it comes to finishing your shot at the basket:

Avoid the Charge

You must be very careful to avoid being called for the charge. To do this, make sure that you stay balanced and light-footed as you penetrate towards the basket. Keep in mind that it is easier to change direction off both feet than it is off one foot.

Avoid Being Stripped

Avoid being stripped of the basketball as you make your way towards the basket. To do this make sure to hide the ball on the outside of your hip and away from your defender. Turning your back towards your defender and leaning into them as you penetrate towards the basket can also work quite effectively in your favor.

Finally, to avoid the strip, make sure to use your outside hand (the hand furthest away from your defender) when shooting the basketball. This will enable you greater freedom and ability to finish off your shot successfully.

Final Thoughts

Learning the fundamentals and dynamics of the offensive game is possibly the most difficult aspect of basketball to master. It takes patience, discipline, confidence and courage to step outside of your comfort zone and experiment with a creative repertoire of moves that will keep defender’s second guessing you each and every time you step out onto the basketball court. However, even though the difficulty may be great, the rewards are certainly worth the effort and time to help you instill the qualities and skills of a talented and offensively creative basketball player.

I hope you enjoyed this post. If you have any further queries or questions, or would like to share your experiences about this topic, than please do so in the comments section below.

Free Articles & Online Resources

Here are a number of highly recommended free articles and online resources that will further help expand your understanding about this topic:

• The Coach’s Clipboard
• Basketball Playbook
• Coach Like a Pro
• Degerstrom Basketball Drills
• Basketball Life Tips

Recommended Products

• Better Basketball DVDs @ Better Basketball.com

Recommended Books

• Basketball Offenses and Plays by Ken Atkins
• Basketball Skills & Drills by Jerry Krause, Don Meyer & Jerry Meyer
• Basketball Fun & Games: 50 Skill-Building Activities for Children by Kevin Prusak
• Coaching Basketball Technical and Tactical Skills by Kathy McGee & American Sport Education Program
• Basketball Skill Progressions by Jerry Krause, Curtis Jazn & James H. Conn
• Basketball Skills: How to Play Like a Pro by Tom Robinson

If you would like to download a copy of this IQ Matrix, it is available from the IQ Matrix Shop.