Home » Misc » How to do a hesitation move in basketball
How to do a hesitation move in basketball
Chris Paul Hesitation Move & The Importance of Counter Moves [VIDEO]
By Joe Haefner
Check out this great video done by Brian Waters of X-treme Basketball on the Chris Paul hesitation move..
Key Points to the Hesitation Move
Change Speeds
By changing speeds, this keeps your defender off balance. If you just have 1 or 2 speeds, it's easier for the defender to adjust to your pace. How
do you think somebody as slow as Larry Bird got by NBA players?
Stay Low
Keep the hips down. This helps you stay in an ideal position to explode by the defender. You might show a tiny lift in the hips to fake the defender.
Ball Out To Side
Depending on the defender's position, keeping the ball out to the side allows you to shield the ball from the defender. If the defender is
overplaying the ball, simply cross the ball over to the other hand and drive past.
Look Up
Sell the fake with your eyes. If the defender sees you look up, they naturally tend to lift their body up as well because they think you are going to slow
down, shoot the ball, or pass the ball.
Explode
Drive off the back foot and get the first step down to the ground as quickly as possible. This sets you up for an explosive 2nd step as well.
Push the Ball Out
It's very important to push the ball out in front of you to avoid the defender from poking the basketball out from behind.
The Importance of Counter Moves
Brian also mentions the importance of the counter move in the video. This is extremely important.
If the defender starts to cheat, you can give him the hesitation move and quickly counter it. This is great to do after you have pulled off
your "go-to" move a couple of times and you see the defender start to cheat.
In the video, Brian uses the crossover move. The wrap-around dribble or behind-the-back are
good counter moves to the hesitation move as well. Personally,
I used the wrap-around dribble in high school because it was easier for me to keep the ball away from the defender while changing directions and continuing
my momentum forward.
If you perfect this move and a counter, that is great. Don't waste your time on all of the other stuff. You don't have enough time in the
day to get really good at every move. At best, you would be mediocre. Personally, I made this mistake. If I could do it again, I would pick a move
and a counter move and perfect those moves. Spend 5 to 10 minutes every day on them in half-court settings and full-court settings. Play some 1 on 1 with
your friends who are hopefully good defenders.
If you want to spend a couple of minutes working on other dribble
moves, that is fine. That way, you are still competent with those dribble moves and can use them
when needed.
This year, my advice would be to perfect a go-to dribble move and a counter move. Once you have perfected the move in a year or two, you can add another move
to perfect.
Related Products & Articles
A Secret to Chris Paul's Success - Change of Pace
Handling Ball Screens Like Steve Nash
Basketball Dribbling and Ballhandling Fundamentals, Drills, & Tips With Video Clips
How to Easily Get Past Your Defender with the Hesitation Move (Step by Step)
If you clicked on this article, I assume you want to learn the hesitation move – a basketball move that leaves defenders in the dust!
The goal of the hesitation move is to get defenders to temporarily rise up out of their defensive stance, giving you an extra second to dribble past your defender on your way to the basket.
And when the defenders get off their feet, the crowd will get off their feet as well!
Your hesi will not only earn you a trip to the basket but it might also earn you a viral clip on social media!
But how do you execute the hesitation move?
Here is a step-by-step guide on how to instantly add the hesitation move to your dribbling arsenal…
Step 1 – See The Open Lane
First and foremost, be in a triple-threat position while making the hesitation move. Being in a triple-threat position means you are in a position to either pass the ball to an open shooter, attack the basket, or shoot the ball off the dribble.
Obviously, the hesitation move is most effective when the dribbler has all three of these options available. The more of a threat you are to make a jump shot off the dribble, the more effective the hesi will become.
Do you want to know who uses the hesitation move to great effect?
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, one of the greatest shooters in NBA history. Curry has one of the best hesitation moves in the NBA today because defenders have to respect his jump shot.
Curry always positions himself where he can create an open lane to the basket with his hesitation move. He normally starts by dribbling on the left side and then goes towards the middle with his strong hand.
That way, Curry always has a straight path to a right-handed layup when his hesitation move freezes the defender at the top of the key.
Step 2 – Get The Ball Into The Dribble Pocket
Now you have the lane to the basket in sight, it is time to change the defender’s eye level.
How do you do this?
You pretend like you are about to shoot the ball! You just raise your dribble higher than normal.
The key is to establish eye contact with the defender. If your eyes go up as you get into your dribble pocket, your defender will naturally rise up to match your eye level.
This gives you a split-second advantage to get by your defender!
Something to be careful about: keep your dribble below your waist and place the ball between your dribbling hand and the floor. Otherwise, the referee will most likely call a carrying violation on you.
Step 3 – Align Your Feet To The Basket
By getting the ball into your dribble pocket, you have successfully convinced the defender that you are going up for a shot. You are now a step ahead of the defender.
You MUST align your feet the right way if you are to take advantage of this extra step.
There are two ways you can align your feet out of the hesitation move.
Stationary – feet are aligned towards defender (use this to set up the crossover)
On the Move – lead foot is pointed towards basket (use this to set up the in-n-out dribble)
My advice would be to experiment with aligning your feet both ways, then stick to what works best for you. Your footwork will eventually develop over countless repetitions to where it will be second nature to you.
Step 4 – Fan The Ball With Your Off Hand
Fanning the ball is defined as raising your off hand as you get into your dribbling pocket. It will look as if you are mimicking your shot motion just as you are making the hesitation move.
The goal of fanning the ball is twofold: 1) to keep the ball away from the defender’s hands; 2) to convince the defender that you are going up for a shot.
The key is to move your off-hand directly in the defender’s line of sight.
Good defenders will look at the torso region. If you can alter the defender’s line of sight, then will change the defender’s eye level.
To do this, place your off hand parallel to the ball just as you rise up for the hesitation move. It will look like your off-hand is a guide hand for when you shoot the ball.
Step 5 – Set Your Eyes On The Rim
Surely, you have heard this before from your coach.
“Look up while dribbling! Don’t look on the floor!”
Let me take it a step further from your coach: always look at the basket while dribbling.
Again, to sell the hesitation move, you have to convince the defender that you are going to shoot the ball. Having your eyes on the rim means you are a threat to shoot the ball.
Step 6 – Make An Explosive Direct Step
You just made a nice hesi! You are now one step ahead on the defender!
Now it’s time to make an explosive direct step to get to the basket!
Take one hard dribble to the free-throw line area. You will then be in an ideal triple-threat position: you can either attack the basket, take the short jump shot, or pass to an open teammate.
All three of these options are great!
But what if the defender catches up to you?
Step 7 – Get Low With Shoulder (To Defender’s Hip)
Once past the defender, you should get as low as possible in order to setup the final move.
A rule of thumb is to dip your off arm lower than the defender’s lead hip, which automatically puts you a step ahead of the defender.
Think of it as a race to the free-throw line between your off shoulder and the defender’s hip.
When you win that race, you are in control of what happens next. Dipping your shoulder also helps you make the next move.
If you pull up for a jumper, you’ll need to start from a lower stance to generate power for the jump shot.
If you attack the basket, getting low will give you the power to finish strong.
If you pass the ball to an open teammate, staying low gives you more power if the ball is going all the way to a shooter at the three-point line.
Most of the time, a straight line hesi is going to work. But what happens when it does not work?
Here is why a crossover is the perfect countermove to the hesitation move.
How to Do a Crossover Hesi
The logical countermove to a straight-line hesitation move is a crossover. When the defender is thinking you will go straight, crossing over will give you an extra step past the defender.
But how do you execute the crossover of a hesitation move?
Check out this video below!
Here are three scenarios in which a crossover off a hesitation dribble would be most effective.
Scenario #1 – Hesi in Transition
When pushing the ball in transition, you will have your defender backpedaling to stop the ball. Your defender will sprint back to cut off your straight line to the basket.
A hesitation move followed up by a crossover is the immediate answer to the defender stopping the ball.
You take the exact same steps as you would a normal hesitation move.
The defender will not be able to change directions fast enough to stay in front of you!
You would just crossover instead of going in a straight line.
Scenario #2 – Retreat (Or Step-Back) Hesi
Using a retreat dribble is most effective whenever you are being pressured with the ball, but it can also setup your hesitation move.
When using this to setup the hesi, it will get you past any defender who is too close to you – since you can go forward faster than most defenders can go backwards.
As you make the retreat dribble, stop on a dime and take one step back. Drop your hips and shoulders to protect the ball, then power off your back leg to move past the defender.
Once you gain experience with this move, you will know how to time the move so you can get past the defender each time.
Scenario #3 – Lateral (Or Sidestep) Hesi
The lateral dribble is a sidestep hesitation move intended to set up a baseline or sideline drive to the basket. You want to start 1-2 steps to the side of where you want to attack the basket.
The lateral hesitation dribble is comparable to the retreat hesi in that this move is intended to get the defender closer to you, except you take a sidestep dribble instead of taking a step-back dribble.
To execute this move effectively, get into your dribble pocket as soon as you are taking the sidestep. It should all be in one quick motion like you are taking a sidestep jump shot.
Make sure you land on the balls of your feet so you can immediately attack the basket in a straight line.
FREE Hesi Drills & Workout Plan
If you want to get better and master the hesitation move, I have put together a workout that has all the drills and all the things that you need to know to get better at this. If you want that click the link below to get the free hesi move drills and workout plan.
https://oneupbasketball.com/hesi-moves-workout/
Ultimately, the hesitation move is intended to make the defender hesitate!
The speed of the game increases as the level of competition improves. So if you learn to change speeds with the hesi, you will always have an advantage over your defender.
By following these seven steps, you will not only juke out your defender but you will also get a great shot for you or your teammate!
Basketball coaching hacks: how to score goals for beginners
Even if you are a novice basketball player, we will not give you a training plan, but we will tell you why the ball flies anywhere but into the ring and into your hands. It's all about technique: even with regular training and perseverance, novice adults and children often make simple mistakes. It's a shame, let's fix it. Below are 11 life hacks on how to hone your technique to increase the likelihood of a goal for your team.
Basketball Shot Rules for Beginners
1. Hands up
In pursuit of the attacker, raise your hands, even if you are standing with your back to the pass, and even more so if the ring is in front of you. Your raised hands will increase the chance of intercepting the ball from the opponent by 2 times. Don't overlook this little thing!
2. Make shield rolls
Even Tim Duncan did not neglect them! A square is drawn on the basketball backboard. If you are standing opposite the ring, then aim at the middle of the upper part of the square, if you are standing on the side, then at the corner. If you hit this square, then the ball is at 90% of cases will fall into the ring. The law of physics and no cheating!
3. Look at the ring, not at the ball
Practice driving the ball with your hand, not your eyes, develop tactile control. Your eyes should be on the hoop while dribbling and be aware of the position of your body in relation to the hoop. Then you will be able to take the correct posture, and the throw will be effective.
4. Dribble with the balls of your fingers only
The palm should not touch the ball, only the pads of the fingers. Dribbling should become familiar to you, like an extension of your hand. Then you can change its trajectory at any time and you will have more chances to score goals. Practice with the ball constantly.
5. Throw with one hand
If you throw the ball with two hands, you reduce the chance of hitting the basket. All the efforts of the throw are in one hand (in the right for right-handers, in the left for left-handers). The other hand only holds the ball, the leading one holds it with the fingers, not the palm.
6. Do not jump when protecting the ring
Jumping is the main mistake of rookie defenders. To intercept the ball and block the shot, simply stick out your hands. When you are in a jump, the attacker will easily bypass you.
7.
Don't look back
When you dribble, don't look back, but dribble and aim for the ring, focus on shooting (or passing to another player on your team).
8. Bring the throw to automatism
Incorporate the most basic basketball techniques into your training plan and bring the shot to automatism. Throw first from a distance of half a meter from the ring, gradually increasing it. Learn to throw the ball so that it hits the hoop without touching the edge.
Throw the ball with all fives and jump
Throwing Rules:
Head in the center of the body - if tilted, accuracy is lost.
Look at the ring: mentally build a trajectory. If you are far away, the ball flies in a curved curve with a maximum height of 2 meters above the hoop.
A strong hand is in front and throws, a weak hand is on the side and directs, only holding the ball. The elbow of the throwing hand must be in line with the ring.
The ball must rest on the fingers without touching the palm. The fingers are as far apart as possible and grab the ball.
Throwing arm bent 90 degrees, forearm perpendicular to the floor. If you bend less, then you get not a throw, but a throwing of the ball horizontally.
The main thing in the throw is the position of the body and its balance. Place your feet apart and parallel to each other: it is important to orient them in the middle of the basket. Then the direction of the body during the jump will coincide with the direction of the throw, and the ball will fly straight into the ring. When the feet are uneven, the ball flies in the wrong direction or does not reach (although the throw was normal).
Take a deep breath and release as you exhale.
How to hold the ball and shoot in basketball
How to throw correctly: straighten your arm, point your wrist up, and with your hand set the ball to rotate in the opposite direction from the flight. The ball should seem to "roll" off your fingers.
9. Copy masters and play as a team
Watch professional basketball games and try to copy the movements of your favorite players in training. And be sure to conduct game sparring - this will allow you to develop more techniques.
10. Do not throw in a straight line
The higher the arc of the ball, the greater the chance of a goal and the less chance of blocking by the opponent.
11. Do not throw the ball from a full height stand
This is the biggest newbie mistake!
Before the throw, bend your knees slightly and at the moment of the throw, straighten your body, making a jump. You need to straighten up and push off the ground at the same time. When squatting, keep the elbow of the throwing arm close to the body and towards the ring.
The jump will give momentum to the ball and will allow you not to make sudden movements with the brush.
***
And to be a long-term player, do not forget about your health: take care of your joints and muscles, use tapes, do a warm-up. And be sure to strengthen your arms, legs and shoulder girdle, develop coordination. Regular exercises on uneven bars and horizontal bars will help you with this.
Slamdunk Journal :: Basketball techniques
Our phone number is 8-800-500-62-63.
What techniques exist and how they differ
Let's first deal with the definition: playing techniques are skills that a professional player must possess. Sounds simple, but what exactly are the skills in basketball? What should an amateur who wants to improve the performance of his game pay attention to? Let's figure it out.
The main goal in basketball is to successfully hit the ball into the basket, and everything that happens on the court only brings the players to this moment. There are skills that basketball players work out in training to bypass rivals and make a successful shot.
Before we list them, let us remind you that basketball is a team sport, and even the most successful players do not master all the tricks perfectly. With a serious approach to training, you should decide on your position on the site and especially carefully work out the necessary techniques.
So the post must deftly pick up the ball under the basket and throw it right into the basket. Back row players are highly regarded for their ability to pass and make accurate shots from medium to long distances. And for an attacking basketball player, it is extremely important to be able to make lightning-fast breakthroughs to the ring. All these techniques and skills are practiced in training.
What are the basic skills?
Holding the throw. Performed with two hands. Widely spaced fingers hold the ball from both sides. One of the basic skills for any player.
Catching the ball. Another basic skill that no basketball player can do without. But are you sure you know how to do it right?!
The easiest way to catch the ball is at chin level. To do this, you need to take a small step forward and stretch your arms towards the ball with widely spread fingers - a “funnel”. In this case, the thumbs should be directed towards each other and brought together up to 3-5 centimeters. This will save you from slipping and hitting the ball in the face if you catch it at high speed. At the moment the ball touches the fingers, you need to make a shock-absorbing movement and transfer it to the chest. When catching the ball above the head, the actions are similar, but you need to extinguish the speed of its flight from the top-front, and then transfer it to the chest in an arc.
One of the most difficult tricks is catching the ball flying behind. Such a pass is often used to quickly break through to the opponent's ring. For him, without slowing down, make a slight turn of the shoulder and head towards the ball, and then catch it with the far hand and move it to the chest with a raking movement.
Basic passing techniques:
There are several technically correct ways to pass the ball. One of the most basic is a transfer with two hands from the chest. In this position, the ball is most protected from the attacks of opponents, and besides, the transfer from the chest is the most accurate and reliable, regardless of whether it is carried out on the spot or while the player is moving.
Two-handed downshift is more commonly used after stops and turns. During the swing, the ball is taken to the thigh, after which it is sent to another player with a sharp movement of both hands. Such a transfer is effective for beating especially tall opponents.
One-handed passes are less accurate and more often used when speed is important. Their development should be given special attention in training in order to achieve maximum strength and accuracy.
The shoulder pass is used when the ball needs to be passed as far and as fast as possible, and the hook pass, performed in an arcing motion, is good for passing the opponent.
To get around a nimble and agile opponent, a rebound pass will also be good. It can be done with one or two hands. In this case, the push of the ball must be strong, and the rebound point must be closer to the receiving player.
What about dribbling?
Dribbling is the most basic thing in basketball. What makes this sport different from the rest. Simply put, dribbling is dribbling. It allows the player in possession of the ball, without violating strict basketball rules, to enter a position convenient for attacking, approach the ring and score the ball. The dribbling is carried out by elastic pushes of the ball with the fingers. It is dribbling that should be given special attention in training beginners.
Well-developed dribbling technique will teach you not only how to move on the court, but also skillfully take the ball away from your opponents, which will bring you closer to the coveted ring.
But we already wrote about how to properly throw the ball into the ring in our other article;)
Slamdunk.su
Other articles
How to throw the ball correctly in basketball
And what types of throws exist
We look and understand
Why 'The Last Dance' is one of the best shows of the year
This is great to do after you have pulled off
your "go-to" move a couple of times and you see the defender start to cheat.
The more of a threat you are to make a jump shot off the dribble, the more effective the hesi will become. 
Your footwork will eventually develop over countless repetitions to where it will be second nature to you. 
When the defender is thinking you will go straight, crossing over will give you an extra step past the defender. 
If you want that click the link below to get the free hesi move drills and workout plan. 
Then you will be able to take the correct posture, and the throw will be effective. 
Don't look back 
The fingers are as far apart as possible and grab the ball. 
And be sure to strengthen your arms, legs and shoulder girdle, develop coordination. Regular exercises on uneven bars and horizontal bars will help you with this. 
With a serious approach to training, you should decide on your position on the site and especially carefully work out the necessary techniques. 
In this case, the thumbs should be directed towards each other and brought together up to 3-5 centimeters. This will save you from slipping and hitting the ball in the face if you catch it at high speed. At the moment the ball touches the fingers, you need to make a shock-absorbing movement and transfer it to the chest. When catching the ball above the head, the actions are similar, but you need to extinguish the speed of its flight from the top-front, and then transfer it to the chest in an arc. 
In this position, the ball is most protected from the attacks of opponents, and besides, the transfer from the chest is the most accurate and reliable, regardless of whether it is carried out on the spot or while the player is moving. 
In this case, the push of the ball must be strong, and the rebound point must be closer to the receiving player. 
