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How to get better at blocking in basketball
How to get better at blocking in basketball
USA Basketball - 8 Drills To Create A Great Shot Blocker
Shot blocking is one of the great equalizers in basketball. If you know where to look, you can see it everywhere. Walt Frazier, of the New York Knicks of the 1960s and '70s, is considered one of the best defensive guards in NBA history. He had Willis Reed to protect the basket for him.
Examine defensive shooting statistics at every level and odds are that somewhere there is a shot blocker involved. Most importantly, shot blockers stop lay-ups. If your opponent does not get lay-ups, his shooting percentage will go down and you will have a better chance to win.
Where do you get a shot blocker? In pro basketball, you sign one; in college, you recruit one; at lower levels, you hope one moves into the neighborhood. However, you can improve any player's technique, footwork and knowledge base with practice.
Who Should Block Shots?
Having your 5-foot-10 point guard attempt a block on a 6-8 power forward will give your opponents an advantage that will eventually overcome your team.![]()
Not only will they score, but 90 percent of the time there will be a foul call. They will get three instead of two and your point guard will wind up in foul trouble. Just as any other role on the team, the coach should designate the shot blockers.
What Shot Should You Block?
Shots that are imminent scores are worth the attempt. If the ball is going to go into the basket anyway, why not give it a try? However, if the player fouls the shooter, he should make sure his block attempt is such that he can make sure that the ball doesn't go in.
Never try to block a jump shot on the perimeter. For every one you block, there will be 10 times you get a foul called. When a good shooter misses 55 percent of the time (making him a 45 percent shooter) the reward is not worth the risk.
Technique
A lot of shot blocking is instinct. In terms of technique, look for this: Block with your arm straight up in the air, use the hand closest to the ball and don't chase shots -- if you can't get to the shot in one step, let it go.
Below are some drills that will help with shot blocking:
Tip Drills
Jump and dribble the ball continually. Work right hand, left hand and alternate hands. Work either by number of repetitions (10 tips each hand) or by time (tip for 30 seconds).
Tip and Touch
Execute just as you would in the tip drill (above) except touch the rim with the other hand.
Blocks
• Each player sets outside the lane with his inside foot on the block along the lane. The coach stands out top with the ball.
• The coach passes the ball to one of the players
• Player with the ball goes directly to the basket -- no fakes, no dribble -- just one step to the hole. Other player attacks the shooter. The defender tries to get to the ball with his inside hand and with one step.
--The drill consists of only one shot.
Two Blocks
• Two offensive players line up outside the lane with their inside foot on the block.
Defensive player sets in the middle of the lane, between the two offensive players. Coach stands on top of the key with two balls.
• Coach passes to one of the offensive players.
• The offensive with the ball goes directly to the basket -- no fakes, no dribble -- just one step to the hole. Defensive player steps over to make the block. He tries to get to the ball with one step and maintain position and balance.
• Coach now passes to the other offensive player.
• The offensive player with the ball goes directly to the basket -- no fakes, no dribble -- just one step to the hole. Defensive player steps over to make the block. He tries to get to the ball with one step and maintain position and balance.
• Coach controls the timing of the passes to optimize the drill.
React and Block
• Two offensive players line up outside the lane, equal to about the second lane spot, facing the baseline. Defensive player sets in the middle of the lane, facing mid-court.
Coach stands on the baseline with the ball.
• Coach passes the ball to one of the offensive players.
• The offensive player with the ball goes directly to the basket -- no fakes, no dribble -- just one step to the hole.
• Defensive player steps over to make the block. He tries to block the lane to the basket and get to the ball with one step and maintain position and balance.
Help and Recover
TOP TO CORNER OPTION
• Offensive players are set on the foul line and in the strongside corner. Defender is in defensive position, guarding the high post. Coach is on the wing with two balls.
• Coach passes the ball to the high post. Defensive player knocks the ball away. The pass is not intended to be completed. If the pass gets to the high post player, he just holds the ball.
• Coach passes the ball to the players in the corner. The offensive player with the ball goes directly to the basket -- no fakes, two dribbles maximum.
• Defensive player steps over to make the block. He tries to get to the ball with one step and maintain position and balance.
CORNER TO TOP OPTION
• Set drill as top-to-corner option except that the defender is guarding the player in the corner.
• Coach passes the ball to the player in the corner. Defender knocks the ball away.
• Coach then passes the ball to the offensive player on the high post. The offensive player with the ball goes directly to the basket -- no fakes, two dribbles maximum.
• Defensive player steps over to make the block. He tries to get to the ball with one step and maintain position and balance.
STRONGSIDE-WEAKSIDE OPTION
• Players set as in the top-to-corner option. Coach sets on the opposite wing with two balls.
• Coach passes the ball to the high post. Defender knocks the ball away.
• Coach now passes over the top to the player in the opposite corner.
The offensive player with the ball goes directly to the basket -- no fakes, two dribbles maximum.
• Defensive player steps over to make the block. He tries to get to the ball with one step and maintain position and balance.
Blocking In Basketball | How To Block A Shot Easy In 4 Steps
Contents
- Blocking in Basketball
- Blocking Mistakes
- Contact Fouls
- Goaltending
- Rushing
- How to Block a Shot
- 1. Location
- 2. Mimicking
- 3. Anticipation
- 4. Blocking
- Practicing Blocking
- Recap
Although it may not seem like it, good defense in basketball can be the difference between winning and losing a game. It’s importance usually gets overshadowed by offense, which tends to get more attention, but behind every great team is a solid defense to back it up.
One of the most intimidating aspects of defending that gets performed throughout a game is blocking shots and lay-ups in an attempt to prevent the offensive team from scoring.
Blocking in basketball is a powerful tool that contributes to a team’s defensive capabilities, and has been used masterfully by various players throughout NBA History, most notably Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Mark Eaton, who were some of the best shot-blockers ever.
The act of blocking is pretty simple; it involves you getting in the way of your opponent and using your hand to stop the basketball, but it can oftentimes prove difficult to deflect the ball successfully.
To have a better chance of deflecting successfully, it’s important to understand what’s being done wrong and learn how to correct it.
For this reason, we’ll be addressing the usual mistakes people make that sabotage their chances of stopping an opponent, and may even turn the tide in the other team’s favor, as well as learning how to properly go about stopping the basketball before it ever gets a chance to reach the net.
(Keith Allison from Hanover, MD, USA, Marcus Smart (34481569696), CC BY-SA 2.
0)
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase, I’ll earn a commission at no additional cost to you. Read my full disclosure here.
Blocking in Basketball
Before we get into the problems and solutions, let’s first define some key points that concern blocking in basketball.
- You can stop the projectile at any spot in the court, but it’s usually done at the low post predominantly because this is where the defense of tall players are located (power forwards and centers).
- Deflecting a basketball is often done simply by extending one or both arms up and using your hands to either obstruct the basketball’s path or swat the basketball off course.
- Tall players have an easier time than most other players when holding off shots because of their long arms and large frame.
These are important points to clarify upfront since they’ll explain most of what you’ll see on the court. Shots or lay-ups that occur at the low post are almost always worth deflecting, but anything on or outside the perimeter is arguably not a good trade-off.
Shots made from that far already have a lower percentage of being made, and depending on the shooting percentage of the person shooting, it’s reasonable to suggest that you just guard them like normal.
Your height can definitely affect your ability to block; it isn’t just a coincidence that some of the best shot-blockers were also tall, their height provided greater reach to stop projectiles with ease. That isn’t to say that there aren’t some amazing players that are short, and to clarify you can still stop a projectile even if you aren’t extremely tall.
Your vertical jump, your speed, and even your mental game in predicting the offense are all factors that contribute immensely to your ability to block, and this applies to both short and tall players.
Learning to increase your vertical jump and your speed both improve your performance when defending to keep up with the offense and meet the ball at the point of release, and your mental toughness is a critical component in staying focused on the court.
When developed they can help improve a player’s defensive capabilities, but on the surface, a short player trying to guard a player taller than him is at a disadvantage, and in these cases, it’s important to assess the trade-offs in deciding who’s guarding who.
Blocking Mistakes
(globalite, Kevin Durant and Robertas Javtokas, CC BY-SA 2.0)
There’s a bit of risk involved for defenders when blocking because if they make a mistake, it can quickly backfire and even help the opposing team. The greatest mistakes come from not knowing the rules in basketball as well as rushing while guarding without taking proper measures of the situation.
Contact Fouls
If you make contact with the shooter while attempting to repel the shot, that results in a foul that gives free throw attempts to the offense. This also includes hitting the opponent’s hand while trying to repel or alter the projectile, which will still result in a foul.
This is a reason why most attempts go unsuccessful.
When you’re defending the shooter, keep a moderate distance between you and him, and wait for him to release the ball. At the point of release, whether using one arm or both, keep them straight and use your hands to obstruct the path of the basketball.
Be careful to avoid contact when reaching in for the basketball. There is such a thing as incidental contact between the shot-blocker and the shooter that the referee will not call a foul on, but that is only a contact that occurs on the way down from jumping after the attempt.
Goaltending
Another problem that’s less common but that many players do at times unknowingly is goaltending.
If you in any way alter a basketball shot that is already on its way down or descending relative to its arc, that is considered goaltending and will automatically be counted as if it had been made, granting the offensive team however many points it warranted.
This rule was largely created to prevent high jumpers from contesting the basket and swatting away projectiles, much like a goalie in soccer would defend the goal.
This leaves you with a brief window in which can you deflect the projectile, which is from the point of release until about the end of the ascension portion of the shot’s arc.
(Keith Allison, Jason Kidd John Wall, Cropped by BallAmazingly, CC BY-SA 2.0)
I’ll go ahead and lump interference alongside goal-tending; interference is a violation that can be performed in many different ways:
- Touching the ball or any part of the basket while the ball is on the rim of the basket.
- Touching the ball when it’s within the cylinder extending upwards from the rim.
- Reaching up through the basket from below and touching the ball, whether inside or outside the cylinder.
- Pulling down on the rim of the basket so that it contacts the ball before returning to its original position, or during a shot attempt.
These all constitute a basket interference violation, so it’s very important to keep them in mind as things to avoid doing.
Rushing
It’s inevitable that at some point you’ll naturally want to rush in and swat the ball, and that’s usually when the fouls start getting called.
Another thing to be careful of is a pump-fake from the offense that’ll often trick you into jumping, at which point the shooter may get around you and take his shot.
For this reason, one of the best methods of defending is simply to mimic the other player so that you’re on par with what they’re doing and moving at the same tempo. In this way, you’ll learn to slow down instead of skipping ahead and have the person you’re guarding on lock-down.
Now, this isn’t exactly easy to do and won’t always work, and the pump-fake is a great example of where you need to be vigilant of your opponent. If the person you’re guarding starts pulling out tricks to deceive you, then it naturally becomes a lot harder to defend them, but now you’ll be more cautious of your opponent’s future moves in anticipation of a fake-out.
At this point, it’s best to rely on your mental wit and in-game experience to contest their shot. As such, to prepare for these events it’s best to practice your defense with another person on the court, and this along with you’re in-game experience is what will give you the mindset necessary to minimize rushing.
How to Block a Shot
(Keith Allison from Hanover, MD, USA, Otto Porter Jr., Dwight Howard (34136333262), CC BY-SA 2.0)
To stop a shot correctly, we’ll incorporate what we’ve already established on both blocking and avoiding mistakes to arrive at a solid method.
1. Location
Depending on where the shot is being taken from, as well as who is taking it, will determine whether we try and stop it. As previously stated, these usually take place on the low post, and if a shot is being made on or outside perimeter, there’s little reason to try and repel it.
Unless the shooter has a high shooting percentage and knows how to shoot a basketball well, then the best thing to do is try to contest the shot and apply pressure to the shooter while maintaining your distance to avoid a foul.
2. Mimicking
When you’re guarding your opponent, get right in front of him and stay on him at all times. You want to copy his movements to make sure that your in sync with what he does.
If he runs towards the hoop, you stay directly next to him, and if he jumps, you’re jumping after them with your arms held straight up to contest and hopefully deflect the shot.
Be careful of your timing so that you don’t miss your attempts, but also keep in mind that you should be jumping after the offensive player to ensure you don’t get deceived with a shot fake.
(Keith Allison from Hanover, MD, USA, Bradley Beal, Isaiah Thomas (32133112340), Cropped by BallAmazingly, CC BY-SA 2.0)
Follow these general guidelines for effective guarding:
- When moving, make sure to stay on the balls of your feet to maximize your mobility while on the court.
- In a squatting stance, spread your feet shoulder-width apart and keep them square relative to the offensive player. This aids with both mobility and jumping power by keeping you low to the ground and maintaining a strong foundation from which to jump.
- Keep your chest facing the shooter while guarding to give yourself the option of using either hand to block and be sure to manage your view so that you have a clear sight of the person shooting.
- Arms are at all times spread to about shoulder-height, and once you move within a little more than an arm’s length of your opponent, raise your arms above your head to allow for a quicker response.
These guidelines describe an optimal defensive stance to be in for effective shot-blocking, be sure to make use of them both on and off the court to adapt yourself to be in that pose.
3. Anticipation
This is where the mind games come to play as your opponent begins to fake you out in an attempt to catch you off-guard and shoot the ball. Even if the offense hasn’t tried it, it’s still important to keep watch so that if it happens you’re ready, but if they’ve already begun using these tools then expect them to use it again.
Here the best course of action boils down to both your practice and in-game experience with holding off shots as well as your relative knowledge on the offense, which includes how aggressive their play style is and how often they use fakes.
That information can tell you a lot about how likely they are to perform more fake outs.
This is more so a gradual step that you’ll begin to understand and grasp not just over time but more specifically over the course of the game as you begin learning more about the opposing players.
However, your opponent isn’t the only one that can use this trick; you can also perform a fake to apply even more pressure to the offensive player. Once you’re within arm’s reach, you can fake your jump by simply extending your arms up and down.
This can prove to be an effective way of stopping the shooter dead in his tracks and even throwing off his rhythm by getting him thinking about when you’ll actually jump, all without having to get off the ground.
4. Blocking
Once the shooter releases the basketball, have either one or both of your arms completely extended and use your hands to obstruct the basketball’s path. You may either keep your arm straight and let the basketball come down towards you for a steal, or you can swat the basketball and throw it off course.
If you do swat the basketball, be wary of where you’re directing it towards; if possible, aim it towards a teammate so that your team can steal the ball.
Be careful when reaching in the for basketball to avoid getting a contact foul, and if the ball is already on its way down or descending relative to its arc, don’t alter the shot as that’ll be considered goal-tending and will automatically be counted as having been made.
Avoid incurring a basket interference violation by being cautious whenever you get close to the rim. In the case of blocking a dunk, whether you should go for it or not depends on how well the person you’re defending knows how to dunk, but generally, it’s best just to provide pressure and contest the dunk.
In the case that you’re trying to avert the shot of someone taller than you, there’s little chance of you successfully carrying it out unless you have a high enough vertical jump, in some cases a record-high jump, so just try and contest it to put pressure on the shooter and hopefully throw off his aim.
Practicing Blocking
(Keith Allison from Baltimore, USA, Bryant Fades Over Butler, Cropped by BallAmazingly, CC BY-SA 2.0)
Of course, the best way to become a better shot-blocker is to prep for in-game experiences with practice drills on the court where you defend another person and try to stop their shots. This works incredibly well towards improving your shot-blocking capabilities and making you a better defender overall.
Recap
When shot-blocking in-game, be sure to:
1. Determine whether the shot is worth deflecting relative to the player shooting and their location.
2. Keep up to pace with your opponent’s movement while in a defensive position.
3. Anticipate some type of fake to be able to deal with it, and dish out tricks yourself.
4. To repel the projectile extend one or both arms and obstruct the path of the ball with your hand.
When you’re going to alter the shot, be sure to avoid:
1. Rushing, don’t go ahead of your opponent and don’t lag behind either.
2. Contact foul, try and avoid all contact with the shooter when trying to stop their shot.
3. Goal-tending & interference, if the basketball is on its way down or descending relative to its arc, leave it alone. If the basketball is anywhere near the basket, be cautious in your approach.
Hopefully, this should all give you a better idea as to how to properly go about repelling a projectile in-game. Remember that in general, being a good shot-blocker can prove to be hard even for the best players in this area, so don’t feel too bad if you only get one or two blocks per game.
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 on the perception of your body position 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.
9 Ways to Improve Shot Performance Without Changing Shot Structure All About Basketball
9 ways to increase the effectiveness of shots without changing their structure.
Jay Wolf
(Basketball Shot Specialist)
To be honest, it's not a good idea to change the mechanics of shooting during the season, if only because it entails a decrease in performance. What can be done to prevent this from happening? Here are a few tried and tested recommendations.
Improving Short Distance and Basket Shooting
1. Require that all short range shots to the right and left of the basket have a bounce and point of aim.
This forces the striker into position to use the shield when throwing. The upper half of the vertical line to the right and left of the basket is the aiming point for these types of shots.![]()
The ball should touch the line softly and bounce straight into the basket. Misses that occur when throwing from these positions are the result of insufficient concentration. To increase attention to the aiming point during training, draw a dollar sign - $, or some other sign, on a piece of adhesive tape, and attach it to the line.
2. Practice CLEAN basket shots and CLEAN bounce shots from the second mustache.
CLEAR throws require the ball to drop into the basket without touching the metal hoop. To achieve this, the ball must touch the backboard very gently. This requires a much greater concentration of attention and calculation of the trajectory. To achieve consistency, make 5 throws from under the hoop (or rebound jump) in a row, 3 of which must be CLEAR. Make it harder if you feel the need to.
NOTE: It is important to match the mission to the abilities of each player. The mission should challenge the player's sense of pride, requiring greater focus, but should not be unattainable.
Perfecting Medium Range and 3-Point Shots
3. Practice CLEAN throws - make 5 shots in a row from the same spot.
This task develops stable accuracy as it requires great concentration and persistence. Five throws in a row from the same point improve accuracy, since all the components of the throw - form, effort, trajectory - must be the same each time and repeated over and over again, over and over again from the same distance. CLEAN throws automatically force the player to choose a high trajectory. High trajectory shots are harder for a defender to block, and the ball is more likely to go into the basket if it hits the metal hoop. In the game, due to the excess of adrenaline, there is a tendency to apply a little more effort when throwing. If CLEAN throws are habitually improved in practice, in play the ball may lightly touch the back of the hoop BUT the higher trajectory increases the chances of hitting the basket. In addition, on a miss, a higher trajectory generates a shorter bounce, which increases the chances of hitting the ball into the basket.
IMPORTANT: If 5 NET rolls in a row is too difficult, lower this requirement.
Coach's note: Players who consistently hit the back of the basket when shooting are overexcited. To correct this error, explain it, and start practicing CLEAN throws right away, encouraging them to be used throughout the season.
4. Make several free throws in a row before leaving the court after practice.
This requires repetition of all throw elements and builds confidence. Each batter must pick up the ball himself after his throw. Emphasize the importance of repeating the same set-up routine before each throw. Taking a deep breath and exhaling before the throw relieves excess tension. Modify this exercise by adding more playful tension due to time constraints. Those who do not fit in the given time must make jerks, etc.
5. Make 200 free throws per day for 5 days, or 500 free throws on one day, and 200 on the next four days. Target: 25/25 of which 15 rolls are CLEAR.
This develops confidence and exceptional consistency in shot form, ball release and trajectory. In addition, it improves the accuracy of 3-point shots. Reward the player for: 25/25, the most hits in a row, and the most CLEAR hits in a row. NOTE: 100 throws require approximately 15 minutes of time.
6. Determine the spots from which you regularly shoot in the game, and practice shooting at least 5 consecutive shots from each of these spots.
This develops confidence and coordination in throwing. When a player shoots from one of these positions in a game, they feel comfortable and confident because they have been successful shooting from these positions so often in practice.
7. Perform all throws on a correctly marked area using a correctly marked backboard. The court must have a line for 3-point shots.
Court markings are an important factor in reducing misses as it is easier for the player to judge the distance to the basket. For the same reason, additional confidence develops.
