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How to get past your defender in basketball

3 Keys to Blowing Past Your Defender

by Jefferson Mason, on Feb 9, 2018 5:03:55 PM

Dr. Dish Basketball is back at it with 3 great ways to blow past your defender.

Every player is looking and searching for ways to create scoring opportunities for themselves and also teammates. Most players think that they need to have an advanced double or triple move to blow past a defender but most of the time a quick move paired with properly reading the defender is enough.

The game of basketball is extremely fast moving and players on the offensive and defensive side of the floor must make quick decisions when the game is in action. This is why developing great habits is extremely important and will help players naturally make great split second decisions on the court.

The more comfortable a player gets at the level they are playing at, the slower the game becomes. This doesn't actually mean the game slows down but it does become easier for players to settle in rather then run around aimlessly because of excitement or fear.

Players: Please make sure you are playing and thinking the game with pace. At times you will need to play and think fast and sometimes you need to slow down and allow a play to develop. Understanding the difference is the beginning step in being able to blow past your defender.

1. UNDERSTANDING AND PROPERLY ATTACKING YOUR DEFENDER'S STANCE

One of the most important things defenders are taught is how to close out and to stay on the balls of their feet. The reason this is so important is because great offensive players know how to destroy a player whose close-out is suspect.

Many times you will see defenders shading towards the weak hand because they don't believe offensive players are skilled or athletic enough to attack that way. This is why it's very beneficial to have the skill set to go either way. When the defender shades one way, sweep and attack that way to force them to cut you off. If you go straight to the basket with purpose, the defender should have no chance to stop you getting to the rim without fouling. If they are able to cut you off, the side step, euro step, or spin move is a great way to slice across the defender for the easy finish.

Another way to take advantage of your defender is to attack their high top foot. When a defender is shading one direction that doesn't mean you have to go that way every time. Attacking the top foot gives you an opportunity to turn the corner on your defender and also forces them to step backwards before they can slide into position. Once again a quick sweep-and-go is a great way to blow past for a lay-up and a great way to get your defender off balance for a one dribble pull-up. By simply being able to read the subtle differences in your defenders stance and understanding your own strengths, you can create a blow by scoring opportunity.

2. CHANGE OF PACE

The next way you can blow past your defender is to utilize change of pace. What players fail to realize is that it's easier to guard someone if they are going the same speed the entire time.

The offensive players that are able to decelerate and slow down then explode to the next spot are the ones that create space for scoring opportunities. When you have the basketball and are in a one on one situation, the goal is to force the defender to make a mistake or hesitate.

One great way to do this is simply attack the defender and force them to get on your hip or shoulder. When this happens decelerate and slow down. This will cause the defender to also decelerate and get out of position. Follow that with an explosion towards the scoring location you want to get to. A lot of times the subtle change in pace will get a defender to stand up or get out of their defensive stance. This minor change will give you the advantage to blow past your defender and more times than not lead to a scoring opportunity or a foul.

One of the best at doing this is John Wall. While he is incredibly quick and fast, one of the reasons he's so successful is because of his change of pace.

3. UTILIZE DOWNHILL MOMENTUM

Utilizing downhill momentum is one of the best ways to put your defender in a compromising situation and ultimately blow past them. Downhill momentum opportunities can come from many different situations during the game including the fast break or even the secondary break. If you're able to catch the ball on the move, make sure to utilize that momentum to attack the defense. It's much tougher to blow past your defender when standing still and/or flatfooted.

It's great to use quick changes of direction in the fast break because defenders are often moving backwards at a fast speed and it's extremely difficult to slide over at the same time. Often times you'll see players like LeBron James and Russell Westbrook actually retreat dribble backwards away from their defender. Then you'll see them go straight at the defender downhill using a quick move to blow past them. In this situation, usually the defender will have to guess which direction you're attacking.

If you can read the defenders footing properly, it will almost be impossible for them to stop you as you create downhill momentum. There will almost always need to be a second line defender there to help. If this happens you've done your job and created an open opportunity for another teammate to score.

These three expert ways to blow past your defender can be easily implemented into any player's game because they don't require a player to be overly athletic, quick, and strong. These opportunities come from thinking the game through and understanding the situations the game and your defender gives you. Players like James Harden have mastered these blow past techniques and that's why he scores so effortlessly and draws so many fouls. He's obviously an unbelievably talented player, but players at the high school level can master these techniques as well.

For great workouts and basketball drills to work on your offensive game, be sure to visit and subscribe to our YouTube page and check out this page. Knowledge is power and this leads to success so make sure to always train hard, train smart and train with a purpose!

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!

An original way to beat a defender in basketball

Hello, dear visitors of basketball-training.org.ua (how long have I not written this phrase…). A few days ago, while playing basketball on one of the courts in Kharkov, I ran into a player who, when beating, used one very interesting trick that I myself like to use (but which had not yet been used against me until now).

It was then that I realized how effective this method can be, especially if it is performed by a player who is not as slow as me. Yes, I'm really far from the fastest player, so most of my "feints", if you can call them that, are based on using the opponent's speed against him (and a little physics, which you can still come in handy even on the basketball court).

So, today we're going to talk about the defender's supporting leg, the leg where the weight is transferred, and which we will use for our own purposes. Let's get started.

3 elements to beat successfully

First, you must get the ball in position from which you can attack the ring. Well, or your defender must think that you can do it. Everything is trite, but nevertheless, over and over again I come across the fact that the majority are either just too lazy to spend their energy on getting rid of guardianship and they ask for the ball a couple of meters from the three-point line, from where it is very problematic to threaten the ring. Or they just don't know how to open up.

Related Article: 3 Easy Ways to Get the Ball in Basketball

So, your goal is to get the ball at least on the three-point line, and at most already inside the arc. This move will not work if you get the ball under the basket or on the edge of the three-second zone.

The second stage is to stagger the defender 2-3 times, simulating a pass. You just do a few lunges to the side, and at this point you need to concentrate on the legs of the defender: which of them is his weight on. Which leg becomes his support during the execution of your false display for the passage. Did you see?

The third point is the passage itself. If you know which foot the defender is on, where his weight is concentrated at the time of your deceptive movements, then you should know the following: he will not be able to step with this foot. In any case, for this the defender will have to shift the weight to the other foot - and even if he is very fast, these fractions of a second will be enough for you to beat him.

Yes, this technique will not work every time. Yes, you will not beat the defender with 100% probability. But by using this trick, you can buy time and create space. Another "trick" - step as close as possible to his supporting leg: even if he reacts very quickly, he will most likely break the rules.

How to defend yourself against such a technique?

No matter how interesting and promising the above trick looks, there is a defense against it and it is quite simple.

First method: block the attacker's strong side from the passage, positioning yourself at an almost 90 degree angle to it. Either close your weak side (let the player go to your strong side, or to the side where there is a safety net). This is a budget way. You save energy, but still give the attacking player more freedom of action.

The second way is to do hellish footwork. I won't tell you too much, it's better to look at the video, as Andre Iguudala shows in the video for Nike:

See the topic: Nike Signature Moves Part 1

where is your body weight now. Of the minuses - an unprepared player after 2-3 such defenses will “sit down” very much and become slow in defense.

The third option - get as close as possible to the player, even in the process of receiving the ball. Thus, the attacker will not have much time to think: on which leg is your weight concentrated, where to stagger you, etc.

Small conclusions

The method described above is suitable for a measured pace of the game, even more so for a streetball match in which there are no quick breaks and the probability of an effective 1v1 beat is much greater.
The method described above is not a panacea, but simply one of the ways to use the laws of physics and the lack of experience of the defending player.
This method is difficult to use in its pure form if you are far from the basket (1-2 meters from the three-point line) or if the defender is very active.
Defending against such a technique is quite simple, the main thing is to understand that the opponent is going to use it (most often, he looks at your feet).

And this concludes the article, I wish you successful training, success in both attacking and defensive actions and I look forward to seeing you on the pages of this site.

not all useful materials on basketball training are published on the site. You can find additional information about training, ask a question or share your success in our community on the social network Vkontakte: https://vk.com/uroki_basketbola

Maxim Gordienko