How to juke out a defender in basketball

6 Basketball Moves You Need to Beat Any Defender

Many players believe they need complex basketball moves to be a great ball-handler.

Instead of sticking to the basics, they want to learn the "advanced moves".

For example, the "double-crossover-spin-hesi-jumper” or the “triple-spin-back-cross-pullup”.

(yes, I made these up)

But the truth is…

By perfecting 6 fundamental basketball moves, you'll have everything you need to explode past any defender on the court.

They'll allow you to:

a. Get to the rim with ease (to create a shot for yourself or a teammate)

b. Fly past your opponent when you’re quickly bringing the ball up the court.

Below, I’ve broken down what the 6 basketball moves are and how you can use them in a game.

1. Crossover Dribble

The crossover involves bouncing the basketball in front of you from one hand to the other.

It’s most often used when a player wants to change directions and they’re not being tightly guarded by a defender who could poke the ball away.

This is the easiest basketball move for players to perform, and is the first move a player will start practicing when they first start learning how to dribble.

But don’t let the simplicity fool you…

The crossover is used by players at all levels to blow past an opponent.

Crossover Dribble Video:

2. Through the Legs Dribble

The through-the-legs basketball move involves crossing the basketball over from one hand to the other, but putting the ball between your legs.

A small difference from a regular crossover, but an important one.

When the ball is passed between the legs, the front leg offers protection from a defender reaching in and also ensures the ball is further away from the defense.

The timing and coordination needed for this move can make it difficult for young players, but it’s effective when players learn how to stay low and explode out of it.

Through the Legs Dribble Video:

3.

Similar to through the legs, the behind the back dribble allows players to switch the ball from one hand to the other while protecting the basketball.

With this move, the entire body protects the ball as a player wraps the ball behind them.

One of the biggest benefits of going behind the back is the ball can be passed out in front of your opposite hand which allows an offensive player to attack quickly.

So if a defender lunges in to steal the basketball while on the fast break, a quick behind the back dribble can help you protect the ball and evade the defender without breaking stride.

Behind the Back Dribble Video:

4. Hesitation Dribble

The hesitation dribble involves dribbling with speed, slowing down for a split-second, and then exploding past your defender.

It’s a straight-line basketball move often used in transition to beat a defender and attack the rim or create a shot for a teammate.

The goal with the hesitation dribble is to trick the defender into thinking you’re about to stop. This can be achieved by slightly raising your body, looking up to the rim like you’re about to shoot, looking up at a teammate, or a combination.

When a defender notices you slowing down, they’ll do the same in order to stay in good defensive position...

With the defender losing their momentum, you’ll be able to explode past them to the rim.

Hesitation Dribble Video:

5. In-and-Out Dribble

The in-and-out dribble move is designed to trick the defender into thinking you’re about to perform a regular crossover.

This is a great basketball move for players first learning the game of basketball.

Keeping the basketball in one hand, the offensive player uses a head and shoulders fake while moving the ball inside and then back out by switching the position of their hand on the ball.

It’s most commonly used in transition to get a defender to shift their weight from one direction to another which opens up a driving lane to attack.

In-and-Out Video Dribble:

6.

The spin move is one of the most difficult basketball moves to learn, but it’s an important weapon for players to have in their dribbling repertoire.

It involves planting your inside foot and reverse-pivoting around a defender while dragging the basketball with you.

This can be a difficult move for young players to execute, but it’s quick and effective when a player has put in the work practicing it.

It’s important that players ensure their hand stays on top of the basketball. If the hand slips under, referees will whistle the dribbler for a carrying violation.

Spin Move Video:

Conclusion

A quick warning...

Don't try to overcomplicate it.

The players who try to do "too much" are the same players who will pump fake four times, dribble six times through their legs, and then dribble twice behind their back without ever making their defender move and inch.

Instead, you want to keep your basketball moves simple and effective.

Mastering the fundamentals is key.

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.

1. Stationary – feet are aligned towards defender (use this to set up the crossover)
2. 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.

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.

Topic 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, as much as possible 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 almost a 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.

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Maxim Gordienko

The best trick in basketball

Nikita Yamshchikov, founder of Ball In