How to post basketball
How to Post Up in Basketball (12 Tips to Dominate Inside)
There aren’t many effective low post players in today’s game.
Players who you can throw the ball to down low and know they’re going to make a move or two and get a quality shot for themselves or a teammate.
It’s a rare skill.
And here’s one of the main reasons why posting up has become a uncommon skill:
Most coaches aren’t teaching the post up anymore.
And for the few who are, they’re not teaching the small, important details.
It’s been a long time since I walked into a gym and seen coaches teaching their players how to post up effectively and score on their opponent.
I love the ‘three-pointers and layups’ philosophy, but there are many times throughout a game where a player will switch onto a smaller, weaker defender but they don’t know how to take advantage of it in the post.
This needs to change.
Here are 12 tips to improve your post up game in basketball.![]()
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1. Be Able to Finish With Both Hands
If you’re only able to finish with your preferred hand, your scoring options are limited by 50%.
Defenders will be able to force you away from your preferred hand knowing that you don’t have the skills to score with your opposite.
For example, if you can only shoot the jump hook right-handed, the defender will force you left knowing you won’t be able to finish with your left hand.
Even if you fake right and step through for a layup, your shot will get blocked if you can’t switch to your left hand to use your right arm for protection.
But...
If you can score with either hand, the defender will be forced to play you straight up.
This opens up a wide range of scoring options, allows you to use many different fakes, and will certainly improve your post up scoring.
2. Always Know Your Distance
The distance away from the basket you catch the basketball will determine which post moves you should use and how quickly you should attempt to score.
For example…
If you catch close the basket, a quick spin or quick jump hook will give you the best chance of success.
But if the defender has forced you to catch two steps off the low block (midrange area), it’s probably better to ace up to your opponent and then attack off the drive or shoot a clean bank shot off the glass.
See how different distances call for different post moves?
You must understand which post moves best suit your game and which distances from the rim they’re best used at.
Don’t worry…
We’ll go through this in detail later on.
3. Figure Out The Opponent’s Game Plan
After one or two possessions down the court, you should have a good idea of how the opposition is defending you in the low post.
- Are they playing behind?
- Are they fronting the post?
- Are they forcing you left?
- Are they giving you space to face up?
- Are they playing physical?
These are all questions that you must answer early in the game so you can adjust.
For example, if you’re a tall player and they’re fronting the post, your best option may be to allow them the front position and then receive a simple lob pass over top to score.
Understanding what they’re doing will allow you to work out how to counter their game plan.
4. Make the Jump Hook Your Go-To Move
In my opinion, every player needs to make the jump hook their bread-and-butter, go-to post move whenever they’re deep in the paint.
It’s quick, it’s difficult to defend, and many post moves finish with a jump hook.
All you’ll need to do is:
If you have good technique, your off-hand will protect the basketball from getting blocked.
And as said at the beginning of the article, you must be able to finish this move with both hands from a close distance around the rim.
5. Master Your Post Moves Footwork
All of the best post players have elite footwork.
Here I’m going to point the two best of all time and then show you a few videos of them.
a. Hakeem Olajuwon
Hakeem possessed a wide range of fakes and spins which would leave his defenders confused as he consistently ended up with wide open layups.
His most famous post move being the ‘Dream Shake’.
Video below:
b. Kevin McHale
Just like Hakeem, Kevin had a wide range of post moves to dominate defenders.
His go-to being the up-and-under which I’ll break down later in the article.
Video below:
6. Slow Down
Players have a tendency to rush their post moves when they catch the basketball on the low block or close to the basket.
This can lead to bad decisions and poor shots.
Of course, sometimes it is important to use a quick spin to score…
But if the defender is in position, understand you do have time to slow down, assess the situation, and then make your move.
- How is the defender guarding you?
- Are they sending another defender?
- Who’s open?
Being patient on the low block will result in better decisions and increased scoring from your post moves.
7. Be Able to Pass Out of the Post
Once you become a player who can score consistently in the low post, the defense will have no choice but to double team you to prevent you from scoring.
This opens up opportunities for your teammates...
But only if you can make an effective on-target pass to them.
A great player on the low post can whip a pass across court to an open teammate on the opposite wing or drop a small bounce pass off to a teammate cutting to the hoop.
Your first look must be to score, but be ready (and able) to find your teammates.
8. Achieve Good Low Post Position Early
The first step to getting the best low post position for you is to determine two things:
- Which position do you score best from?
- Who is guarding you?
You must understand this…
‘Good low post position’ doesn’t necessarily mean as close to the basket as possible.
If you’re playing against a player 4 inches taller than you and your best post move is to face up and attack, then your best post position might be catching it two steps off the low block.
Everyone’s different.
Look to get the basketball in the position you perform best in and feel the most comfortable.
9. Embrace (and Love) Contact
When you’re playing in the low post, there’s going to be a lot of contact.
Which means you have two options:
- Avoid contact by refusing to attack your opponent and instead settle for outside jumpers.
- Embrace contact and relentlessly attack your opponent to score, get to the free-throw line, and get your opponent in foul trouble.
I hope you chose option two.
Whether it’s fighting to secure position on the low post or a defender landing on you after a deceptive shot fake, contact is coming.
The best post players love it.
And they’re willing to put their body on the line for their team possession after possession.
10. Sprint the Floor
Being willing to sprint down the floor on every possession is important for two reasons:
- You’ll get several wide open layups every game.
- You’ll get to ‘your spot’ quicker.
There are very few players who are willing to sprint basket-to-basket on every possession…
If you’re one of the rare few, and the team’s guards are willing to make the pass ahead (they better be), then I guarantee you’ll have several fast break layup opportunities each game.
Even if you don’t get a quick layup, sprinting the floor will allow you to get to the spot you score best from and establish position early.
11. Perfect Your Go-To Post Moves
I touched on this topic earlier in several points, but let’s be super clear about it…
You must understand which post moves you’re best suited for and then perfect them.
This allows you to catch the basketball in the right position, take advantage of your offensive strengths, and avoid your weaknesses.
If you’re uniquely strong and like to ‘bully’ in the low post, become exceptional at backing your defender into the low post and then finishing with a jump hook.
Once you’re consistently making that shot, add a counter like the up-and-under.
12. Seal Your Defender With Contact
When you do get to the spot you want to receive the basketball, make sure you’re sealing your defender with contact.
This makes it much harder for them to slip around you and steal the ball when a pass is made.
If you’re willing to be physical and do this and also show target hands where you want the ball, the team’s guards will have a much easier time feeding the post.
This means more touches for you (in the position you want the ball), more scoring opportunities, and a much bigger impact on the game.
Conclusion
Some may say “But Coach Mac... the post up isn’t effective anymore!”…
I would argue that point of view is mostly true at the highest levels when you’re competing against elite defense and coaching players who can knock down three-point shots at a high percentage.
At the youth level (and even into high school), posting up can be a high percentage play when you have players who know what they’re doing.
Using the 12 tips above, you’ll start guiding your players down the path to low post success.
Let’s bring the post up back into existence!
Basketball Post Player
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A post player in basketball is a nickname for a player on the team that likes to post up. A post up is when an offensive player puts their back to the basket and tries to use their positioning and strength to score. They attempt to back their way through the defender. A post player in most cases are the larger players on the team, typically the power forward and center positions.
Table of Contents
- Roles and Responsibilities
- What Makes a Good Post Player
- Famous Post Players
Roles and Responsibilities
A post player spends most of their time in the paint (close to the basket) scoring baskets on offense and protecting the rim on defense. On offense they utilize their size and strength to muscle their way into to paint and finish with a post move.
Post Move
A post move is a single or series of fakes to fool the defense. A popular example of a post move is the Dream Shake, popularized by 90’s star Hakeem Olajuwon. The move involves two seperate pump fakes followed by pivots.
Defense
Post players must also be able to play defense on the opposing team’s post players. What that involves is not allowing them to enter the paint. They contest shots from the other team and try to block the ball.
What Makes a Good Post Player
There is no such thing as the right answer for what makes the best post player. There are countless combinations of skills and tactics that can shape any one hooper into a good post player. In general though, a good post player on offense must be able to create their own space and stand in what is known as a dangerous position. Good post defenders tend to have long arms for blocking shots as well as a high basketball iq for grabbing rebounds.
Famous Post Players
As the sport of basketball has evolved post players have become less and less relevant.
In the modern game there is a greater emphasis on three point shooting, spacing, and pace. None of which the traditional post players are capable of providing for a team. They have been replaced with athletic centers and forwards who are capable of shooting long range shots. That being said, the game has had periods where post players have been the focus of the offensive attack, especially in the 1990’s, a decade when a lot of great “big men” played.
Hakeem Olajuwon
Hakeem Olajuwon is known for his footwork, revolutionizing the position in that area. He helped usher in the fad of players utilizing post moves to assist them in being a primary source of offense for their team.
Shaquille O’Neal
Shaquille O’Neal was massive, 7’1” and 325 pounds to be exact. He terrorized defenses with massive dunks, disrespectful blocks, and several backboards broken.
Dwight Howard
Dwight Howard is a center who starred on The Orlando Magic in the late 2000’s using his strength and size.
Howard is a victim of the modern NBA changing and moving away from post players, and in the past few years has bounced around from team to team. He is considered to be the last dominant traditional big man in The NBA.
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Pages Related to Basketball Post Player
- Basketball Player Positions
- Basketball Shooting Guard
- Basketball Point Guard
- Basketball Screener
- Basketball Shooting Guard Vs. Small Forward
- Basketball Offensive Player
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how to open? How to equip it?
Each of us can create a professional basketball court. However, this will require huge financial investments, hiring specialists and a large room.
This article is written for owners of schools, sports complexes and other similar establishments. And also for parents who have a huge house or cottage. Those who want to build a basketball court in them.
We will look at all aspects of creating a field for this sport.
We will tell you where to place the judges and how to draw the markings. And also about many other things.
The International Basketball Federation has created uniform requirements for all venues for this sport. If you create a field that complies with the regulations, you will be able to hold professional competitions on it. And even rent out your space. Moreover, both for games and for tournaments.
How big should a basketball court be? The basketball field must be made in the shape of a rectangle. It must have a hard surface. The latter can be made from wood or other materials.
The basketball court must be free from unnecessary objects. Only 2 racks should be located on it. 2 shields. 2 baskets for balls. And also markup. Chairs, benches and other things on the site should not be.
Basketball court size requirements
The Basketball Federation has uniform requirements for the size of the court. According to them, the field must be 28 m long and 15 m wide.
The Basketball Federation also allows competitions to be held on smaller courts. With a length of 26 m. And a width of 14 m. Competitions for young athletes can be held on such sites.
Deviations from the established minimum dimensions (26 m long and 14 m wide) are not permitted.
If your court is less than 26 meters long and 14 meters wide, it will not be suitable for professional competition. The same applies to fields that are over 28 meters long and over 15 meters wide.
Height requirements for basketball courts
The room where the basketball court will be located must be high. The ceiling must be at least 7 meters above the floor. If it is low, then it is not worth creating a basketball court in such a room. Because it will be unsuitable for professional games.
Basketball Court Lighting Requirements
The area where you plan to place the basketball court must have good lighting.
Each part of the field must be highlighted.
And it's equally bright. So that the players of both teams can see the baskets, the posts and each other. Otherwise, they will collide during the competition.
The light on the basketball court should not be too bright either. Otherwise, he will blind the athletes. And also prevent the referees from watching the game.
What lines should be on the basketball court?
Each basketball court must be marked. It is important that each part of the site is marked with the same color paint. Preferably white.
Each marking line drawn on the field must have the same dimensions. Its width must be at least 5 centimeters.
That is, it should not be so that in one part of the field the marking lines are "thick". And in the other they had a small width.
The marking lines must be clearly visible to the players and referees. If you do not draw them brightly enough, then it will be impossible to play on such a basketball court. It will not be allowed to be used for competition.
What should the front and side lines be?
The edges of the basketball court area behind the baskets must be marked with 2 front lines.
The areas of the field, which are located along the length of the court, must also have marking lines. They are called lateral.
As we have already said, there should be no foreign objects on the site. We are talking about tables for judges. As well as benches for spare players.
If you plan to place the substitutes' bench, this must be done off the field. At a distance of at least two meters from its edges. The same applies to referee tables.
Where is the center line drawn and how is it drawn?
The central part of the basketball court must also have markings. It must be drawn in the middle of the field.
The center line starts from the side lines and runs to the center.
It may protrude slightly from the side of the field. But no more than 15 centimeters.
What should the free throw lines be?
In the area of the zones with basketball baskets of both teams, a special area for free throws is drawn.
It must be located at a distance of 5.8 meters from the left side of the field. The penalty area line must be at least 3.6 meters long.
For a free throw, the basketball player will stand in the middle of this area.
Restricted areas
Each basketball field has special "restricted areas". They are highlighted with special "front" marking lines. And also outlined by lines for free kicks.
Additional lines are drawn from the front marking lines in the restricted area. They go in different directions.
Front lines must be placed three meters from the penalty area.
The front lines are part of the special restricted areas. They can be painted in different colors. However, the marking lines must match the hue of the circle that is drawn in the central part of the field.
More about free throw areas Free throw areas are also classified as restricted areas. on the basketball court they are deliberately increased. Semicircles of marking are placed next to them, the radius of which is 1.8 meters.
After that, a dotted line is drawn in the circles. They outline the inside of the penalty area.
In the picture below you can see the penalty areas. Players shoot for the basket in these areas.
How should the center circle be marked?
A circle must be marked in the center of the basketball field. Its radius must be at least 1.8 meters.
The color of the circle must be the same as the bounded areas.
3-Point Shooting Area
Basketball players can shoot 3-point balls from almost anywhere on the court. Except the one next to the basketball hoop.
2-Point Shooting Area When athletes shoot balls into the opponent's basket from next to it, the team is awarded two points.
The area next to the opponents' ring is also classified as restricted.
The area around the teams' basketball hoops has 2 marking lines. They are placed parallel to each other.
The 2-point zone is next to the player's team's basket. In the area that is opposite the zone with the ring of the second team.
The 2-point zone is located 6 meters from the center line of the field.
Also, the area for a two-point shot is limited by a special circle. Its radius is 6.25 meters. When a player enters this zone, his goals are classified as two-point goals.
On successful throws from outside this area, the team receives 3 points.
In the picture you can see the areas of the field where shots are classified as three points.
If a player throws the ball from the central and side zones, he brings the team 3 points.
What should be the bench areas?
Players from both teams are allowed on the basketball field.
However, not on the site itself, but outside it.
You need to place a shop for players in a special area. It should be highlighted with a special white line. And be outside the field of play.
The length of the markings for the players' bench must be two meters. And the width is 5 meters.
Outline the team bench so that all players can see where people are sitting. And did not encounter them during intensive movements across the field.
Where should substitute players sit?
Athletes preparing to change players must sit between the team benches. Replacement basketball players must sit on special chairs.
Seats should be small. And do not stick out during the games. Otherwise, it will interfere with the teams on the field.
Substitute placement rules have been developed by the International Basketball Federation. They must be observed without fail when building a basketball court. Otherwise, you will not be allowed to compete on it.
What should be the place for judges?
Your task is to make sure that the judges have the most comfortable seats. As well as a good view of the basketball field.
The officials must be able to see any part of the court from their position. This is necessary so that they can take into account all the violations committed by the players. And count/not count the balls thrown into the basket.
To make it easier for the judges to work, we recommend that they sit on high chairs. So that tall basketball players do not block their view.
Conclusion Opening your own basketball court is not difficult. If you have money for equipment and the ability to hire specialists, then you will not have problems creating a field.
If you hire professionals, they will mark correctly. In accordance with all the rules of the Basketball Federation. And you can hold competitions in this sport at any time.
Strategy and System Tips - How to Win More Often
Basketball (along with baseball and hockey) is one of the most popular sports in North America, and basketball betting is a significant part of the total sports betting.
At the same time, the point here is not only (and even not so much) that it is in North America that the matches of the strongest basketball league in the world take place - the point is the number of equiprobable outcomes that the basketball line offers. Also on our site you will find bookmakers for betting on basketball.
Content
- Benefits of betting on basketball
- Disadvantages of betting on basketball
- Types of bets
- Main Outcomes
- handicap
- Total
- Basketball total betting strategy
- Quarter Basketball Betting
- Quarterly Basketball Betting Strategy
- Pre-match analytics
- Where to bet on basketball?
The vast majority of professional players and cappers, of which there are many in America, play just such “half-way” outcomes in order to get the most even profit over a long distance.
In any basketball game, there are at least two equally likely events that you can bet on - handicap and total. It is thanks to this property that basketball has become one of the most popular objects for large bets.
Basketball bookmakers
Benefits of betting on basketball
A large number of equally likely events . As mentioned above, basketball is one of the most suitable sports for those who like to bet on equally likely events.
High NBA betting limits. The vast majority of big cappers make bets on the NBA, including the lion's share of US players who traditionally make big bets. In pursuit of this traffic, the best bookmakers are trying to create the most comfortable conditions for basketball betters by offering generous betting limits on the main outcomes, as well as handicap and total. True, this feature is more characteristic of large Western bookmakers.
Domestic gambling establishments most often offer limits for NBA matches no higher than those given for the same Euroleague and the Russian Championship.
Low NBA margins. All the same competition between bookmakers in the struggle for the largest players has caused that in almost all leading gambling establishments in the world the margin for NBA matches is less than for all other competitions and sports offered in the line.
Regularity of games. The fact that most basketball teams play between two and four games a week makes this sport the most attractive for statistics fans in calculations - the sample of analyzed NBA matches is very solid and allows you to make fairly accurate predictions. In addition, the NBA is often the only competition that can be bet on any day, including holidays - even on December 31 and January 1, at least two or three matches are invariably played in this league.
Disadvantages of betting on basketball
Low limits and odds for European competitions.
Unlike NBA matches, European Cup and European Championship matches usually offer very modest upper betting limits; the odds are also generally 3-5 points lower than the NBA odds. All this makes betting on the same Euroleague not the most profitable business.
Rating of bookmakers by odds
You can find out which Russian bookmakers offer the best basketball odds on Legalbet in the Odds Rating (“Basketball” tab). Our experts have calculated the margins of all bookmakers based on real events in their lines and based on these calculations sorted the companies into categories in order to identify the best offers for fans of basketball betting.
Weak painting. The vast majority of bookmakers offer a weak list of basketball matches. Many are completely limited to handicap, total and main outcomes. Despite the fact that such painting is enough for professionals, for many players who are used to betting on football, it may seem very meager.
Types of bets
Main outcomes
The number of main outcomes offered for a basketball match depends on which bookmaker you play at. Some gambling establishments open three main outcomes: W1, X and W2, adding a win including overtime to the list, while others offer only two outcomes - W1 and W2 (this means that in case of a draw, the winner will be determined in overtime).
Before you start betting on basketball, it is very important to clarify which positions in a given gambling establishment take into account OT and which do not, because it often happens that the handicap with the total is calculated according to one rules, and the main outcomes are calculated according to others.
Handicap
Handicap in basketball shows the final score difference in favor of one of the teams. You are required to guess if it will be more or less than the specified value. For example, if you bet on a team with a handicap of -5.5, you need it to win at least 6 points.
If you bet on it with a handicap of +5.5, you would be rooting for this team to lose no more than 5 points. The handicap in basketball is not much different from the handicap in other sports, and most bookmakers allow you to buy more handicaps, while most often the coefficient drops by 8-10 points for each point bought. You can usually buy in addition from 4 to 12 points (each office determines the exact value for itself).
Total
Total is a type of bet in which you have to predict whether the final result of the game will be more or less than the proposed value. Almost always, the coefficients for "more" and "less" are the same. Totals, as well as odds, can be bought in addition, both up and down. The dynamics of odds changes in this case is most often similar to the dynamics of changes in quotes for a handicap.
Please note! Bookmakers accept bets on both the total in regular time of the match and the total with overtime in basketball, and it is important to understand that when calculating these bets, different time periods of the game will be taken into account.
The calculation of the total in basketball in regular time is based on the results of 4 quarters.
Basketball total betting strategy
Basketball total betting strategy seems simple at first glance. It is enough to look at the previous results of the teams and analyze how many points they score per game. However, not everything is so simple: anything can happen in one particular match, and several factors can affect the team's game at once: from the psychological state of the players to their physical condition.
Quarter basketball betting
This type of bet is very popular among those who like to bet on basketball. A quarter in basketball is a mini-match. The head coach uses different tactics, simulated combinations, there can be constant replacements of athletes on the court. Player fatigue accumulated over the previous quarters also affects the result. Often in betting lines you can see a bet not only on the outcome, handicap and total of each quarter, but also on a comparison of the performance of the quarters: more points scored, more fouls committed, etc.
Basketball betting strategy by quarters
Basketball by quarters strategy also has its own peculiarities. Here you need to have an idea how the team plays in the first half of the game, and how in the second, what are the features and differences in the team's actions in different quarters. In the case of betting on quarters, you should keep a closer eye on what happened on the court in the previous quarter.
Other offers. In addition to the standard set of positions, the vast majority of bookmakers include an additional painting in their line. An additional list can offer a variety of betting options: on the handicap and total of each quarter, on the individual totals of the teams, on the individual totals of the leading basketball players, on the presence or absence of overtime, etc. There is also a bet under the conditional name "even-odd". Basketball is a game that scores a lot of points. And the score at the end of the meeting or quarter will definitely be even or odd.
Bookmakers also offer to bet on this. This type of bet, by the way, is the purest “guessing game” and does not require any knowledge of the game from the player.
Pre-match analytics
Pre-match analytics of basketball matches is somewhat simpler than debriefing in football matches, since the lineups in basketball teams are 2-3 times smaller, and teams play twice as often, so there is always plenty of information about opponents. Some difficulty is represented only by a small number of broadcasts of basketball competitions in the post-Soviet expanses. However, the availability of high-speed Internet fully compensates for this small drawback. So, what does basketball match analytics include?
- Opponents current kit . The specifics of basketball is that there are traditionally much fewer game drops than, for example, in tennis and football, and therefore it becomes much easier to keep track of the current form. It also helps that each team plays 2-3 matches a week, which means that it is possible to get the latest information about their current level and fitness.
Don't forget to check the results of the last 5-6 matches of each team. Separately, pay attention to the statistics of home and away matches: basketball is a sport in which the home court factor is extremely important, and sometimes even decisive, so when analyzing statistics, evaluate home and away matches separately.
- Head-to-head history . Do not forget also about the history of confrontation between rivals. It often happens that the indicators of the last three or four face-to-face meetings of teams can tell you much more than dozens of live matches watched with their participation. Again, do not forget that in basketball, the statistics of home and away matches differ significantly, and therefore it is worth evaluating it differently.
- Tournament position and motivation. And, of course, we could not forget about such a key factor as motivation - in such a hard and strong-willed sport as basketball, motivation is of particular importance.
Be sure to evaluate who needs what from the upcoming match and, based on this information, try to adjust your forecast so that you do not bet on a team that no longer needs anything against an over-motivated opponent. - List of injured and disqualified. With basketball's busy schedule, it's no surprise that injuries and suspensions are common in the sport. In order to be sure that your bet is considered, you should definitely monitor the press regularly to keep abreast of any personnel changes in the composition of each team.
During the major basketball tournaments on the Legalbet website, you can get acquainted with the expectations of the forecasters of our website, find out which basketball bets they recommend choosing, as well as get acquainted with their arguments in favor of one or another option.
- Basketball: predictions at Legalbet
Where to bet on basketball?
Modern bookmakers are trying to offer players the widest possible line of basketball.
