How to Be in Proper Defensive Position in Basketball
Getting in the proper defensive position is critical to playing good defense in basketball. When in the proper position you are prepared to guard your player and take away their offensive options. In this article I will focus on assuming a good defensive position on your opponent when he/she has the basketball and their dribble is still alive.
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Instructions
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Stand with your feet about shoulder width apart. This not only allows you to take more space away from your opponent, it will also keep you in a stronger position of balance.
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Bend at the knees while keeping your back straight. To verify you are in the proper position, it should be very difficult for someone to push you over. You are compact and in balance.
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Shift your weight from your heels to the balls of your feet. This will allow you to move quickly in any direction in an instant.
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Keep your chin up. By focusing on keeping your chin up, you will insure that your head is in the proper position and you will not tend to bend over at your back. This will keep you in proper balance.
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Position yourself one arm's length from your opponent. This will allow you to react to his/her movements and prevent their penetration. If you are too close, he/she can get by you easily--if you are too far, your opponent will move freely without pressure.
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Position yourself in the center of your opponent's body. This will prevent easy movement to the left or the right. It may be a good strategy to "cheat" a little towards their stronger dribbling hand if you notice that they always go that way.
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Extend the arm that is closest to the basketball with your palm facing up. This hand should provide consistent pressure on the ball and be ready to make an upward poke at the ball if it presents itself. If your opponent switches hands, you switch hands. Once in a while, shift your arm up away from the ball and up to your shoulder and higher to block the passing lane.
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With the off-ball arm, you should keep it shoulder length and higher to block passing lanes. Keep it moving to cover a larger passing lane area.
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Keep your eyes focused on the belly button of your opponent. A strong offensive player will utilize a multitude of fakes (jab steps, head thrusts, shoulder rotation) to throw you off. It is impossible to fake with your belly button--it will only go where your opponent is going.
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Tips & Warnings
Take pride in preventing your opponent from doing what he/she wants to do. If all five players take pride in their defense, you will have a successful team
