How to Position Hands for Basketball Defense

Video Transcript

"Okay, some more of the good ingredients that go into rebounding are: hands up, watch your position, and want the ball. We might have talked previously in another clip a little bit about the position of our body in relation to the offensive player or offensive team -- somebody that we're picking up and boxing out. But we want our hands up. You don't want to keep your hands down here, because you're going to have farther to go to reach for the ball. If you can keep your hands up -- in an up position, somewhere even with your head, a little bit above your head, you've got less room to actually completely extend from your elbow, and when you're jumping or tipping, if you're unable to grab a rebound with one hand or two hands, and you're able to keep tipping, when you jump with your hands almost fully extended, you give yourself a better likelihood of getting that rebound. So, keep your hands up, hands up when you're boxing out, and watch your position -- and just your position, by that what we mean is your position in relation to the person you're boxing out and the trajectory of where the ball is on the floor and the path that it's coming into the rim. So, keep your opponent on your backside, arms up, you've got contact with them, you're at an angle, you've got your rear into their stomach or into their waste or their upper thighs, and you're pushing them back and you're also sliding across so that they can't come around you. You've got your arms up and watch your position, and keep your hands up."