Basketball defense drills help players block shots, regain possession, and force the opposite team to make costly mistakes. Drills generally involve concentrating on footwork, maintaining an optimum stance, and learning how to react in a variety of circumstances. In “drilling” these movements, players behave instinctively on the court, lessening the time between processing and reaction.
Because defense is the cornerstone of a good team, it’s important to have a range of drills to practice regularly. Below, you’ll find the best basketball defense drills that should be practiced regularly to succeed.
1. 1 on 1 Closeouts
The most basic form of basketball defense drill involves developing restrictive skills in a one-on-one situation. Players will find themselves in this situation often and allowing them to practice blocking and disrupting can mean conceding less and regaining possession more often.
The objective of this drill is to block the vision of the offensive player and make it difficult to take the shot.
Begin by placing the defender in the restricted area with the offensive player anywhere on the 3-point line. The defender then throws the ball to the offensive player. Immediately after throwing the ball, the defender should rush the offensive player, making ground and attempting to block the shot.
This drill teaches players the importance of taking large steps at the beginning of their rush and shorter ones as they approach the offensive player. Defenders should also have their hands up and ready and high to contest shots during their rush.
Coaches can vary the positioning of players to cover a wide variety of situations.
2. Triple Closeout
This drill takes the lessons learned in the previous drill and expands it to a larger field of play. It’s a great drill for encouraging fast thinking, clear communication, and quick closeouts as well as considered footwork. It also allows players to practice guarding against offensive players of different heights.
Place your three defensive players on the baseline with one under the hoop and two others on either side. Offensive players should position themselves on the 3-point line with some space between them. Have a defender throw the ball to an attacking player upon which the play becomes live. Defenders should closeout offensive players and prevent shots from being scored.
This drill can be repeated until defenders succeed in blocking three shots consecutively. The drill can also be adapted so that defenders have their back to offensive players, with a non-participating player throwing the ball to the offense. This way, the defenders learn to react quickly to unknowns.
3. Defensive Mirror
Defensive mirror drills are fun ways for defenders to work on their footwork. Matching footwork like for like allows blocks to be made and observing the footwork of others, resulting in better predictions being made.
All players should be paired up with a partner and stood behind the baseline. For larger groups, both ends of the court can be used. One pair at a time, players stand opposite each other on the parallel lines.
One player is assigned the role of the offensive player and the other defender. The aim is for the defensive player to stay in sync with the offensive player’s position, maintaining balance throughout. After 20 seconds of this, coaches should call “switch” and the roles are reversed for another 20 seconds before another pair take their turn.
Defensive players should be encouraged to maintain a low, defensive standing position with their hands set wide throughout.
4. First to 5 on 5
The “First to 5 on 5” drill allows players to switch quickly from offensive thinking to defensive.
The drill effectively simulates a real game but with a score limit of 5 points and additional rules to help develop defensive skills.
The drill has 5 players on each team try to be the first to 5 points. Only the offensive team can score with defensive rebounds and steals switching sides. To encourage closeouts and defensive communication the following rules should be implemented:
- 1 point for field goals
- 2 points for shots made beyond the 3-point line
- 1 point for fouls (at coach’s discretion)
Offensively, teams should be encouraged to dribble and move towards the 3-point line so defensive players can practice closeouts, calling to other players, and applying pressure to force mistakes.
5. Advance, Retreat, or Swing
It’s important to not neglect the basics when it comes to practicing defense. While the above drills allow some of the technical aspects of defensive play to be practiced, the advance, retreat, or swing drill helps build muscle memory and coordinate balance.
Have players line up across the court facing sideways. Coaches should then call out repeat commands with players reacting swiftly.
- Call “Advance” for players to move forward.
- Call “Retreat” for players to take a step back.
- Call “Swing” for players to pivot to face the other way.
This basic but essential drill is a great warm-up and is still practiced by professional athletes. The repetitive motion not only builds all-essential muscle memory but also develops faster reactions as players are unable to predict what command will come next.
Conclusion
Defensive drills are the foundation of a solid team. Giving players the chance to focus on developing their ability to block, position, call, and steal accelerates the learning process and produces better teams.
