Earlier this week, I explained how footwork is the difference between good and great hoopers as well as athletes across sports. While most highlight tapes will show how it can help offensive players create space and get shots off, perhaps the largest impact a player can make by having elite footwork is on the defensive end.
footwork is the difference between good and great hoopers as well as athletes across sports. While most highlight tapes will show how it can help offensive players create space and get shots off, perhaps the largest impact a player can make by having elite footwork is on the defensive end.
Defense is played with your feet. Don’t let anyone ever tell you otherwise. Yes, having quick and active hands that can close down passing lanes and snatch a dribbler’s cookies is plenty useful, but when it comes down to container ball handlers and keep the action in front of you, it’s all about the lower body.
But don’t just take my word for it. According to USA Basketball, footwork is one of the three ways to dominate on defense.
“How many times have you heard a coach yell, ‘quick feet!’?” wrote Shelby Turcotte for USAB.com. “What they are really trying to say is you need to get your feet in position quicker. I’ve seen hundreds of quick players who have ‘quick feet’ but aren’t good at defense. Is it because they’re just lazy? Maybe. But it’s important for them to worry about positioning their feet and having good defensive footwork as it is just quick feet alone.”
Being fast footed is great and puts you at a natural advantage, but if you don’t know what to do with that skill, you won’t be any better off. Understanding how to properly stay in front when playing defense is vital to stopping ball handlers and helping your team win.
It isn’t limited to basketball. In lacrosse, you need quick and nimble feet to stay in front of oncoming attackmen. Using a technique called, “Big-Big-Little-Little,” which is taking big strides to close out an offensive player receiving the ball, then shortening them to small, choppy steps as you arrive, helps you remain even and able to quickly shuffle either direction to defend your adversary.
That’s only one of several ways in which footwork can make a huge difference defensively in lacrosse as we explain another parallel between the field and hardwood.
