Youth players must be trained to keep their hands up when playing defense to avoid reaching in. However, this is easier said than done. In this article, I talk about five key strategies to condition players to keep their hands up during defense that will significantly improve their defensive contributions and most importantly drop the bad habit of “reaching in“!
The five strategies are maintain a defensive stance, stay focused on the midsection, active hands without reaching, proper footwork, and incorporate all of this with defensive drills.
Coaches, trainers and even parents can teach and enforce these five simple strategies during team practices or individual training sessions to help their player avoid reach in fouls during the games.
5 Key Strategies to Avoid Reaching In:
1. Maintain a Defensive Stance
Teach kids the importance of a proper defensive stance. This includes keeping their knees bent, staying on the balls of their feet, and maintaining a low center of gravity. A solid defensive stance provides stability and makes it harder for offensive players to elude defenders.
2. Focus Eyes on Midsection
Emphasize the significance of focusing on the opponent’s midsection rather than their hands or the ball. The midsection is less likely to deceive, and by concentrating on it, defenders can better anticipate offensive moves without falling for fakes. Here is an article, where I discuss this in detail.
3. Active Hands (without reaching in)
Train players to keep their hands active without reaching in. This involves using lateral movement to stay in front of the offensive player and employing quick, controlled hand movements to disrupt passes or shots without committing a foul.
I tell them to play defense with their feet but I teach them to keep their hands out while playing defense. I really don’t want them to use their hands but I want them out to deter passes. HoopsKing makes a defensive training aid to train defenders to keep their arms out and avoid reaching in. Here is a link to an article I wrote about the product and how to implement it into your training sessions.
4. Teach Proper Footwork
Emphasize the importance of proper footwork, as it is the foundation of effective defense. Players should move laterally, shuffle their feet, and use short, quick steps to maintain defensive positioning without resorting to reaching.
5. Practice Defensive Drills
Incorporate defensive drills into training sessions. Drills that focus on maintaining a defensive stance, moving laterally, and using active hands can help reinforce proper defensive habits.
Conclusion:
“Reaching in” is one of the toughest habits to break as a coach or even a parent. The most aggressive defenders I have ever coached constantly reached in until I followed the five key strategies and enforced the standard. In this article, we talked about these five steps to keep your defender from “reaching in” and drawing unnecessary fouls.