The Cross Over Movement Blog

Since my very first article for Basketball Sense, I have criticized the way we teach individual defensive footwork. I see team after team doing zig-zag drills and straight line shuffles with no thought to reaction time or changing direction.

Defense is quickness. A coach once told me that a defensive player simply needs to be able to “guard a yard.” If you can guard three feet in either direction, you will stop most offensive players, especially at the youth or high school level.

I do a short defensive progression which is discussed in Cross Over: The New Model of Youth Basketball Development, Second Edition. I saw this video of Steve Nash which is similar to my favorite defensive drill. Short and quick with reaction to an object and constant balance; that is training individual defensive footwork!