Basketball Drill of the Week: Defensive Slides
This is the perfect drill to do to improve your defence.
I absolutely hate it when someone blows by me.
I just feel slow on defence afterwards, like I can’t keep up with my opponent.
And what makes matters worse is that it is because I am slow. I needed to move my feet quicker to defend better, but my body failed me.
So, here’s a basketball drill I’ve been doing that I think will help you move quicker on defence.
It’s called Defensive Slides (or Zig-Zags) and it’s something Kobe Bryant did often to work on his foot speed, grit and stamina.
It’s a simple exercise (but is extremely tough as you get tired).
All you have to do is go into a defensive stance and zig-zag your way down the court and back as quickly as possible.
You can do this drill by yourself or with a partner. If you do it with a partner, have them do crossovers down the court at a slow pace as you defend them.
Ideally, you’d want to do 3-5 rounds of this exercise (to the half-court line and back or to the other baseline and back if you’re a psycho) a couple of times a week.
It may not sound like a lot but trust me, it is. Your legs will be burning.
But on the other side of the pain and tears will be stronger, quicker legs and feet that you can use to shut down your opponent.
You can learn more about the exercise here.