Fast Five: Footwork Advantages

Pete Newell would remind 'students' of the importance of FOOTWORK, BALANCE, and MANEUVERING SPEED. Footwork develops under the harsh light of repetition. 

In The Talent Code, Daniel Coyle streamlines the process. 

The neuroplasticity of the process gets expressed with deposition of myelin, a nerve coating, which increases the SPEED and RELIABILITY of signal transmission.  "Muscle memory" is really "myelin memory." 

Day to day, here are a FAST FIVE of footwork that can help develop better players. 

1. When the upon the ball defender forces a 'dead dribble', surround the ballhandler's pivot foot. This limits her escape options and ability to create passing angles. 
2. Teach players with the ball to attack the front foot (hand). When the defender is 'angled' instead of straight up (e.g. the right foot is ahead), she slides quickly with the left foot when going left, but will have to 'drop step' if the ballhandler goes left. 
3. When the post player comes up to the elbow, looking to pass to a back cutter (e.g. blind pig), if she catches the ball with her feet at a forty-five-degree angle to the lane, the pass will be easier to complete. 
4. When defending the pick and roll, the picker's defender should align her feet in the same plane as the screener...whether hedging or trapping. This doesn't apply to "ICE". 
5. Coaches go "mental" when traps get split or defeated up the sideline. In a trap, I believe the defenders' feet should 'touch' and when denying the sideline advance, I don't care if the defender has to stand with one foot out of bounds to deny the dribble. Don't give the sideline.