Basketball Tip

2 Basketball Spacing Drills for Beginners

One thing to focus on when getting into the fundamentals of basketball, especially as a beginner, is learning proper spacing and how to balance out each side of the court. If you watch the pros in action, you will notice that there are always at least two players on the weak side, the side of the court that the ball is not on. This forces the defense away from the ball, creating an opportunity for the ball handler to get to the hoop with fewer obstacles.

An easy way for beginners to learn spacing is by learning Man-to-Man Defense. If your entire defense gets caught on the same side of the court, it provides an opening for the offense to potentially score. An easy way to avoid this is by running a man-to-man defense with your team. This defensive style requires all 5 of the players on the court to be responsible for defending an opposing player. The goal is to avoid letting the opponent operate in the center of the court, you want to push them towards the sidelines and baseline if possible. Once your teammates understand this defensive style, you will naturally apply it to other parts of your game.

The only way to learn is to apply it to your everyday practice and start getting a feel for where you are on the court. Here are two basketball spacing drills that are frequently taught to campers by our Nike Basketball Camp Coaches.

Freeze Drill
One simple way to increase your spatial awareness is by calling yourself out in the middle of practice. During a scrimmage, your coach or teammates have the ability to yell “freeze” and everyone on the court must immediately stop where they are and look around. Ask each other questions like:

• What do you see?
• How is your spacing?
• Are they any holes or driving lanes?
• Where are the strong and weak sides?

Once you discuss how you can improve, continue the scrimmage and fix those mistakes. By doing this, your team is collectively making a conscious effort to reconstruct the outcome of the scrimmage in real-time.

Keep Away Drill
Another way to maintain spacing is by practicing the keep away drill. Position five of your friends in a large circle and one defensive player in the middle. The outer circle, or the offense, must pass the ball to another player on the perimeter and keep it away from the defense. As you progress in the drill, make the offense take 5 steps back and notice how it will become much more challenging for the defense to steal the ball.

These are simple tips that will reinforce the significance of keeping your spacing to you and your teammates. As you progress in the game of basketball, understanding these fundamentals will greatly assist you in being successful! Take a look at more tips that will help improve your game.