The Stance

Here at TBL we are all about basketball.  We have written articles about everything basketball related.  Topics of conversation have included how to articles, specific plays, and everything in between.  There is one topic that we haven't discussed yet that is extremely important.  The topic I'm talking about is "the stance."

Whether you are shooting the ball, dribbling under pressure, playing defense, trying to break down a defender, or rebounding, players need to be comfortable (not just familiar) with playing in "the stance."

What is "the stance?"  The stance in it's basic form is feet shoulder width apart (at least), knees bent, and your back bent only slightly. 

1. Feet shoulder width apart at minimum.  
• When you are playing defense your feet should be wider than shoulder width apart.
• When you are dribbling under pressure your feet should be wider than shoulder width apart.
• When you are boxing out your feet should be wider than shoulder width part.
• When you are in a triple threat position your feet should be shoulder width apart.
• When you are shooting your feet should be shoulder width apart.
2. Knees bent.
• The lower your base the more solid you are.  We don't want knees to ever be bent beyond 90 degrees and it is more likely that most players will only feel comfortable at about 60 degrees.  Getting your center of gravity low is important when defending, trying to keep a player off the boards, or protecting the ball while dribbling.
3. Bending your back too much is the one mistake I see kids making more than any other.  Players seem to be comfortable bending the back instead of the knees.  As a matter of fact when you first teach the stance to young players, they will have an inclination to bend their back as opposed to their knees because it is more comfortable for them to do so.  You need to stress the importance of a proper stance.  If you bend your back too much you will always be out of balance and vulnerable to mistakes.  If your bending your back to the point that your head is beyond your toes then you are bending the back way too much.  

I like to teach the stance at the beginning of the season during our first few practices.  After that point it is always stressed.  I might be doing a drill in practice and then all of a sudden call out "stance" at which point I expect all of my players to be in a defensive stance which me and the other coaches will analyze for proper form.  We will do this over and over almost every practice.

Teach this and preach this.  It is that important.