Helena Frye
Post play in basketball is an essential aspect of the game that can be challenging to master. It involves a range of skills and techniques that players can use to create scoring opportunities or set up their teammates. Successful post play can lead to higher-percentage shots, more foul shots, and open perimeter players. While some players develop their post skills later in their careers, it is a valuable asset for any team. Post players need to have a good understanding of their role, which often involves screening, rolling, and finishing in traffic. Effective post play requires instinct, comfort, and a feel for the game, which comes from spending hours on the court.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Post play | Footwork, positioning, finishing basic game situation shots |
| Post players | Power forwards, centers |
| Post moves | Pivot, jump shot, layup, dribble, spin, fake, power dribble |
| Post positions | High post, low post |
| Shots | Jump shot, layup, up and under, slam dunk, mid-range, jump shot, fadeaway, hook shot, free throw |
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What You'll Learn
The importance of footwork
Mastering Basic Footwork Creates Opportunities:
At its core, footwork is about understanding positioning and using your feet to create opportunities for yourself or your teammates. This includes learning how to pivot, which is essential for executing various post moves. By mastering a few basic pivots, players can combine them with different shots to create an array of offensive options. For example, a simple right-foot, front pivot, and jump shot can be countered with a right-foot pivot and step-through (using the right foot as the pivot, bring the left foot across) for a layup. This showcases how teaching players solid footwork can lead to creative and effective scoring moves.
Developing Instinctual Post Play:
Post play often involves playing with your back to the basket, which can be challenging and requires a certain feel and comfort level. Great footwork helps players develop this instinct. For instance, when receiving a screen, post players must immediately come off the screen and seal for positioning. This allows them to get into better positions, create angles, and either score or set up their teammates for high-percentage shots.
Maximizing Player Strengths and Abilities:
Footwork is essential for maximizing the unique strengths and abilities of each player. For example, taller players like Shaq, Olajuwan, and Kareem may have different playing styles, but they all utilized exceptional footwork to dominate in the post. Shaq's size, Olajuwan's speed, and Kareem's finesse were all complemented by their ability to pivot, step out, and reverse pivot, allowing them to execute their moves effectively.
Enabling Versatility and Adaptability:
Solid footwork also enables players to be versatile and adapt to different situations. Being able to shoot with either hand, for example, forces defenders to play straight up, giving the offensive player more options. Additionally, being adept at performing pivots and shots with either foot increases a player's versatility and makes them less predictable. This adaptability can create advantages and open up scoring opportunities that may not have been possible otherwise.
In conclusion, footwork is a fundamental aspect of basketball, especially when executing post shots. It empowers players to create space, develop instincts, maximize their strengths, and adapt to various defensive strategies. By focusing on mastering footwork, coaches can help players at any level improve their post play and overall performance on the court.
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Mastering the basics
Footwork and Positioning:
Great footwork is a common trait among the greatest post players in history. Master the art of pivoting on either foot to create a solid foundation for your shots. Work on your footwork to gain better control and stability when posting up. Positioning is crucial; a slight adjustment of a foot or two can significantly impact your effectiveness. Find the right balance between setting too high or too low, as it can limit your options or make you execute uncomfortable skills.
Mastering the Post Position:
Understand the post position and what it means to post up. The post area on the court is from the free-throw line to the baseline, usually painted as 'the paint' or 'the key'. This area offers ample scoring opportunities. Learn to move into this area, usually the low post, to receive passes and create scoring chances. You can pivot, back down a defender, spin, fake out, or power dribble to create those chances.
Basic Game Shots:
Learn to finish basic game situation shots. For instance, if you catch the ball close to the basket, a quick spin or jump hook can be effective. However, if the defender forces you to catch two steps off the low block, consider facing up to your opponent and then attacking off the drive or shooting a clean bank shot.
Using Screens:
Understand how to use screens effectively. Post players can benefit from back screens and cross screens to obtain good posting positions. When receiving a screen, remember to come off it and immediately seal for positioning. This can help you create angles that you might not achieve through sealing in the post.
Passing and Rebounding:
Work on your passing skills to take advantage of the opportunities created by posting up. A great player in the low post can whip a pass across the court to an open teammate or execute a bounce pass to a cutting teammate. Also, focus on rebounding, as it occurs on both sides of the floor and can be a way to get playing time even if you lack other skills.
Shooting Techniques:
Learn the fundamentals of shooting, such as squaring your shoulders to the basket, placing your feet shoulder-width apart, and bending your knees. Practice different types of shots, such as jump shots, layups, hook shots, and bank shots. Each type of shot has its own nuances, so understand when and how to execute them effectively.
Remember, mastering the basics is key to becoming a successful post player in basketball. Focus on footwork, positioning, understanding the post area, and developing a range of offensive moves and passing skills.
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Using screens to your advantage
Screens are an important part of basketball, with some even considering it the most significant type of offensive play in the game. They are used to block or "screen" a defensive player, freeing up an offensive player for a pass or shot. Screens are especially useful against a man-to-man defense, but they can also be used against zone defenses.
There are several types of screens, including back screens, cross screens, double screens, down screens, and drag screens. Back screens involve a player setting a screen behind a teammate's defender, while cross screens are when a player cuts to the opposite side of the floor to set a screen, often used to get a player open for a quick shot. Double screens involve two players setting a screen side-by-side, making it harder for the defender of the player receiving the screen. Down screens, also known as pin downs, involve the screener facing their chest towards the baseline, resulting in the player receiving the screen cutting away from the hoop. Drag screens are on-ball screens set by a trailing offensive player in transition.
To set a great screen, there are a few key techniques to keep in mind. Firstly, create separation between yourself and the defender before setting the screen to make it harder for them to defend the dribbler or cutter. Secondly, don't telegraph the screen; instead, sprint to set it, and use a "Ram Screen" if possible. The angle of the screen is also crucial, so set the screen with your back facing the direction you want your teammate to go.
When receiving a screen, it's important to be patient and wait for the screen to arrive before making your cut. As you exit the screen, use your opposite shoulder to shield the ball from your defender, and keep your eyes up to decide whether to pass or drive to the basket.
For post players, using screens can be crucial to creating angles that they might not be able to create through sealing in the post. Back screens and cross screens are the two most common types of screens used by post players to obtain good posting positions. After coming off the screen, post players should immediately seal for positioning, rather than continuing their cut outside of the paint.
Overall, using screens effectively can create significant advantages for your team on offense, so it's important to practice setting and using screens in drills and during games.
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Knowing when to pivot
Understanding Offensive Moves and Pivots:
Post players should develop a strong understanding of offensive moves, many of which are built upon pivoting. Coaches should teach players the mechanics of pivots and how to combine them with shots or other moves. For example, teaching a "right foot, inside pivot, jump shot" provides players with the foundational footwork that they can adapt based on the situation. This approach empowers players to be creative and make decisions based on their instincts.
Mastering Footwork:
Great footwork is a common trait among the greatest post players. Players should be adept at performing pivots on either foot, allowing them to be versatile and unpredictable. This includes mastering moves like the front pivot, where players use their right foot as the pivot foot and step through with their left foot, creating opportunities for layups or other shots. Footwork is crucial for positioning, as even a small adjustment of a foot or two can significantly impact the effectiveness of a player's post play.
Creating Scoring Opportunities:
Pivots are essential for creating scoring opportunities, especially when combined with other moves. When posting up, players can use pivots, spins, fakes, or power dribbles to create space or get past defenders. Understanding how to pivot effectively enables players to get into better positions for shooting or passing. This is particularly valuable when a player has their back to the basket, as it allows them to quickly change direction and find scoring options.
Reading the Defense:
Developing Instincts:
Effective post play is often instinctual, and players develop these instincts through hours of practice and game experience. Coaches should focus on teaching players how to read defenses and make quick decisions. This includes understanding when to pivot, when to shoot, and when to pass. By developing these instincts, players can become more dynamic and adaptable on the court.
In summary, knowing when to pivot in basketball involves a combination of footwork mastery, understanding offensive moves, creating scoring opportunities, reading the defense, and developing instincts. Post players who can effectively pivot will become more versatile, creative, and successful in their scoring and passing abilities.
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Embracing contact
Contact is inevitable in basketball, especially in the low post. The best players are those who can embrace this contact and use it to their advantage. They are willing to put their bodies on the line for their team, possession after possession.
When playing in the low post, you will likely have your back to the basket, which can be a difficult position to play in. It takes a lot of practice and a feel for the game that comes from hours and hours on the court. In this position, you must be able to pivot, spin, fake out, or power dribble to create scoring opportunities.
If you are uncomfortable with contact, you may find yourself settling for outside jumpers. While these are important skills to have, they should not be your only option. Instead, you should be willing to sprint down the floor on every possession, which will give you more opportunities for wide-open layups and will get you to your spot quicker.
When you do find yourself in the low post, be patient. Many players tend to rush their post moves, which can lead to bad decisions and poor shots. Take your time to slow down, assess the situation, and then make your move. This will result in better decisions and increased scoring from your post moves.
If you are a player who can consistently score in the low post, the defense will have no choice but to double-team you to prevent you from scoring. This opens up opportunities for your teammates, but only if you can make an effective on-target pass. Being able to pass to an open teammate on the opposite wing or drop a small bounce pass to a teammate cutting to the hoop will create more opportunities for your team to score.
In addition to patience, footwork is also key. All great post players have great footwork. You should be adept at performing pivots on either foot and be able to use your imagination to create your game. For example, if you are effective at right-foot, front pivot, jump shots, you can use that footwork in the post or on the outside. If you are only able to finish with your preferred hand, your scoring options are limited. However, if you can score with either hand, you will open up a wide range of scoring options and be able to use many different fakes.
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Frequently asked questions
Basic post-play shots include layups, up and under shots, slam dunks, mid-range shots like jump shots, fadeaways, and hook shots.
Some tips for executing post shots include:
- Having good footwork and being able to pivot on either foot
- Being patient and assessing the situation before making a move
- Embracing contact and being willing to put your body on the line
- Using a pump fake to cause defenders to jump or be shifted off-balance
- Mastering a few moves rather than having multiple moves that cannot be executed effectively
Advanced post-play moves include the crossover, where the ball handler changes the ball from one hand to the other using a single dribble, and the behind-the-back dribble, where the ball is moved from one hand to the other by bouncing it behind the back.
When executing post shots, it is important to consider the distance from the basket and the positioning of the defender. If you are close to the basket, a quick spin or jump hook may be effective, while if you are further away, it may be better to attack off the drive or shoot a clean bank shot. Additionally, being able to shoot with either hand can open up more scoring options and make it harder for defenders to predict your moves.
