Today's Quote: "Be quick, but never hurry." - John Wooden
Today's Theme... Is Triple-Threat Dead? Teaching the Split-Step
Coaches have long been teaching perimeter players to catch the ball in triple-threat position, and then shoot or make a shot-fake or a jab-step fake, read the defender and react. Some coaches now question this and believe perimeter players should use the "split-step" instead.
With this, the player receiving the pass immediately starts a dribble-drive instead of getting into triple threat and pausing to read the defense. This especially seems applicable to teams that employ the dribble-drive attack.
Some coaches teach this only to advanced high school and college players. Younger players and less-skilled players might have difficulty with the split-step. Additionally, some players and coaches report that sometimes refs don't recognize this and call a travel.
The Split-Step. The receiver reads the defender before he gets the ball. If it looks like a dribble-drive situation, use the split-step. It is a more explosive way for a player to use his/her momentum to start the drive. As the player is receiving a pass and reading the drive, he/she splits the feet (with one foot 6-8 inches forward) to get into a running/sprinter stance to explode as soon as the pass is received. Here's how:
"Ball in the air, feet in the air".
On the catch, both feet hit the floor at the same time with feet a step or two wider than the shoulders, in the "sprinter stance", and neither foot is the pivot foot yet.
If driving right, when landing the catch, the right foot should be about 6-8 inches ahead of the other foot.
If driving left, when landing the catch, the left foot should be about 6-8 inches ahead of the other foot.
Push off the back foot to accelerate and explode out of the sprinter stance.
Coach's Clipboard Premium Membership - join today! Immediate online access, comprehensive downloadable playbook included with offenses, defenses, plays, drills, coaching and player tips, animated diagrams, video clips, mobile-ready, pdfs for print-outs, and more! More info...
Coaches... get a group membership (deeply discounted) for all your coaches!
Put in a new offense or defense this season.
Run a special inbounds or buzzer-beater play and look like a genius!
Use a special defense to shutdown a star player.
Teach your team how to break a press.