Do you want to get easy baskets in close? If so, you need to know how to play in the post. So, to improve your post moves in basketball, you have to be able to do certain moves. You have to be comfortable crab dribbling and shooting baby hooks. Here’s how to work on them.
The gym teacher broke the players into two teams.
Chris, being a lengthy tall guy, was elected to be the center for his team. He gladly accepted this role.
But he did have some concerns.
See, Chris was a really good rebounder and post defender. However, he had no clue how to play or score from the post.
In the games in that gym class, every time Chris got the ball down low, he would get stumped.
He’d take a couple of dribbles, back down his defender, and then get stuck.
The poor lad didn’t know how to shoot or get open down low.
He lacked the ability (or knowledge) to spin out or to go up for a baby hook. He didn’t know any post moves whatsoever.
The majority of the time, he was trapped in the post, forced to toss up a contested random shot that would brick off the backboard.
And this hurt his feelings.
Okay, so Chris isn’t a real person. I made him up –I fooled you (ha!).
But I’m sure many of you have experienced this same scenario before, especially you big guys who are relatively new to basketball.
And it must have sucked being stunned and baffled in the low post.
This is why, regardless of position, I think every player should know basic post moves. They should at least be comfortable down there.
Why You Should Learn Basic Post Moves
Now, you don’t have to be extraordinary in the post like the greats to contribute.
You don’t have to be able to razzle and dazzle your defender with the “Dream Shake” as Hakeem did. You also don’t have to be a powerhouse and plow through the paint like Shaq.
And you don’t need to have legendary footwork and mystical pump fakes in the post like Kobe did to score in the post.
All you really need is to know how to pull off a baby hook, pass out to open players, and the spin move to get open. You just need to know and be comfortable with the post-up fundamentals.
This will not only give you more scoring options but also be a failsafe if you get stopped and checked in the paint.
For instance, let’s say you’re attacking the basket. But you get cut off by a defender and trapped down low.
His teammate comes over for the double team to pressure you.
Having knowledge of how to get a shot up or get the ball to an open teammate from that position will not only reduce panic, but can also prevent a turnover.
How to Improve Your Post Play
So what can you do to develop a post-game in basketball?
First, you have to learn and master the fundamentals. To do this, you have to do drills such as:
- 3 Point Baby Hooks
- Crab Dribbling
- The Mikan Drill
- Pivot Drills
Additionally, you should learn how to do drop steps and foot splits (click here to watch a tutorial).
How To Do the Drills
Crab Dribbling and 3 Point Baby Hooks
Pivot Drills
The Mikan Drill
I’ve written about this before and you can click here to read it.
But essentially, this drill will teach you how to make close shots. It’ll help you get comfortable taking and shooting in the paint.
I will add that some of these drills are more effective if you have a defender holding a pad or have a basketball dummy challenging your shots.
These will add more difficulty, making the drills more challenging. As a result, this will make the moves easier to pull off in-game.
If you’re interested in any of these items, you can grab them from Amazon at the following product pages.
I will add, however, that these are affiliate links. What this means is that if you decide to use the links to buy something, I will get a small commission, at no extra cost to you.
So thanks in advance!
Anywhoo, here are the links:
Spalding Blocking Pad, Black: https://amzn.to/3aBPWHj
SKLZ D-Man A Trainer Defensive Mannequin: https://amzn.to/2Yb5hJS
The next thing you should do is watch the greats and see how they apply everything. Look for their most-used combos and see how they set it up. Study their footwork.
You can do this by looking for online tutorials of their favourite moves. It’s all over the internet, so you shouldn’t have too much trouble looking for it.
And finally, experiment with your new skills in games. Try it out and tweak them to be your moves. Personalize them and make them comfortable to do.
I will also suggest that you, and this is totally optional, do footwork and mobility drills in addition to practicing post moves.
By adding these complementary exercises, you’ll be able to pull off post moves smoother and be able to do more in the post.
You can learn these workouts at the following articles:
Final Thoughts
By practicing and mastering these post-up fundamentals, you will be able to shake, shimmy, and stifle defenders with your (basic) fancy moves in no time.
So, start working on this aspect of your game.
***
P.S. If you’re struggling to improve in basketball, you may be training wrong.
This is why you need to check out my Old Man Game Activity Guides. They are convenient training systems that will help you work on your fundamentals and conditioning.
Click here to learn more about them.
