Footwork is one of the most basic skills in the game of basketball, but it is also one of the most overlooked skills. In order to become a good player, he/she must have proper footwork because everything in the game of basketball depends on your feet. Consider the skills of the game, shooting, ball handling, rebounding, defending, etc., not one of those skills can be accomplished without your feet. Your feet are the foundation upon which your body moves therefore it is extremely important to practice proper footwork in all of you basketball training sessions.
Proper footwork keeps you balanced throughout the basketball game. Balance is achieved while players are in a good athletic stance, but what is a good athletic stance? To start, a player’s feet should be underneath their hips. From there, slightly bend at the knees and hips so that your shoulders are over the center of your feet. A simple way to achieve this is pretend to sit down and as you are doing so, shift your hips back. This position is a good athletic stance. Maintaining this stance will help you keep your center of gravity thereby giving you proper balance.
Pivoting while maintaining good balance and footwork is a skill that needs to be practiced. Whether defending, dribbling, or trying to get a shot off, there is a good chance that you will have to pivot. In order to keep your balance while pivoting it is imperative that you are on the balls of your feet. By doing so, you will be able to pivot more efficiently consequently allowing you to change directions faster or get your shot off quicker.
In the video below, the player is going through a series of pivots and taking different types of shots. This drill is called that Quick Reaction Series. As the passer passes the player the ball, he calls out a direction (right or left). The player then pivots in that direction and takes his shot. The goal is to get the player to achieve proper balance and footwork on the pivot in order to get his shot off efficiently and at a game like speed. There are many other variations of this drill that can be done, one of which is doing it on the side rather than straight on. If you have any others, feel free to let us know.
