What are some tips for blocking shots in basketball? The most important thing for the defender has to remember is to close out. Having a good shot blocker on a basketball team can be a huge advantage, both...
Having a good shot blocker on a basketball team can be a huge advantage, both physically and psychologically.
If the players on the offensive side of the floor know ahead of time that when they get into the lane, there is a big menacing defender waiting to send their shot attempt into the first row, some players may not force the issue.
If the players on the offensive side of the floor know ahead of time that when they get into the lane, there is a big menacing defender waiting to send their shot attempt into the first row, some players may not force the issue.
A seven-year NBA veteran who was known for his toughness in the paint, Sam Vincent knows a thing or two about blocking shots.
"The most important thing for the defender is to remember to close out," Vincent said. "Get as close to the guy as you can and extend your arm fully."
Now, before anyone can just jump out on a court and become a shot blocker, they have to first understand the characteristics of a good shot blocker.
First, a good shot blocker must have timing. The shot blocker must be able to accurately judge when a player is about to take a shot.
Having good timing will allow the defender the opportunity of blocking the shot on it's way up or at its highest peak. If the ball is touched as it is coming down, a goaltending penalty will be called and the basket will automatically count.
Next, a shot blocker must have quickness. And as odd as that sounds for the biggest man to also be agile, if he's not, he's not going to be able to provide much help defense.
Help defense is defending someone that necessarily may not have been your man. So, if you're a big shot blocker and you're guarding the other team's big man, if the guard gets by your guard and has an easy lane to the basket, you have to have quickness to go along with your timing to get over and block the shot.
Vincent adds tips on how you should go about blocking shots on help defense. "You want to jump straight up in the air because you never want to swat at the ball," he said. "You don't necessarily want to teach trying to block the shot because that's where fouling comes in to play."
One of the most underrated qualities of a shot blocker is jumping ability. So many times there are big guys who aren't really able to get off the floor. Those guys will ultimately get fewer blocked shots than smaller guys with great jumping ability.
To be a good shot blocker, you also have to have explosion in your legs. You have to be able to get off the floor in a hurry with little or no notice.
Last but certainly not least, a good shot blocker will keep the ball in play. As glamorous as it is to send a guy's shot into the first row, if you can block the shot, gather the ball and pass it out to your teammates for an easy basket, you're putting your team in a much better position than you would have just by blocking it out of bounds.
