Tips on protecting the ball(especially when going up)

Accidently posted this in OTC.

I'm good at rip-through manuevers when driving and in over under moves and when using the pro-hop but during the actual gather when going up or to dish a no look shovel pass to my teammate under the basket I tend to be stripped by smaller defenders with quick hands. People tell me I should just keep the ball high to avoid being stripped but this feels awkward to me. Earlier I was practicing a pro-hop move where I wrap the ball around my head in mid-air. If I get a chance I'll try this in my AAU game tommorow.

cuff it like a football, and go up hard. shit i didnt do that my first 2 years in HS. i got so much better at attacking the rim once i started doin it

[QUOTE=KDTrey5]cuff it like a football, and go up hard. shit i didnt do that my first 2 years in HS. i got so much better at attacking the rim once i started doin it[/QUOTE]
I have to play in the WCAL next year. One of the unofficial mottos is "Go up hard or you'll get swat". Last year even Aaron Gordon was blocked quite a few times.

aaron gordon can ball:applause:

[QUOTE=KDTrey5]cuff it like a football, and go up hard. shit i didnt do that my first 2 years in HS. i got so much better at attacking the rim once i started doin it[/QUOTE]

i do this a lot, i would suggest you try it

also you have to realize that you might be overpenetrating. if there are a lot of defenders around you chances are someone is open. make a good bounce pass or give a good ball fake early make them play honest

dont cuff the ball like a running back. 2 reasons, its easy for someone to grap a hold of it. the other is it can easily be called as a carry in highschool. if you want to learn how to drive strong and properly, watch d rose.

watch the first layup. power dribble, hard 1 2 step while bringing the ball up and over from waist to waist then finish.

[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5bFtysx30o[/url]

[QUOTE=nathanjizzle]dont cuff the ball like a running back. 2 reasons, its easy for someone to grap a hold of it. the other is it can easily be called as a carry in highschool. if you want to learn how to drive strong and properly, watch d rose.

watch the first layup. power dribble, hard 1 2 step while bringing the ball up and over from waist to waist then finish.

[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5bFtysx30o[/url][/QUOTE]

Ive seen D-rose cuff the ball a lot while driving. Cuffing the ball actually is one of the best ways to protect the ball while driving. [URL="http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showthread.php?t=147869"]http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showthread.php?t=147869[/URL].

Oh and "carrying" depends on your steps.

From personal experience, the players who excel in driving are the ones that aren't afraid of contact. Once you get in contact with the player defending you on air, they get unbalanced and its harder for them to block the ball.

Another way is to stuff up their timing - either a quicker release,double clutch or release it as far as possible from them.

[QUOTE=Jyap9675]Ive seen D-rose cuff the ball a lot while driving. Cuffing the ball actually is one of the best ways to protect the ball while driving. [URL="http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showthread.php?t=147869"]http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showthread.php?t=147869[/URL].

Oh and "carrying" depends on your steps.

From personal experience, the players who excel in driving are the ones that aren't afraid of contact. Once you get in contact with the player defending you on air, they get unbalanced and its harder for them to block the ball.

Another way is to stuff up their timing - either a quicker release,double clutch or release it as far as possible from them.[/QUOTE]

ive watched every d rose bulls game there ever was. he does do it on occasions but only when he feels like theres too much muscle in the lane and he has to power his way in for a layup. most of the time hes using his acrobatic ability to finish. cuffing everytime or most the time is no good. another good reason that cuffing is bad is that you actually lose explosion to lay in the ball. when you gather the ball in a cuffing motion the ball stays at a stand still or a gentle cradle, either at your waist or near your abdomen. but if you bring it up and over from waist to waist, you can gather energy off that movement and then lay it in any way you want. im a good penetrator myself and i only cradle when im not using my speed to hit the lane, when i need to force my way in the lane i cradle or grip the ball like a football.

Yep sure but in terms of protecting the ball it does its job, there are so many occasions where I wished I cuffed the ball instead on driving after being stripped easily by defenders slapping the ball out of my hands.

[QUOTE=nathanjizzle]ive watched every d rose bulls game there ever was. he does do it on occasions but only when he feels like theres too much muscle in the lane and he has to power his way in for a layup. most of the time hes using his acrobatic ability to finish. cuffing everytime or most the time is no good. another good reason that cuffing is bad is that you actually lose explosion to lay in the ball. when you gather the ball in a cuffing motion the ball stays at a stand still or a gentle cradle, either at your waist or near your abdomen. but if you bring it up and over from waist to waist, you can gather energy off that movement and then lay it in any way you want. im a good penetrator myself and i only cradle when im not using my speed to hit the lane, when i need to force my way in the lane i cradle or grip the ball like a football.[/QUOTE]
I agree it should not be overdone. In my history, I don't have a conscious memory of deciding I wanted to cuff as I drove; it felt more like a reaction. I feel like when the time is right to cuff it like a football or however you want to describe it, you'll know.

In fact, I think all my ball protection moves are reactions as opposed to plans. I just treat the time I pickup my dribble as free reign to do whatever the hell I want with my body and the ball within those two steps prior to takeoff. If I'm attacking on the fast break and there's two defenders standing on each elbow, thinking they've got the middle blocked off because their arms are in the way, I'll pick up my dribble at the three point line, put the ball above my head, and blast through their arms in for a bucket. If I put myself in a position to power through a forest of people all wildly looking to rip it from my possession, I may cuff it as mentioned. Or, maybe a Euro-step is in order. It's an open book of opportunity when one drives.

As Burgh said earlier in this thread, if you feel you have a list of proper gathering techniques and you're still being stripped frequently, you may want to consider whether you're overdriving, i.e. putting your possession unnecessarily in trouble, to the point that no protection is adequate.

Thanks for the advice guys. Also, is there a counter move to the eurostep like if it gets too predictable for the defender? The only moves I really use in transition are pausing at the free throw then changing speed & finishing, spinning of the defender for a lay in the middle of the lane, and the eurostep.

[QUOTE=SourPatchKids]Thanks for the advice guys. Also, is there a counter move to the eurostep like if it gets too predictable for the defender? The only moves I really use in transition are pausing at the free throw then changing speed & finishing, spinning of the defender for a lay in the middle of the lane, and the eurostep.[/QUOTE]

Watch some tapes of Hakeem. Even in transition, fakes can be incredibly useful. Admittedly, I'm not that used to taking contact when going up yet, so it helps to know how to fake. I had a 1-on-2 before and I was leaning into one defender form the left. Spun to the middle into both of them, faked the shot, both bit, stepped through, boom. I think one thing to note here though is that your fakes and shots have to go from one side to the other. Try to fake right and step through still on the right would most likely lead into a harder shot to put up.

[QUOTE=SourPatchKids]Thanks for the advice guys. Also, is there a counter move to the eurostep like if it gets too predictable for the defender? The only moves I really use in transition are pausing at the free throw then changing speed & finishing, spinning of the defender for a lay in the middle of the lane, and the eurostep.[/QUOTE]

the eurostep can leave you vulnerable for that exact reason, there aren't many things you can do.

most times a guy reads you it should be a charge. One thing Coach K always says is if you are about to make a pass can you make a ball fake before? Can you change you mind.

If you leave your feet you can't do either. Also why coaches always say pass with two hands, because you can't change your mind if you see a defender about to steal it.

knowing when to change speeds is very difficult for a lot of players. learning how to do so in the open court really helped my game thrive so kudos. I'd say just keep playing as much ball as you can, you'll learn naturally how to read and react defenses

I'm guilty for making a couple too many 1-hand passes.

[QUOTE=SourPatchKids]I'm guilty for making a couple too many 1-hand passes.[/QUOTE]

it's better to learn the hard way to tell you the truth

[QUOTE=nathanjizzle]dont cuff the ball like a running back. 2 reasons, its easy for someone to grap a hold of it. the other is it can easily be called as a carry in highschool. if you want to learn how to drive strong and properly, watch d rose.

watch the first layup. power dribble, hard 1 2 step while bringing the ball up and over from waist to waist then finish.

[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5bFtysx30o[/url][/QUOTE]
some of the shit d rose does is not even possible to copy without his athleticism. :bowdown: :bowdown:

I am the next D-[IMG]http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/thumblarge_597/13021006935Nbu5Q.jpg[/IMG]

[QUOTE=SourPatchKids]Thanks for the advice guys. Also, is there a counter move to the eurostep like if it gets too predictable for the defender? The only moves I really use in transition are pausing at the free throw then changing speed & finishing, spinning of the defender for a lay in the middle of the lane, and the eurostep.[/QUOTE]
Welp, for me, the Euro-step is my counter move to the hard drive. If a defender is not in position to square me up or set his feet while I'm in transition, I'm probably going right to the rack and finishing strong. I'm only breaking out the Euro if my defender has position and he's bought into the fact I'm likely going to try a direct route to the hoop. At that point, as we all know, the initial step of the Euro is to convince him of his prediction while the second step would be in the opposite direction of where he's headed.

Basically, I don't Euro without reason. And even then, it's always possible for the defender to make a spectacular play or to outsmart you by making you think he thought you were going all the way to the rack when he actually knew that'd lead you to Euro-stepping. At that point, there's not a whole lot that can be done. Sometimes the defense wins the chess match.

To be really honest, if you're just looking for another fast break direction change to add to the arsenal, I'd add the behind the back gather. I mean this sincerely when I say it's really not as difficult as people like to think it is. It's perfect for moments when a defender thinks he's got a beat on the ball and is playing to stop the front of your body. It's a situation where he might be able to challenge you at the rim if you go strong or strip you if you attempt a Euro. The behind the back gather allows for a seamless direction change where the defender is not allowed a play on the ball. I use it most often when a defender is overplaying one side of my body, seemingly funneling me in one direction. It's particularly effective if your showing of the ball on one side convinces the defense to go for the strip; in that case the results could look spectacular. This is a perfect example, except in full truth, the finish is usually not as complicated as Jennings made his here: [url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEy1olTfCn8[/url]

If there are multiple defenders when I do the behind the back gather should I come to a jump stop, or go up in one motion?

Dude should be moving backwards when you are getting ready to jump. Control the area around you. Lead with your body and shoulder. That means if someone is in the way, they get your shoulder before they get the ball. People shouldn't be able to step into you and block/strip you without fouling you if you play it right.

If people are stripping you from the side who aren't your defender, then you might want to pass da ball more often.

Go through people. LEARN TO LOVE CONTACT.

-Smak

[QUOTE=SourPatchKids]If there are multiple defenders when I do the behind the back gather should I come to a jump stop, or go up in one motion?[/QUOTE]

PASS.

-Smak

[QUOTE=SourPatchKids]If there are multiple defenders when I do the behind the back gather should I come to a jump stop, or go up in one motion?[/QUOTE]

you shouldn't be doing ANYTHING like that with multiple defenders on you

give the ball up, unselfishness is contagious, you'll get it back

[QUOTE=SourPatchKids]If there are multiple defenders when I do the behind the back gather should I come to a jump stop, or go up in one motion?[/QUOTE]As others have said, it's not a move made to weave through a bevy of defenders. It's a one-on-one transition move meant to counter a streaking defender looking to strip, reach, foul, or extremely force you to one side of the hoop. It's certainly not a move one can plan out 8 dribbles in advance (so no "I think I'll come down and try the behind-the-back" situations). It's just a counter to have in the back pocket. And in those cases, since I'm on the run in transition, I do not stop en route to the hoop. It's more or less a layup gather, but on the other side of your body.

Ah, okay. I know the proper thing to do if none of my teammates are down the court yet is to pull the ball out and run the offense but sometimes in games when my adrenaline is pumping my basketball iq goes down the drain. :hammerhead: I'm normally not a selfish player though.

[QUOTE=SourPatchKids]Ah, okay. I know the proper thing to do if none of my teammates are down the court yet is to pull the ball out and run the offense but sometimes in games when my adrenaline is pumping my basketball iq goes down the drain. :hammerhead: I'm normally not a selfish player though.[/QUOTE]

LOL yea adrenaline makes you feel like you're fcuking lebron sometimes
easiest way to pick up a charge or commit a turnover. Coaches see those situations coming a mile away and they tend to favor players who read it too.