Changing One’s Stance to Improve Defensive Quickness

by Brian McCormick · 1 comment

As I have written previously, tennis movement and basketball movement are similar. A physical therapist sent me this video which examines the “high set” position and the Harvard University tennis team.

Now, basketball differs from tennis because of the presence of fakes and other aspects, so there is not a linear argument from tennis footwork to basketball footwork. However, they are related. If the high set works for tennis and improves movement economy and quickness in tennis, is the same true in basketball?

What is the best defensive position? Is it easy to move in a low stance? When I played, I spent hours at practices and camps with coaches yelling at us to sit lower in a stance. Did it make us better defensively? Did the lower position make us quicker?

The low set position is the norm in tennis. It is almost unthinkable to suggest otherwise, just as standard wisdom dictates an exaggeratedly low stance for defense in basketball. However, is that the most efficient stance? Does it produce the quickest movement?

{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }

Greg Yoder December 31, 2011 at 12:41 pm

If a player has the ability to stay ‘high set” without losing the offensive player
that would be great.
The player would not fatigue as quickly and their wear and tear would lessen.

I believe that if a player knows when to engage “low set” and disengage ‘high
set” they would be better ablle to compete in a 1v1 setting.
Now if you can take “that” to a short-sided game then to a transition game
then advantages could be made.
Still “Nose over Toes” whenever starting or stopping are always required.
Like the the ideas. See you under the Sun.

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