Movements Of Basketball Players

The best basketball players are commonly also the best athletes with the ability to move quickly in all directions. The ability to move in any direction allows the best players to react to any play during the course of a game. Before making a movement in any direction, all basketball players start with an athletic stance that is characterized by having the feet shoulder-width apart, body weight distributed evenly and the arms and legs bent and ready to move. This position prepares the body for any movement during a game.

Vertical

Basketball players place a significant amount of emphasis on their vertical jumping ability because it is used for making jump shots, playing defense or jumping for rebounds. As a result, basketball players utilize specific training principles and movements to improve their overall jumping ability. These exercises typically include plyometrics such as squat jumps or box jumps along with lower-body strength-training exercises such as lunges, dead lifts and squats.

Lateral

Basketball players primarily use lateral shuffling movements while playing defense, but they also use side-to-side lateral running movements while playing offense as well. Improving your lateral speed and quickness can improve your overall defensive performance. You can improve your lateral movements by incorporating various agility and footwork drills using an agility ladder or orange marking cones. Add these drills to your off-season conditioning program to improve footwork along with lateral speed and quickness.

Forward

Running straight ahead is a common movement in most sports, and basketball players are no different. Forward movements for basketball, however, are mixed with bursts of acceleration and short sprints. For example, playing offense and defense involves quick, explosive forward movements, while fast breaks or transitioning from offense to defense requires a short sprint. Similar to agility and lateral training, you can improve your forward movement by training for acceleration and top speed along with improving running mechanics.

Backward

While they aren't used as much as vertical, lateral or forward movements, backward movements by basketball players allow you to get into a proper position while playing offense and defense. For example, you may have to backpedal while playing defense so you can see the ball and the offensive player. Or, you may have to move backward to receive a pass. You can improve your backward movements by performing footwork and agility drills using various backward movement patterns.