This page will cover tips on how to handle ball pressure and include effective drills that coaches can run with their teams to help players become more confident and composed under pressure.
The number one rule when you’re being pressured while dribbling is: stay calm. Panic leads to turnovers. Players who get flustered are much more likely to lose control of the ball or make poor decisions. Learning to stay composed—even when you’re being swarmed—is essential.
When you’re being pressured full court, decisiveness is key. There’s so much space on the court that, often, one sharp move is all it takes to break free. Once you’ve beaten your defender, get into your offense quickly and assess whether the defense is trying to apply additional pressure or traps.
In the halfcourt, the most common moment for added ball pressure is off a ball screen. This often happens when the defender guarding the screener “hedges” or aggressively steps out, essentially blitzing the ball handler. So how should you respond?
Retreat dribble: After using the screen, if the defense hedges but then tries to recover, a quick retreat dribble can give you space. If the defenders miscommunicate—which often happens—you may find yourself with an open jumper or a clear lane to the basket.
Slip the screen: If the defense consistently hedges, tell your screener to slip the screen quickly. This often leads to wide-open looks by lobbing the ball over the top or threading a bounce pass through the gap.
Split the hedge: This is my favorite option for a hedge-heavy defense, and is the most effective when it works. If the two defenders are parallel and leave space between them, simply just dribble the ball through that gap with one quick tight dribble. It’s oftentimes called something like a throw ahead dribble and is used a lot by Chris Paul, Jamal Murray, and Damian Lillard.
Drills to work on handling ball pressure:
Ball Screen Blitz: Set up a PnR situation in where the player guarding the roller hedges the ball handler super hard. Ball handlers practice making quick reads like splitting, retreating or a quick pass to the roller.
1v2 full court ball handling: Have two players guard one ball handler starting out of bounds in the middle of the court. The goal is for the offensive player to get past half court. Don’t do silly things like one player being lazy and just trying to poke the ball from behind, make each other better and play real defense.
Inside the Perimeter Pressure Cooker🔥: Again with two defenders the offensive player must keep their dribble alive, while staying inside the 3pt line for 30 seconds. This will help them learn how to stay out of traps and handle intense defensive ball pressure.
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