As you know it is basketball season and we see a lot a great athletes moving on the court. You see a higher percentage of pure lateral movement than in most sports. You see what is called the “lateral shuffle”. This is how a defender keeps the offensive player in front of them.
Notice the next time you are watching a game on TV or live what the footwork actually looks like. I want you to notice what the lead foot does during the shuffle. I want you to notice how the foot looks when the defender quickly stops or changes direction.
I think the biggest coaching tool a coach has is her or his ability to observe and evaluate. If you watch enough athletes move you will begin to recognize the commonalities of athletic movement.
When you are observing the basketball players playing defense and moving laterally notice how the lead foot turns out. Also, notice how quickly it turns in to decelerate and re accelerate the defender in a new direction. Trust me… it is correct and it is a thing of beauty. Athletes are giving pure athletic abilities to move quickly in all directions. Just because some coach 50 years ago decided it looked wrong doesn’t mean it was. You be the judge.
