From the Archives: Five Simple and Effective Moves

By Tom Sadler

Coach Sadler shares five areas of focus to help you become a better player...

Let’s start with something that every player needs to ingrain in to their mind… You can never stop improving your game!

Whether you are someone who is starting out or you are a seasoned veteran, it is so important to workout in your own time. When you take charge of this you can and will improve as well as keep your game sharp.

With this said you don’t need to reinvent the wheel. One of my favourite rules is to keep it simple. The more you work something, the more effective it will be become, the more shots you put up, the more likely you are to make them, the more ball handling work you do the less turnovers you’ll commit…. Simple but effective practice can be so helpful in making you a nightmare matchup on the court.
The moves below are just that, simple yet effective and when used correctly can be used with the purpose of creating an offensive advantage for both yourself and your teammates.


I must emphasise that these moves do not involve over dribbling.

Crossover Dribble – One of the most basic moves in basketball, but highly effective. To clarify there are not only some variations of the basic cross over but also there are lots of counters to it. 

• When practicing the cross over your dribble should be hard and with a purpose (this will also help you to improve your ball handling).

• The dribble should be fast and you should constantly stay in a low position.

•  Be sure to explode quickly out of the move pushing off your outside foot.

Behind the Back- Again a very basic but effective move with many counter moves that you can add as your game develops and improves. This move can allow you to change directions by dribbling the ball behind your back protecting the ball from your defender. Footwork is critical here.

• The behind the back dribble begins as the outside leg is back and just beginning to move forward, and the ball needs to get all the way over to the opposite hand.

• The key to an effective behind the back dribble is to keep moving forward. 

• The arms and legs need to be coordinated so that the ball can get to where it needs to go. For some this is an advanced skill, but most effective point guards have it.

In and out move- one of my favourite moves to do, and is very effective in freezing the defender and forcing them to get caught out of position allowing lanes to attack. Very simple move that can be done with either hand.

• Dribbling the ball low, moving forward, and getting the ball all the way over to your opposite knee that should be at that time your lead foot,

• Your lead foot will then become the foot you use to push off with and explode away from the defender leaving them out of position.
• A great counter for this is a cross over after the in and out if they don’t bite on the original move.

Shot fake- one of the most underused but most effective moves in basketball, why shoot the ball under pressure? How many times have you heard coach’s say ‘’sell the move’’, well it’s no secret that if you can ‘’sell the move’’ well enough and get the defender to buy it, you’ll be able to create space for yourself all day long that will always allow you create an offensive advantage.

Step back-a lot of coaches will never teach their players this move, however if taught correctly can be a very effective move that will allow the player to create space allowing a shooter an open jump shot without pressure from the defence. The step back should not fall in to a fade away jump shot, but should step back to an on balance shot.

• To create the advantage the player with the ball should look to attack the defensive player planting either foot directly in to the space in which he is heading, forcing the defender to anticipate and get to spot hoping to cut off the play.
• With the offensive players lead foot planted, they then use this foot to explosively push off with to jump back in to open space, on balance for a jump shot. 

When teaching this move I always have the players catch in stance, shot fake, in to one dribble step back shot. You should really look to get somewhere with the one dribble, try and cover as much ground as possible in the least amount of dribbles.
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