Engaging Defenders by Beau Kittredge
Learn how to defeat poaching defenders effectively with this drill
Setup:
A handler, A, starts near the centre of the field marked by D1. A cutter, B, starts 10m downfield, and 10m closer to the sideline. B is guarded by D2, who stands around 5m further towards the open side, poaching off B.
Rotation:
D1 > A > D2 > B
Step 1
- Setup
Pre-Requisite Drills:
Tips:
Brummie says:
Avoid running to the side of the defender; you need to run directly at them to get them to back up. If you get close and they still haven’t moved, then momentum will be enough for you to slip past them.
Once you have them on the back foot, either get behind them (to generate separation), or if they open up a lot of space, just use momentum to take that space.
Once you’ve generated a good cutting angle, be sure to think about Sealing the Lane
The angles & throwing options here are just examples; the same principle applies in much smaller spaces, against other zone or poach sets. Be creative!