Why You Should NOT Step Slide On Defense

In this video clip from Man To Man Defense with Jim Huber, Jim talks about the step slide and how it can make you slower and less explosive.
And he explains a better alternative that will make your players quicker and more explosive when guarding the ball.
As mentioned in the video, sliding your back leg on the defensive slide can give you two problems.
You won’t be explosive without pushing off your trail leg.
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MORE DETAILS ON WHY YOU SHOULD NOT STEP SLIDE ONDEFENSE:
Since you gain power from your trail leg to push and explode in the direction you want to go, sliding your back leg will reduce your ability push off explosively and slide at an optimal speed.
Friction slows you down.
When you slide your back leg against the ground, this creates friction. Friction naturally slows you down. And this is the last thing you want when you’re guarding an offensive player. You need the ability to explode in any direction.
That’s why we emphasize pushing or exploding off your back leg.
Hopefully, these tips will help you become a better defensive player.
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Leave a comment… let us know if you have a question!

[@carlcochran7074]

this is a great technique... It works much better for balance than the slide step. must teach the controlled short movement for quick changes in direction. really like it

[@andreitolentino8049]

This is great help. I always felt like stepping and sliding was more on hardwood and not on asphalt so I usually go for skip and slide. I'll try this out and see how this'll work.

[@dougconley]

Whatever moves a player lateral the quickest is what I coach. Push step, slide, whatever works best for the player.

[@chrisanteola9896]

I dont agree this is correct technique. But I praise the coaching. The reason I don't agree is that the step slide emphasis is so you don't use strength/power from the inner sliding leg to push the outer stepping leg the direction you want to go. The step slide is to first use power from the directional outer stepping leg and then pull the inner sliding leg in to reachieve a 2 point stance balance. This allows quicker change of direction bc it exerts little to no energy to slide the innee sliding leg and can be easily switched to the stepping leg. Imagine an offensive player that jab steps you one direction and then drives to the other. You as a defender pushed all your power from your inside leg to the outer directional stepping leg. This causes this outer stepping leg to use energy to do the short stop. Then when you try to switch directions, this same leg has to create energy to push the other direction. You will be slower in reaction time in switching direction. The step slide allows the inner leg to not use much energy on the slide so when switching directions the inner sliding leg can easily become the stepping leg. Also, the slide doesn't mean drag your feet, it means to move your inner leg sideways without picking your foot up too high. Just my analysis.

[@BreakthroughBBall]

Appreciate the thoughts as you bring up some good points and it helps elevate the thinking behind this particular topic. The way that I saw Step-Slide taught was where coaches literally dragged the back leg. And there are definitely pros and cons to every way that you teach. However, from studying game footage of the best defenders and research on movement mechanics, I would need to some thorough research and video footage supporting that idea. If they don't need to move as far, they just push off their back leg with less force. That's the way I've seen it done. Just like with any other movement, through repetition, athletes naturally learn how much force to produce. And I don't like to teach two different ways to slide because the push step is DEFINITELY needed at times. It seems to me that it's too much to think about. I don't want my players to think whether they should step-slide or push step. I want them to play instinctually.

[@Harry_Kuntz.]

DUDE HOW U WRITE ALL DIS STUFFS?!

[@robertmciver817]

I disagree. The push step is quicker with the power coming from the back foot. Helps players jump to the ball. Callapari also coached this at Kentucky.

[@modiggidybeats]

Amen

[@peterhamouroudis7467]

Maaannnn this is just clinic talk!!

[@babdiouf]

Fantastique

[@jonathantran20]

Pros and cons included = push step is the most effective way to get in front an offensive player (laterally). Push step is the best way to get to where the offensive player will be

[@cookiemonsta2047]

This dude dancing lmfao 😂

[@angelo_got_shots9045]

Good luck on that slide during the game, it will take a lot of energy and the player who you depending will leave you dry!

[@modiggidybeats]

Hell naw. This will get you burned if you’re not prepared. Nothing beats step, slide, step. You can cover more ground. This sh*t looks like you’re getting burned on the baseline everytime

[@banegregoric]

that is actually slides what are you doing... nobody sliding any more with 2nd feet... that is slide :)

[@tarynstewart1719]

boringggggggg!

[@aussiesurfer805]

b/ball ammaaateeeuurr ... it's a fundamental dude - you can't do it well , you don't progress and make teams, simple as that ... hopefully you've learnt that in the two years since your post :) .. or on the other hand perhaps your trolling was so good, I got caught 2 years later ... if so - bravo to you my good sir - bravo to you ...