Basketball Defensive Skills

$5.00

The Basketball Defensive Skills IQ Matrix will help you master the fundamentals of how to improve your basketball defensive skills. The game of basketball may very well be won on the offensive end of the floor. After all, a team must score to win the game. However, on the flip side, the end result is always heavily influenced by the defensive pressure that a team is able to exert on their opponents. No matter how well drilled a team is offensively, there will be times when they will struggle to shoot the ball. And during such times, that’s when they will need to rely on their defense to get them through the game.

Working through this mind map, you will learn what it takes to become an exceptional defensive player. Specifically, you will discover the basics of defensive footwork, body positioning, and how to apply defensive pressure on the floor in various scenarios.

Who is this map for?

  • Anyone who coaches basketball at a junior level.
  • Anyone who is passionate about improving their basketball skills.
  • Anyone who would like to know how to become a better defender.

“The idea is not to block every shot. The idea is to make your opponent believe that you might block every shot.”  Bill Russell


SKU: IQX0029s Category: Tags: ,

The Basketball Defensive Skills IQ Matrix will help you master the fundamentals of how to improve your basketball defensive skills. The game of basketball may very well be won on the offensive end of the floor. After all, a team must score to win the game. However, on the flip side, the end result is always heavily influenced by the defensive pressure that a team is able to exert on their opponents. No matter how well drilled a team is offensively, there will be times when they will struggle to shoot the ball. And during such times, that’s when they will need to rely on their defense to get them through the game.

Working through this mind map, you will learn what it takes to become an exceptional defensive player. Specifically, you will discover the basics of defensive footwork, body positioning, and how to apply defensive pressure on the floor in various scenarios.

Here is a quick breakdown of each branch of the Basketball Defensive Skills mind map.

  • Defensive Stance Fundamentals: The first branch of this map provides a breakdown of the fundamental principles behind the basketball defensive stance. Here you will discover how to use your feet and hands to gain maximum leverage over your opponent.
  • Defensive Footwork: The second branch of this map explores the basics of defensive footwork. Specifically, the branch breaks down how to slide, how to close-out, how to take charges, and how to execute a swing step.
  • General Defensive Tips: The final branch of this map presents you with numerous guidelines to help you become a defensive genius on the basketball court. Here, you will learn exactly what to do and how to defend your opponent when they don’t have the ball, when they do have the basketball, when they pick up their dribble, and when they’re shooting the ball.

This map provides a roadmap and framework for developing your basketball defensive skills. Referencing it regularly and committing it to memory will help you to embed these concepts and ideas into your subconscious mind.

A mind map, of course, does this beautifully because it mirrors the synaptic connections made in your brain as you try to establish new habits of thought and behavior. It brings together key concepts and ideas that help your brain to fully integrate and process this information. The brain, subsequently, rewires itself as it attempts to establish new habits of mind. It’s an ideal tool for creating lasting change and transformation.

Stick with these principles, memorize and incorporate them into your basketball training regime, and you will progressively improve your agility, footwork, and understanding of what it takes to become an elite defender.


When you purchase the Basketball Defensive Skills IQ Matrix you will receive:

  • A PDF copy of the IQ Matrix, which you can use for printing in high resolution.
  • A JPG image file of the IQ Matrix, which is ideal for viewing on tablets and mobile devices.
  • A Desktop Background version of the map you can use for reference on your computer.
  • A MindManager file for those who wish to edit the content of the IQ Matrix.
  • A printable PDF summary of this IQ Matrix to help you better understand each concept.

Additional visual resources and variations of this IQ Matrix might be added to your account page at no extra cost in the future.

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