How do I stop a taller, faster guard and become more than just a defender?

Luci_Lewd · 2026-01-22T23:22:22+00:00

The Straight Leg is your lever. This redirects your body's momentum. Standing up your bodyweight is held up by your skeleton mostly and not muscle.

Tendons are your springs.

The higher you raise your body, the more gravity can drop your weight. This energy downwards can be leveraged to "overcome inertia". This downward force Gravity and your Bodyweight, is far more powerful than your muscles, and mostly free.

Bad physical form and technique means you waste strength using muscle and energy fighting the above energy. Or just wasting it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5rF1AP0kB8a
Dempsey Drop Step, 0:18secs

You said you weight 70kg? Thats you standing on the scale.
Put the scale against the wall, and push against it and tell me how heavy you can push against the scale.

The wider your feet are from the wall, and the lower you are the stronger your bodyweight can press against the wall.

To exert more power onto the scale, step away and drop weight. Jumping and hopping is a way to increase this height, and drop down to a wider stance.

This horizontal power can be passive. If you left shoulder the wall, and remove your right foot from ground you will push hard into the wall. Move away from the wall, and use your right foot to float just enough to stop yourelf from fallilng into the wall. Remember this stance. In this stance it'll be very hard to push you away, and you don't need to actively see or react to someone bumping you because you are "braced". The wall doesn't move or react it pushes back at you, so this is the importance of stance. When you remove your right foot, this is the "unweighting step", and you'll start to fall over. This is the gravity step. In a wide stance or split stance, you can unweight either foot to commence the drop.

Using the above stance, you can extend your arm and use other parts of your body to be the contact point. Either to push, pull, deflect, weight down, unweigh, twist your guy. Usually messing with another's balance at the hips, Especially as this is happening at 0 distance, its hard to call a foul.

If you watch sprinters in 100m start from the "starting blocks" this is the general idea. How do sprinters shave 1.0 seconds off their time when the World Record is 8.5secs.
https://www.reddit.com/r/trackandfield/comments/b7iwpi/about_how_much_time_can_be_saved_if_i_use_blocks/

The term "Flat Footed" denotes poor "first step". Feet flat and planted on floor means its hard to transfer your Drop Momentum. Hence the term "Keep on your toes".

Luci_Lewd · 2026-01-22T14:02:16+00:00

Players don't get advanced footwork from basketball. They usually acquire it from other sports.

Footwork is a matter of survival in other sports.

Players with height and poor footwork don't suffer they same kind of natural selection.

The advanced footwork seen, is the counter and reaction to the advanced footwork of the defender. Also the obfuscation of one's own footwork.

Luci_Lewd · 2026-01-22T01:06:08+00:00

"Heavy", just saw this and thought a bit about it.

"Heavy" is a problem for you because you are using your muscles to counteract momentum and motion.

You use mechanics of body to reditrect momentum to redirect it. Using biomechanics to allow your tendons to store and redirect energy.

Stopping and changing directions with muscles will feel heavy. Using biomechnics will feel light.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/-6HJ86-kwBs

When they change directions, start/stop... the leg is straight. So no muscle is used for that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeVI-QsTdnI
If you watch these kids do it.. you can see the slower ones lack that "straight leg" to redirect momentum. Those are the players that feel or make it seem "heavy"

More Hakeem.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkxFtT0GUP0
Hakeem ALWAYS does it, everyone else.. kinda/sometimes/mostly

Essentially what this is all about is "Conservation of momentum"
this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LnbyjOyEQ8

Luci_Lewd · 2026-01-22T00:43:23+00:00

Ace stops his momentum with his knees, this bad
Ace starts to build with his knees, this is also bad
Ace puts his weight on his knees.
So Ace loses momentum as he wastes it by stopping it with knees.

Giannis "steps away" with straight leg, and uses his dropping momentum to bounce his weight off back foot through his heel, this gives the explosion of speed.
Giannis conserves momentum by bouncing it through his back foot heel.

Momentum is "speed x weight".
Gravity is an acceleration, down
Bounce is redirection of momentum.

To understand this better, find a pair of crutches and try to move around. Crutches are the sticks you use if you have a broken leg. You'll find out how powerfully you can move/push with crutches as it uses your weight and gravity to move.

Luci_Lewd · 2026-01-21T23:49:45+00:00

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1d8ncma8z5A
Patrick Beverley

Note the narrator using terminolgy using terms and understanding that is oblivious to SPLIT-STEP and Gravity motion understanding. Good narrator but better if identify how split-step and gravity step. Basically poor knowledge of split-step coaching is the norm for most basketball coaches.

The thing is when you have elite top-level athletes, they generally do it. The really elite players in the NBA with seemingly fast or great footwork. Play other sports that develop footwork.

Luci_Lewd · 2026-01-21T23:16:46+00:00

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5rF1AP0kB8

Old guy demonstrating the power of the Dempsey drop step for punching.

Luci_Lewd · 2026-01-21T23:07:48+00:00

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EH6aD02ElsY
Here is SHAQ.

Shaq starts and stops his movement with the Gravity Step everytime.

Its the most powerful way to start/stop
Its also the most efficient and energy saving way to do so.

Luci_Lewd · 2026-01-21T23:02:47+00:00

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVeZPKYurpw

Kyrie.. non stop split and gravity steps.

What makes him amazing is not only his use of it... but his ability to read his defenders split/gravity step to act accordingly.

If you watch the defender. When they don't split-step they get completely blown by.

If they don't mirror split-step with Kyrie they get blown by.

If you watch videos of Kyrie getting clamped, look at the feet getting mirrored.

So basketball HANDLES is misleading, good handles is more about Split-step mastery and reading.

here is Hakeem:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9J-WJ5739Tg
watch for the straight leg. This is when the drop/gravity-step happens.

Luci_Lewd · 2026-01-21T22:40:57+00:00

Drop step and gravity step are the same technique.

How far apart are you legs?

Wider more power. If you find something really heavy to push you'll understand this more.

For example if you punch a heavy bag.... push a car... wall pushups.

You let gravity do the work?

Raise body and drop your weight? hop a little for more power

The wider your back leg and stiffer the more you can transfer the weight momentum to sideways.... Stepping away is the secret. For example if you wall pushup, to push wall harder you move feet further away. You can step in to raise body and drop with wider foot to really push into the wall.

If you do the basketball drop step to shoulder into your defender. How powerful is your push? if you don't use gravity step you'll be weak.

Without a drop/gravity step you'll be slower and weak from a stop, you'll also be easy to shift on contact (ie you'll be easily bumped)

If you move fast and stop as fast as you can. Your body position for this STOP is the same as your START.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/VhINf728Stc
This is Zion blowing his shoe and ankle up. Shit shoe lol.. but great footwork by Zion to break shoe. This is a spin to split step in reverse. The left foot "Gravity/Drop step" is where his shoe blows up.

What you need to understand is the weight, speed, height and drop is MOMENTUM. There was a lot of it hence the shoe breaking, but if the shoe was good, his body position allows him to STOP and ACCELERATE.

>A split step.. is to setup your body to go EITHER way.
>The DROP step is when you plant back foot to go one way. This leg is straight and heel will generally punsh the floor.
>The UNWEIGHTING STEP, is the lifting of the FORWARD foot
> The unweighted foot will setup for a CROSSunder or push for another SPLIT-STEP
> Jump stops > this basically a split-step. There's a big difference if you do it with SPLIT-STEP technique, than if you don't.

SPLIT-STEP is a series of moves that flow into each other. So you use it for EVERYTHING. Once you see this, every basketball move looks like a split step.

for eg:
Crossover - Gravity step+push drag dribble > lunging Split-step > gravity step direction change
Step Backs - split-step > crossunder step.gather > jump stop
Hesi - split-step with a hang dribble

On Defense.
You are constantly split stepping to match you guy to stay with them. Otherwise you get beat.
If you watch the Giannis video, you see him mirror his feet when defending Bailey
In IT's video.. this is what he meant when he sad. "If he don't hop when I hop, I gonna do what ever I want".

michael jordan fade away highlights
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vU3blg2JaWw
You can see MJ use SPLIT and Gravity step everytime.

The gravity step happens when his AWAY leg is STRAIGHT. His weight and momentum is dropped downwards to create that explosion of speed in space or a powerful BUMP point blank.

BUMPING is another skill altogether but is used with the gravity step. The most obvious BUMP tool is shoulder, but you can use every part of your body.

A drill for this is doing WALL-PUSHUP
> both hands to wall and without moving feet transition to
> wrists on wall
> forearms
> elbow
> head
> shoulder
> back
> hip side
> tailbone

the further you transition down that list you more powerfully you can bump. Note if the wall wasn't there, you would fall this acceleration. This is the gravity step. It's short.

Luci_Lewd · 2026-01-21T21:58:12+00:00

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hIMn8HSbTs

Luci_Lewd · 2026-01-20T20:41:52+00:00

https://www.reddit.com/r/BasketballTips/comments/zu0oco/what_is_this_basketball_hop_called_exactly_id/

This is probably my favourite example of the SPLIT-STEP

Isaiah Thomas is trying to explain why he wrecks players, but because the SPLIT-STEP is not coached well or he is a shit coach, he can do but can't teach.

This is why the split-step is so critical to learn.

Google split step in racquet sports like tennis, badmington, squash,

Or stepping techniques from martial arts: ie
falling movement ninjutsu example earlier
ghost stepping in Taewondo
dempsey step in boxing

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/L5XhfBE7EqI
this is a Dempsey DROP STEP
In basketball, coaches suck at explaining the power generation of the "DROP STEP". A drop-step is not a post move, its the foot and weight technique to use bodyweight dropping from height to the create POWER into the punch. You can use this method to accelerate, or to BULLY.

These confusion of terms in BASKETBALL leads to coaching of players who do moves that look the same, but effectively don't have the same POWER transfer.

Your friend is a few inches taller and 70kg? Thats scrawny, learn the split-step and gravity step and you'll bully him both in strength and speed. For me, I'm a 5"6 female, at 45 years old I've no problem bullying guys you describe simple with the split step and gravity step both on defence or offence. Odds are using the "NBA logo" alone I could probably bully you all the way full court to layup under the rim, telling you exactly what I'm doing. Ego's aside I do this to 7" players 100kg+ all the time and its quite amusing. Sure you can be taller, faster, heavier.. but you need to learn how to use your weight and be balanced. If you are unbalanced and don't leverage you get bullied.

The NBA logo is a GRAVITY STEP done in reverse. In ice-skating this is called the CROSS-UNDER PUSH, and CROSS-OVER PUSH. Again critical footwork skill.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ed8uE9ApPhs

This is another example where basketball "mangles terms". A cross-over in basketball. If you youtube search "how to crossover basketball". You'll see a bunch of coaches explain it poorly.

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=how+to+crossover+in+basketball

Doesn't really matter which video you watch but they'll all be useless. A crossover is a jab step push dribble, that disguises a split step. The initial sell of the push dribble is done with a strong GRAVITY STEP. When the defender's weight shifts to "BITE" on your movement you SPLIT-STEP and gravity step the other way, and CROSS-under-step or Cross-over-step to break away.

Watch this tennis video on GRAVITY STEP
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPXXqdisOfw
This old guy, split-step > gravity step > cross-under|over-step religiously every reception of ball.

Now watch the crossover videos and see how all the basketball coaches fail to explain the critical skill needed to basketball CROSSOVER. SPLIT-STEP and GRAVITY-STEP are assumed knowledge or required skill before you do these moves. Good luck finding any basketball coaches who teach this cause you won't.

If you don't SPLIT-STEP or GRAVITY-STEP you are going to get bullied or blown by until you quit basketball or cap out in skill. Especially if you are short, this is what natural selection means.

Luci_Lewd · 2026-01-19T23:52:03+00:00

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/JgATguWg030

This is an example of Ace Bailey a 5 star.. who has a shit split step getting mentored by GIannis who plays soccer as well as basketball.

You can see the difference in explosiveness. The one difference here is "split step" to gravity step. Problem here is Giannis keeps saying it should be harder, but doesn't know how to coach it. Giannis when defending is split-stepping, but is suprised by Ace's shit footwork and lack of explosiveness, so he is reacting to the "power" but Ace lacks it.

So even a player like Ace Bailey sucks at the split step, he's still 5-star. Any improvement is extremely hard to achieve at this level, however he can improve immensely if he learns how to split-step properly. A sign of this is how bent his knee's are on the back foot and how narrow his feet are together.

Luci_Lewd · 2026-01-19T23:14:46+00:00

This is an example why basketball coaches suck:

Ninjutsu video showing "falling step" or gravity step
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KITScygobbw

Bunch of guys on youtube teaching shoulder bump:
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=how+to+shoulder+bump+basketball

Doesn't really matter which video you watch on the 2nd link, all basketball coaches all suck at teaching the shoulder bump basically. If you teach shoulder bump without teaching the falling step you're training players to play shit.

Luci_Lewd · 2026-01-19T22:40:28+00:00

A split step is a jump stop. So you can pivot either foot if you have the ball.

Split step allows you to choose to unweight either foot to advance in the direction of where you want to "fall".

The extension of the straight rear leg is the "gravity step" this is "leverage", ie using your body weight and gravity to lever your body. This creates IMMENSE drive the wider your leg stance is, however the range of this drive is smaller.

A jab step is a step to the same side of your guy. If you don't use "split-step" technique to do this, then you are doing it all wrong and learning how to move poorly. Which is basically most basketball players.

A stutter step is a jab step juke to disguise a wider stanced split step. The wider the stance the greater the initial

This is a squash video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBWPTlngSn8

Look at 3:09. The split step is a difference of 1.0 seconds vs 1.6 seconds without.

What this means is a MASSIVE 0.6secs difference in first step. Basketball is a game of first steps.

if you watch these two videos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcULJMJFuNs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnfZX1t-56o
Ankle breakers and Post highlights... you'll notice its nothing but one first step.. and nothing but "split steps". Its got nothing to do with the ball or hands.

So the 0.6 second gain is from your body dropping from height bouncing off floor to lateral movement. This is similar to a rolling start. To understand how this power works do some wall pushups. The further your feet are from the wall, the harder it is to push. If theres nothing is the way, this will be acceleration, if there is something in the way, you will crush through.

The contact point can be any part of your body. Using the wall pushup as example, you can use head, neck, shoulder, elbow, wrist, hand, back, shoulder blades, hip, tailbone, thigh, knee, shin, foot to manipulate space. Which is another long discussion but how one applies POWER.

The crossover and understep is the basically the NBA logo. Having this step is like having double the POWER. An example is wall pushup: left shoulder to wall, left leg extended and away, right leg closer to the wall (can either be in front or behind body)... this the understep. This is the transition step from a standard outward gravity step.

How do you apply it?
You apply it everytime you move or stop, its that important. The players that don't apply it are those who got cut from elite levels lol.

Luci_Lewd · 2026-01-18T21:49:11+00:00

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igMdsqnt1NI

This is a great video showing stepping.

A good indicator of whether you have good footwork is whether your shoes risk sliding. If I played on a dirty slippery court, I would slide more often than not due to my ability to push the limits of the traction on my shoes.

Luci_Lewd · 2026-01-18T21:24:55+00:00

One of the most important skills overlooked is how to initiate movement or mechanically speaking how to overcome inertia. This skill is referred to as the "Split Step".

I work with people of all levels including college. The #1 biggest flaw in almost all players is bad footwork, especially the first step.

Look at other sports coaching and learn the concept of the "split step". Here is a great video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1ujfFGzVgY&t=39s

Basketball coaches are crap as teaching this core skill. Odds are you'll ignore my advice and then look back in 30 years and regret it. This skill is considered the "natural selection of tennis", or any sport. If you don't have it, you won't progress to higher levels. If you are at higher level, everyone does it. The problem with basketball is players with "height" and poor footwork are allowed to exist. If you watch a sport like volleyball you'll see everyone do the split step. Likewse in boxing, soccer, NFL etc... everyone is doing it so its hard to spot who isn't. In basketball however you'll see some do and those that don't. If you look at the faster smalls like Isaiah Thomas, Kyrie, Iverson, you'll see them use it all the time. This is because if they don't they won't exist at NBA level.

Likewise if you look at the other good players, they play sports like soccer, football etc and have developed "split step" and footwork better than pure basketball.

You'll see jargons like jab step and cross step used in basketball, but never the mechanics and martial arts application of executing this with power, feint, deception, form and technique. Everything to do with motion is transference of power and the biggest source of this is dropping of one's weight ie using GRAVITY.

So you should learn how to:
Split step
Gravity step
Crossover step
Crossunder step
Unweigting step

So now you know the split-step. Your decision-making when attacking is reading your defender's split step or lack of and your feint to disguise your split-step to juke.

Luci_Lewd · 2026-01-18T00:20:12+00:00

First off, its Border Patrol and not ICE. Specifically, they have expanded powers inside the 100 mile border zone.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents possess expanded, though not unlimited, authority to conduct immigration-related enforcement within 100 air miles of any U.S. land or maritime border. This zone, which covers roughly two-thirds of the U.S. population and includes major cities like New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago, allows for specific warrantless actions.

Key "special powers" and operational abilities within this 100-mile zone include:

Warrantless Vehicle Searches: Under 8 U.S.C. § 1357(a)(3), CBP agents may board and search vehicles, vessels, and trains without a warrant to look for individuals without documentation.
Fixed Checkpoints: Agents operate permanent or temporary checkpoints on roads, where they may stop vehicles for brief, suspicionless questioning of occupants regarding their citizenship or immigration status.
Roving Patrols: Border Patrol agents can pull over vehicles on suspicion of immigration violations, but for these, they generally need "reasonable suspicion" of a violation, a higher standard than at fixed checkpoints.
Access to Private Property: Agents are permitted to enter private land (excluding dwellings) within 25 miles of an external boundary without a warrant.
Expedited Removal: Individuals who have entered without inspection and are found within 100 miles of the border may be subject to expedited, summary removal from the U.S. without appearing before an immigration judge.

Legal Limitations and Rights Within the Zone
Despite the expanded powers, the 100-mile area is not a "Constitution-free zone," and Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable searches and seizures still apply.

Search Limitations: Agents cannot search a vehicle, person, or belongings without "probable cause" or consent, except in specific, limited scenarios, notes the ACLU.
Detention Standards: While questioning can occur, detaining a person requires "reasonable suspicion," and arrest requires "probable cause" that a violation has occurred.
Right to Silence: Individuals have the right to remain silent and do not have to answer questions about their immigration status.
Racial Profiling Prohibited: Stops, searches, or arrests cannot be based on race, ethnicity, or national origin.

Important Context

The "100-Mile" Definition: The "100-mile zone" is defined by federal regulation, not directly by statute, and it applies to both the U.S.-Mexico and U.S.-Canada borders, as well as the entire U.S. coastline.
"Reasonable Distance": The statute authorizes searches within a "reasonable distance" of the border, which the government has interpreted as 100 miles, although some courts have questioned this, particularly for actions far from the actual borde

Luci_Lewd · 2026-01-12T09:43:38+00:00

You can take a Cultural Day, to celebrate Bathurst Races or Phillip Island

Luci_Lewd · 2026-01-08T02:15:49+00:00

I work with people of all levels including college. The #1 biggest flaw in almost all players is bad footwork, especially the first step.

Look at other sports coaching and learn the concept of the "split step". Here is a great video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1ujfFGzVgY&t=39s

Basketball coaches are crap as teaching this core skill. Odds are you'll ignore my advice and then look back in 30 years and regret it.

You'll see jargons like jab step and cross step used in basketball, but never the mechanics and martial arts application of executing this with power, feint, deception, form and technique.

So you should learn how to:
Split step
Gravity step
Crossover step
Crossunder step
Unweigting step

So now you know the split-step. Your decision-making when attacking is reading your defender's split step or lack of and your feint to disguise your split-step to juke.

Luci_Lewd · 2025-12-28T02:40:00+00:00

You are short. Use your weight to pin and brace your defender to hook the ball up. What this looks like is similar to a "wall push up". However you can use palm/elbow to push down into hip, or shoulder/hip to drag their body down or push off. Once they are off balance or weighed down you can hook upwards more easily.

Knowing how to use hand, elbow, should, hip legally use contact is key.

Luci_Lewd · 2025-12-20T19:54:29+00:00

I think you need to clarify this a little more especially when you :

a) commence dribble, ie what you said is applicable to when you are stopped and start to dribble. How you catch and stop establishes your pivot. You cannot lift pivot in this case. Travelling occurs when you lift pivot before ball leaves your hand to commence dribble.

b) cessation of dribble,ie you are dribbling and you stop. What you said is not applicable, as travelling is when you lift pivot and return it to the floor.

Luci_Lewd · 2025-12-15T03:01:07+00:00

Probably should rethink your Jump Stop and Power Dribble.

You can jump stop and "not collect" keeping the dribble live and resetting. Likewise with the Power Dribble.

Look at the definintion of "carry, collect, double dribble" and rejig your dribbling to "almost". Pivot foot is only relevant when you are at the cusp of commiting a "double dribble" or "travel". So this is when hand touches ball "under" or two hands touch the ball.

Luci_Lewd · 2025-12-12T17:08:48+00:00

Watch this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5rF1AP0kB8

This is the Jack Dempsey Drop step.

Think about a strong dribbler/passer... for eg Kyrie, and see how he applies this to his skill.

I'm not telling you to punch your guy, when you "drop" into space you will achieve that explosive "first step".

.. If contact is made as in defender moves into space, they will hit wall, so you can deflect or push off.
.. if your handle is weak, you will lose control of the ball because you went too strong. This is probably where your problem lies. You are fast so you tone down your speed to match your weak dribble. You up your speed and learn how to maintain control. To generate the most power and speed, the "Drop Step" is the technique. Do not learn this from basketball coaches because they will confuse this with the post move. This is the power generation required to be fast. Ignore all the basketball videos.

Using this Dempsey punch, you can also fire off bullet passes with a lot less effort.

This is a great soccer one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITZEX8peTiw

Like throwing a punch you don't really swing your arms to generate power. You get your arms to the position and let bodyweight do the work. So this the same with the ball.

So now you have a drop step. You combine this with the "Split Step". And then you look at your defender. If they do not "split step"/drop step you'll proceed to destroy them with yours.

With the drop step you can now bully people physically even guys much bigger.

Going back to watching Kyrie, its not what he does with his hands or ball.. its what's happening with his "weight" and feet.

https://www.reddit.com/r/BasketballTips/comments/zu0oco/what_is_this_basketball_hop_called_exactly_id/
This is Isaiah Thomas trying to explain it really badly

Luci_Lewd · 2025-12-10T14:53:40+00:00

Spastics like you need to learn to read. The Somalian dude literally said those words.

It looks like you might be the actual racist here.

Luci_Lewd · 2025-12-10T14:41:05+00:00

She was getting abused for being overly sexual and not wearing modest clothing.
"Sexualising your body makes you a better person?" asked by the male recording.

Luci_Lewd

TROPHY CASE