Simple post defense guide

[ShotFake]

Here is a simple post defense guide for the following positions: SW, SF, PF.

The following guide will help you to guard the most common post shot attempts including: dunks, layups, and jumpers. I do not claim to be a great post defender, this is just a set of rules that have helped me along the way.

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General tips:

• Never guess, ever. While guessing can get a you few blocks here and there (~14%), you will be able to block at a much more consistent and higher rate when concentrating, positioning yourself, and reacting properly.
• Concentrate on the feet/heels of your opponent to get the earliest tell on direction of dunk/layup or if your opponent is shooting a jumper.
• Draw an imaginary straight line going from the scorer to the rim and stay on that line at all times.
• Camera zooms in = dunk, camera doesn't zoom in = layup. Have your default timing be dunk block timing, slow down to layup when needed.
• Hold down inputs aggressively, do not tap.
• Concentrate, and remember to breathe.

Post defense guide:

• If the scorers position is middle*:
  • Position: Draw an imaginary line going from the scorer to the rim and stay on that line at all times. You should be about half way between rim and scorer.
  • Focus on: Heel of scorer & camera.
  • If camera zooms in:
    • Inputs:
      • left dunk: left
      • right dunk: right
      • straight dunk: down or none
    • Movement: do not move.
    • Timing: very fast.
  • If camera does not zoom in:
    • Inputs:
      • left layup: left + up
      • right layup: right + up
      • straight layup: up
      • Jumper: If heel leaves ground only: down + shift.
    • Movement:
      • layup: two steps up.
      • jumper: two steps down.
    • Timing: medium (enough to react to camera not zooming).
• If scorers position is right**:
  • Position: Draw an imaginary line going from the scorer to the rim and stay on that line at all times. You should be about half way between rim and scorer.
  • Focus on: Heel of scorer & camera.
  • If camera zooms in:
    • Inputs:
      • left dunk: left + down
      • right dunk: right + up
      • Straight dunk: none or left + up
    • Movement: do not move.
    • Timing: Very fast
  • If camera does not zoom in:
    • Inputs:
      • left layup: left + up
      • right layup: right + up or up
      • straight layup: left + up
      • Jumper: If heel leaves ground only: down + right + shift.
    • Movement: two steps: left + up
    • Timing: medium (enough to react to camera not zooming).
• If scorers position is left***:
  • Position: Draw an imaginary line going from the scorer to the rim and stay on that line at all times. You should be about half way between rim and scorer.
  • Focus on: Heel of scorer & camera.
  • If camera zooms in:
    • Inputs:
      • left dunk: left + up
      • right dunk: right + down
      • Straight dunk: none or right + up
    • Movement: do not move.
    • Timing: very fast
  • If camera does not zoom in:
    • Inputs:
      • left layup: left + up or up
      • right layup: right + up
      • straight layup: right + up
      • Jumper: If heel leaves ground only: down + left + shift.
    • Movement: two steps: right + up
    • Timing: medium (enough to react to camera not zooming).

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*Middle = scorer is in the paint (rectangle).
**Right = scorer is to the right of the paint (outside and right of the rectangle).
***Left = scorer is the the left of the paint (outside and left of the rectangle).

[ShotFake]

I would be interested to see if anybody disagrees with anything said here.

[ShotFake]

Work in progress, might make full sentences...

[NikeSB--Zay]

+1 .

[Valioa]

I would be interested to see if anybody disagrees with anything said here.

I dont really disagree at all, but when the opponent is on the right or left side of the rim (diagonal), and they shoot as you are between him and the rim, you don't have to press down+right or down+left, you can simply run down and block as well, which is more simple. But just a suggestion, try it out for yourself with a friend to check, I may be wrong here.

NOTE: I used a PF to do the down arrow only block, so yea... idk about other positions doing this.

[Valioa]

Also, stickied, very important information here that will help anyone out in the long run.

[soldier king]

I would say ShotFake is one of top blockers I've ever seen when you stand still and you dunk/iso in paint. Taught me about blocking side dunks which I didn't know and using the diagonal input.

Also key on the heels best tip all pro's should use.

People say don't guess ever, but I think it's tough when movement throws you off, and the isoer has super long range.
I definitely think a part of this game is guessing (or team blocks, where teammates block one thing and you block another or backs you up in some way when you take risk), but I think if you practiced enough you could definitely get patterns down.

Can't wait to see ShotFakeSF in the tournament .

[soldier king]

one other tip I'd add is that when they are in the post circle (dotted line half circle in paint), then their input for dunk/layup is up right or up left, if they are outside the circle, it becomes a side dunk with up or left/right, might help you a bit on the angles

[KobeBlaise]

Love the zoom in or not zoom for dunk/layup technique. That's true.

I do have a theory that the player should be moving at all time to create momentum to block the player. Especially dunks. Being the blocker on SF, you have to keep moving to get to the spots to block the dunk. I believe using momentum would build to helps increase the block range when you go at it.

Last tips: Stay in the "U" shaped under the basket. (1st picture below)

Which means is you stand under the basket and move around like an "U" shaped direction around the basket while following the player/basket in a straight line. That is to maximize the closeness of blocking the player's dunk/layup without leaving your post defense zone area.

(How to tell if you're using momentum block? Take off power block and move around and then block with movement. That will do a "FS1 Flapper alike" animation, which I think helps with range and not being knock down with tussle.)
BTW - if you're on PF/C - use Power Block tho. It's a MUST.

EDIT: Found a perfect picture from the Legendary "Wun" from OBT on being in the "U" Shaped.


As Charles mentioned "Position: Draw an imaginary line going from the scorer to the rim and stay on that line at all times. You should be about half way between rim and scorer."

Although, 2nd picture below is not in post, but it applys to everything.


Love the guide, Charles, great fkn work!!!

[ShotFake]

I dont really disagree at all, but when the opponent is on the right or left side of the rim (diagonal), and they shoot as you are between him and the rim, you don't have to press down+right or down+left, you can simply run down and block as well, which is more simple. But just a suggestion, try it out for yourself with a friend to check, I may be wrong here.

NOTE: I used a PF to do the down arrow only block, so yea... idk about other positions doing this.

You are totally right about that. I'll add it to the guide.

[exilegod]

Every pic that blaise posts is ghetto af

Anyways good guide could use pics though!

[ShotFake]

I would say ShotFake is one of top blockers I've ever seen when you stand still and you dunk/iso in paint. Taught me about blocking side dunks which I didn't know and using the diagonal input.

Also key on the heels best tip all pro's should use.

People say don't guess ever, but I think it's tough when movement throws you off, and the isoer has super long range.
I definitely think a part of this game is guessing (or team blocks, where teammates block one thing and you block another or backs you up in some way when you take risk), but I think if you practiced enough you could definitely get patterns down.

Can't wait to see ShotFakeSF in the tournament .

You are completely right about the team blocks.

To be honest, I accidently guess all the time. Sometimes it works out in my favor, but usually I notice that I miss blocks because I blindly tried to block them without concentrating. Because of this, it's a good habit to always remind yourself not to guess.

[ShotFake]

one other tip I'd add is that when they are in the post circle (dotted line half circle in paint), then their input for dunk/layup is up right or up left, if they are outside the circle, it becomes a side dunk with up or left/right, might help you a bit on the angles

Pro tip, not sure that I understand it completely though.

[ShotFake]

Love the zoom in or not zoom for dunk/layup technique. That's true.

I do have a theory that the player should be moving at all time to create momentum to block the player. Especially dunks. Being the blocker on SF, you have to keep moving to get to the spots to block the dunk. I believe using momentum would build to helps increase the block range when you go at it.

Last tips: Stay in the "U" shaped under the basket. (1st picture below)

Which means is you stand under the basket and move around like an "U" shaped direction around the basket while following the player/basket in a straight line. That is to maximize the closeness of blocking the player's dunk/layup without leaving your post defense zone area.

(How to tell if you're using momentum block? Take off power block and move around and then block with movement. That will do a "FS1 Flapper alike" animation, which I think helps with range and not being knock down with tussle.)
BTW - if you're on PF/C - use Power Block tho. It's a MUST.

EDIT: Found a perfect picture from the Legendary "Wun" from OBT on being in the "U" Shaped.


As Charles mentioned "Position: Draw an imaginary line going from the scorer to the rim and stay on that line at all times. You should be about half way between rim and scorer."

Although, 2nd picture below is not in post, but it applys to everything.


Love the guide, Charles, great fkn work!!!

Nice find on the pics.

As for the moving around, I tend to always stay in movement by "twitching"back and forth slightly.

I have also noticed that movement + shift increases block range tremendously, especially when blocking jumpers. We have all whitnested this when PF range block perimeter shooters.

[ShotFake]

Every pic that blaise posts is ghetto af

Anyways good guide could use pics though!

Thanks, I think I will slowly update it.