Alright let’s talk about setting picks today. Wanted to get way better at it because honestly? My blocks sucked. Felt slow, clunky, and teammates kept yelling “Move!” or worse, got stuffed because I was basically a traffic cone. Decided to hammer the “set a pick” thing every day this week.
The Ugly First Tries
Started simple in my driveway Sunday morning. Just me, the ball, and an imaginary defender glued to my back. Felt stupid pretending someone was there, but needed to practice the footwork. Picked a spot near the hoop – wanted to help a pretend buddy drive to the basket.
- Planting Stomp: First tries were terrible. Jumped or shuffled sideways like a crab. Wrong. Coach always screams “Wide Base!” so I stomped my feet wide, knees bent, butt down like sitting in an invisible chair.
- Solid Brick Wall: Made myself push my chest out, arms tight across my tummy. Need to be solid, not some flimsy curtain. Held that stance hard for a couple of seconds.
- The Quick Bail: Almost forgot this part! After the stomp-and-hold, you gotta slide those feet back out fast, peel away towards the hoop. Otherwise, you’re just standing there looking lost. Took a bunch of tries just to shuffle back smooth without tripping.
Seriously, just that stomp, hold, slide routine felt like learning a weird dance. Sweaty and awkward. Kept bumping into thin air!
Bringing in Bodies
Monday night dragged my buddy Dave over. Couldn’t just yell at air anymore. Needed real defense rolling around.
- Slow Motion Slugfest: Told Dave to guard me loosely at first. Didn’t rush it. Just walked Dave tight on my hip, picked my spot far enough from his buddy – key! Too close and they just swap like nothing happened. Stomped down right as he caught up.
- Crash Test Dummy: This was the messy bit. Dave would either smash right into my side or try to shove me away. I learned to brace for impact, keep that wide base glued, hold it steady for a beat. If I wobbled, Dave sailed right past my guy.
- Timing is Everything: Took ages to get my slide-away right. Too soon? Defender dodges around me. Too late? Get called for blocking! Gotta feel that bump from the defender, then explode back towards the basket. We crashed so many times Dave threatened to go home!
Putting Pieces Together
Wednesday it finally started clicking. Didn’t overthink.
- Move, Spot, Stomp! Just dragged my defender across, saw the gap for my buddy, planted myself wide in that spot like a stubborn tree.
- Take the Hit, Hold Tight. Stopped flinching when Dave crashed. Settled in, absorbed it, stayed rock solid for that crucial second.
- Pop Out Quick. The moment I felt Dave’s weight? Shoved off sideways fast, rolled towards the hoop hands ready. Suddenly had space!
We ran this drill probably fifty times. Screwups got less. Muscle memory kicked in.
Why Practice Makes Perfect
Setting picks isn’t just standing there. It’s dragging your guy, stomping down hard, taking a bump, and bouncing away quick – all before your buddy even reacts. Looks simple, feels like herding angry cats the first hundred tries.
Doing it slow and messy, then bringing in real crashing bodies? That’s what drilled it into my thick skull. Stomp. Hold. Slide. Sounds dumb. Feels dumb. But man, making that pick stick without getting whistled? Pure gold. Felt like unlocking a cheat code by Friday. Still gotta practice, but it ain’t scary chaos anymore.
