The art of blocking out fatties

[MikeWaters]

I was playing a stake basketball game last night. The other team had a 6'6" guy, probably weighed 240. They had some other guys in the 5'10" - 6" range, none of them lean, and all of them could play decent ball.

When 240 is leaning on me, I can't do anything about it really. To stop from going under the basket, you have to get really low. But when you are low, and the guy has a significant height advantage, you aren't getting the ball.

Really, the only way to fight back against these guys (and they are fouling IMO when they are shoving you from behind), is to get vicious. I didn't get vicious, but I thought about it. So it is a fast-break type situation, their guy puts up a jumper, 6'6" guy is charging down the lane for the rebound. I lean into him and ride his hip hard and he goes splat on his face. I got called for the foul but I managed to get in to the ref "he's running me over!" I knocked the guy over a second time, when he was under the basket shooting a 2 footer. 10 seconds left, they are up by 10, and this pussy screams for a foul on a made basket. "He got my hand!!" I somehow managed to bang my knee into him that time, and it was throbbing until I went to bed.

Of course, what I am getting to, is that you really have to throw yourself into the guy, and if that isn't sufficient, and they are still fouling you, you got to get the elbow in. If the message still isn't received, go high with the elbows. Be prepared the throw down in defense. The high road is to play it off, not respond, and get the other guy thrown out.

When I was younger, when we practiced 9th grade basketball...I was known as being pretty vicious on the boards, esp. for my size. You know the OL who keeps blocking til after the whistle and pile drives the guy into the ground? I would block people out from under the basket til they were outside the 3 point line. They hated me.

When people tell me they never liked basketball, I don't understand them. It really is the thinking man's sport.

[myboynoah]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

I was playing a stake basketball game last night. The other team had a 6'6" guy, probably weighed 240. They had some other guys in the 5'10" - 6" range, none of them lean, and all of them could play decent ball.

When 240 is leaning on me, I can't do anything about it really. To stop from going under the basket, you have to get really low. But when you are low, and the guy has a significant height advantage, you aren't getting the ball.

Really, the only way to fight back against these guys (and they are fouling IMO when they are shoving you from behind), is to get vicious. I didn't get vicious, but I thought about it. So it is a fast-break type situation, their guy puts up a jumper, 6'6" guy is charging down the lane for the rebound. I lean into him and ride his hip hard and he goes splat on his face. I got called for the foul but I managed to get in to the ref "he's running me over!" I knocked the guy over a second time, when he was under the basket shooting a 2 footer. 10 seconds left, they are up by 10, and this pussy screams for a foul on a made basket. "He got my hand!!" I somehow managed to bang my knee into him that time, and it was throbbing until I went to bed.

Of course, what I am getting to, is that you really have to throw yourself into the guy, and if that isn't sufficient, and they are still fouling you, you got to get the elbow in. If the message still isn't received, go high with the elbows. Be prepared the throw down in defense. The high road is to play it off, not respond, and get the other guy thrown out.

When I was younger, when we practiced 9th grade basketball...I was known as being pretty vicious on the boards, esp. for my size. You know the OL who keeps blocking til after the whistle and pile drives the guy into the ground? I would block people out from under the basket til they were outside the 3 point line. They hated me.

When people tell me they never liked basketball, I don't understand them. It really is the thinking man's sport.

I always thought when you're thinking, you're not playing. You probably mispoke. You are correct about rebounding, but I bet your approach is more a response to years of playing and being conditioned to the contact, how the ball is shot, where it will come off the rim or backboard, and a sense for where your opponents are relative to where you think the ball will end up. You don't think that through each shot.

I'm trying to teach my son to rebound. So far he's a bit of a milquetoast under the basket. But I'm still proud of him.

[MikeWaters]

sometimes you have to think, when your instinct isn't carrying you to success.

My old bball coach was old-school bob knight-philosophy. we spent a lot of time on rebounding and defense.

that's why i hate teammates who don't know fundamentals of defense, like help-side defense.

[myboynoah]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

sometimes you have to think, when your instinct isn't carrying you to success.

My old bball coach was old-school bob knight-philosophy. we spent a lot of time on rebounding and defense.

that's why i hate teammates who don't know fundamentals of defense, like help-side defense.

I bet you replace Boylen in four years.

Your experience reminded me of a church ball game years ago. The other team had a guy about 6'5" that towered above the rest of us and dominated the first half. He didn't have the greatest shot, but he rebounded everything and put it back in. I took it upon myself to take care of that the second half and made it a point to keep him on my butt the rest of the night. He noticed and made a few comments, but nothing confrontational; actually very good natured.

I don't know whether we ended up winning or losing, but I do remember that game. I love boxing out and rebounding. You can get away with a lot under the basket.

[MikeWaters]

they killed us on the pick and roll.

I was guarding their point, big guy picks then rolls. we switched but me covering the big guy with a pass nine feet up in the air, while leaning on me, I didn't have a chance without back-side help. and of course there was none.

One other thing that annoys me about this team is that I'm the only one passing. We had one non-member who was excellent taking the ball to the rim and finishing. However he never passed. Our best player forced up a lot of contested shots and missed a lot and never looked to pass.

Yes, we lost. If the other team plays as a team, and your team doesn't, most of the time you are going to lose. Because when it is 1 vs. 5, it is the 5 that are going to win.

[K-dog]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

I was playing a stake basketball game last night. The other team had a 6'6" guy, probably weighed 240. They had some other guys in the 5'10" - 6" range, none of them lean, and all of them could play decent ball.

When 240 is leaning on me, I can't do anything about it really. To stop from going under the basket, you have to get really low. But when you are low, and the guy has a significant height advantage, you aren't getting the ball.

Really, the only way to fight back against these guys (and they are fouling IMO when they are shoving you from behind), is to get vicious. I didn't get vicious, but I thought about it. So it is a fast-break type situation, their guy puts up a jumper, 6'6" guy is charging down the lane for the rebound. I lean into him and ride his hip hard and he goes splat on his face. I got called for the foul but I managed to get in to the ref "he's running me over!" I knocked the guy over a second time, when he was under the basket shooting a 2 footer. 10 seconds left, they are up by 10, and this pussy screams for a foul on a made basket. "He got my hand!!" I somehow managed to bang my knee into him that time, and it was throbbing until I went to bed.

Of course, what I am getting to, is that you really have to throw yourself into the guy, and if that isn't sufficient, and they are still fouling you, you got to get the elbow in. If the message still isn't received, go high with the elbows. Be prepared the throw down in defense. The high road is to play it off, not respond, and get the other guy thrown out.

When I was younger, when we practiced 9th grade basketball...I was known as being pretty vicious on the boards, esp. for my size. You know the OL who keeps blocking til after the whistle and pile drives the guy into the ground? I would block people out from under the basket til they were outside the 3 point line. They hated me.

When people tell me they never liked basketball, I don't understand them. It really is the thinking man's sport.

When boxing out bigger guys I like to box out starting with my forearm. Then I rotate into them, pushing them with my hip and butt, finally sealing them with the opposite arm elbow. It allows me to hit them 3 or 4 times in a single block out. Most people won't put up with that for long without retaliating.

[MikeWaters]

Originally Posted by K-dog

When boxing out bigger guys I like to box out starting with my forearm. Then I rotate into them, pushing them with my hip and butt, finally sealing them with the opposite arm elbow. It allows me to hit them 3 or 4 times in a single block out. Most people won't put up with that for long without retaliating.

thanks I'll have to try this.

in other news, at work, there is a guy who is very vocal about the fact the doesn't want me to guard him. He is the guy whose nose I broke. So I've started talking some smack to him. He threatened me last time, he said "if you put your face in front of me, you're going to catch my elbow." I said "go for it." Which basically means that he is intimidated and I am not. It's all in good fun.

[K-dog]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

thanks I'll have to try this.

in other news, at work, there is a guy who is very vocal about the fact the doesn't want me to guard him. He is the guy whose nose I broke. So I've started talking some smack to him. He threatened me last time, he said "if you put your face in front of me, you're going to catch my elbow." I said "go for it." Which basically means that he is intimidated and I am not. It's all in good fun.

Nice.

I had a coach in High School who said that you have 5 fouls because you should hit someone on purpose every quarter and you still wouldn't foul out. I don't play that way anymore but it sure works when you do.

[Flystripper]

Originally Posted by K-dog

When boxing out bigger guys I like to box out starting with my forearm. Then I rotate into them, pushing them with my hip and butt, finally sealing them with the opposite arm elbow. It allows me to hit them 3 or 4 times in a single block out. Most people won't put up with that for long without retaliating.

I subscribe to similar technique. I have found that they either retaliate or they back down. I would also say that 90% of players in pick up situations back down and make rebounding a fairly easy task for the rest of the night. You have to be VERY strong with the initial forearm and the followthrough with the other elbow completing the move is key.

Oh yeah you better not be a wuss because it is likely that the 10% who retaliate will do so with force.

[MikeWaters]

Originally Posted by Flystripper

I subscribe to similar technique. I have found that they either retaliate or they back down. I would also say that 90% of players in pick up situations back down and make rebounding a fairly easy task for the rest of the night. You have to be VERY strong with the initial forearm and the followthrough with the other elbow completing the move is key.

Oh yeah you better not be a wuss because it is likely that the 10% who retaliate will do so with force.

actually a guy kinda did this to me the other day. He put his forearm right in my chest. I shoved him immediately afterward. He whined. Which means I won.