Chapter 1: BODY CONTROL: THE BASICS OF STANCE

In the first chapter of Better 1 on 1 Defense, the most basic element of a good defensive player is discussed - the stance. All of the basics are covered, but of course Better Basketball takes things to a new level. For example, Coach Rick Torbett also dives into advanced concepts like using your lead hand to prohibit or discourage the offensive player from certain maneuvers. He also explains the rationale and benefits of positioning your head directly over your center of gravity, to ensure proper balance and the ability to explode in any direction.

Chapter 2: DEFENSIVE FOOTWORK: SPEED THROUGH EFFICIENCY

The video’s second chapter is its longest; and high caliber content fills up every second. Coach explains the 5 movements that every player must master to become a dominating defender. He also details how each movement is used in real game situations. You must be able to use these movements at any speed, in any direction, and you must be able to change from one to another. If you can cut a player off using the push-slide-step but you can’t take the charge, you have a weakness. If you can slide step at cheetah speed but you can’t swing step, your quickness is useless. If you can jump out of the gym but you can’t close out properly, offensive players will be drive past you with ease. But with the techniques in this chapter, you will become the defender offensive players fear!

Chapter 3: DEFENDING THE DRIBBLER

Most of the techniques in the video’s third chapter can be applied whether you’re trying to contain a cat-quick point guard in the back court, or defending a player near the basket who’s 1 dribble away from a dunk. There’s a misconception that containing a dribbler is all about speed, but that’s simply not the case. With the techniques in this chapter, you’ll learn ways to maximize your foot speed, and limit the dribbler’s options to the point that he’s no longer a threat to score.

Chapter 4: DEFENDING THE PIVOT ON THE PERIMETER

Defending a player in triple threat is the essence of 1 on 1 defense. When the ball is checked, and a player starts in triple threat, he’s in an incredibly dangerous attacking situation. So every technique in this chapter is essential to getting the edge when your man is in triple threat. To effectively stop a player in triple threat, you must be continually reading his feet, his body position, his stance, and his angle. You need every mental advantage you can get, and Better 1 on 1 Defense will give you the edge all great defensive players possess - knowledge!

Chapter 5: DEFENDING THE POST

The post area must be stopped if you want to win, as most teams score the bulk of their points just a few feet from the hoop. And at the highest levels of basketball, teams run their entire offense through their post man. When the double team arrives, the post player passes the ball out to shooters and slashers. Think Tim Duncan or Shaq. So, if you can contain or shut down your man in the post without needing the help of a double team, your value to your team and coach is immeasurable. You can take away, by yourself, the other team’s primary means of scoring! And chapter 5 contains everything you’ll need to know to becoming a dominant post defender. The chapter is divided into sections like The Foot Battle, When He Gets The Ball, and Confuse the Passer.

Chapter 6: DEFENDING THE SHOT

What should you do when your man shoots? Should you jump and try to block the shot? How about trying to distract him? Do you have the quickness to go for the strip? Or what about simply trying to get a hand in his face? The bottom line is that some of these options are effective in making your man miss, and others simply don’t get the job done. Coach Torbett goes over all these defensive strategies, and explains which ones work, and which ones don’t.

Chapter 7: WORKOUTS AND DRILLS

It’s amazing how much time we as players spend working on offensive skills - shooting, dribbling, etc. But we all know that defense wins championships. So why don’t we spend time drilling defensive fundamentals as well? For most players, the answer is simply that they don’t know what to do. Well in chapter 7, Coach Torbett will give you dozens of workouts and drills that will improve your defense. Some of them focus on the basic defensive movements from this video's second chapter. Others emphasize improving the type of foot speed and lateral quickness needed on the defensive end of the floor. And still others will drill your ability to react to the most common moves great offensive players rely upon.

Chapter 8: GAME HINTS

The Game Hints chapters on the Better Basketball videos have become extremely popular; as players discover great new secrets they can’t find anywhere else. This edition of Game Hints contains 10 items guaranteed to improve your game! The topics covered include an unorthodox way to distract a jump shooter, a method to improve your defensive quickness in the 4th quarter, the keys to stopping the crossover, a section on stopping the spin, and an entire section on defensive faking!

Better Basketball 1 On 1 Defense, 47 minutes, 2003. DVD.