Triple Threat Position
Coaching Youth Basketball

The TRIPLE THREAT POSITION is a term that really gets the kid's attention. They like how it sounds and it is fun to establish a position that makes you feel like a threat to the basket and the defense.

Too many times when youth players catch the basketball, the first thing they do is put it on the floor and dribble. This takes away the Triple Threat. The first thing all players should do when they receive the basketball is SQUARE to the basket and establish

TRIPLE THREAT POSTION - in this position the player can:

SHOOT
PASS
DRIBBLE

It's good to explain to the kids that in this position, you can do 3 things - SO, that's why we call it TRIPLE THREAT POSITION!

The following pictures show players in a good 3T Position

Coaching Basketball - Triple Threat Position 2

Coaching Basketball - Triple Threat Position 1

In 3T Position, we teach the first threat to always be

SHOOT THE BALL

Shooting is the biggest Threat a player can be to the defense.

Eyes on the Rim - See Orange - and make that Defender think you are going to Shoot

Being a threat to shoot first, will always make that pass or drive easier!

One of the most DIFFICULT but IMPORTANT behaviors you can teach a youth basketball player is to catch the ball, square to the basket, and establish TRIPLE THREAT POSITION!

This is difficult to teach because the kids just naturally want to go somewhere right away with the basketball. Many times they don't like the defensive pressure and immediatly dribble to get away from the defense. That's OK for now, but as we build their fundamental foundation, we will show them how we turn that defensive pressure into a huge offensive ADVANTAGE, and beat that defender. First step though, is to teach the kids to square to the basket first, before they dribble the basketball.