Mastering the Triple Threat Basketball-A Guide to Fundamental Basketball Stance

Basketball is a game that is played after learning fundamental skills and techniques, For a young player, it’s important to improve three key fundamentals of this game which are dribbling, shooting, and passing.

Triple-threat is an offensive stance where the offensive shows the defender that can either pull up a jump, pass the ball to the teammates, or directly drive the basketball into the rim.

Triple threat basketball is a position, called a triple threat position, where a player holds the basketball with his both hands lower to the ground near his hip with one foot slightly in front of the other(pivot foot) and he can do three things:

A player is in a triple-threat position when he catches the ball and faces the basket, usually inside the three-point line. From this position, he can choose to shoot the ball, pass or move with the ball.

This position is called triple threat because a player can do any of the above three actions. This term is used to describe the forwards or guards in basketball, who’re good at scoring, passing to their teammates, and getting close to the basket. These players are very useful for their teams because they’re difficult to defend and helpful in winning the team.

Some of the most famous players like Michael Jorden, Lebron James, and Kobe Bryant were very good at this position and their opponents were scared of this.

If you’re new to the basketball sport and want to learn about triple threat basketball and other basketball fouls like goaltending etc. comprehensively, then you’re on the right spot. In this blog, you’ll learn the beginner’s guide on triple threat basketball, how to avoid common mistakes, and the proper defensive stance for the triple-threat position.

So let’s start with the beginner’s guide.

Usually, the coaches teach players that they should assume the position of triple-threat immediately after catching the ball. We can say this rule isn’t for beginners, rather it’s for expert players. Basketball is a game of quick moves and a new player can’t do such quick moves, rather he/she takes time to think and consequently stops playing. Resultantly, the flow of the game is disrupted. Instead of assuming a triple-threat position, a beginner should initiate any move to continue the flow of game.

For an effective triple-threat position, the player should stand by spreading his feet, shoulder-width apart. He should also bend his knees slightly and must be ready to shoot at any time. Moreover, he must be proficient in the following basic elements.

Basketball footwork drills. This relates to the shooting aspect of triple threat basketball. The players should practice different moves and focus on their footwork so that they can quickly and accurately shoot the ball. Further, they should practice shooting from different points on the court.

Developing court vision. Court vision is critical for passing the ball effectively. Beginners should look up the court to find opportunities to pass the ball to teammates.

Ball-handling drills. Ball handling is critical for perfectly dribbling the ball. The player should practice dribbling the ball with both hands and work on different moves to get past defenders.

The fake moves. In this, the players practice various fakes like head fakes or ball fakes to create space for a pass or shot, by confusing the defenders.

Besides these, there are some drills that basketball players should practice to improve their triple-threat position.

The catch-and-shoot drill. In this drill, the player practice catching the ball in a triple-threat position and immediately pull it up for a shot. The purpose is to make a quick move to take advantage of any opening in the defense.

Pause and follow the drill. In this, the player practice passing the ball and afterward, quickly moves into the triple threat position.

By getting expertise in the aforementioned moves, the players can use triple-threat as an effective offensive tool. Once a player becomes a master in triple threat, then he can do unlimited amounts of moves by utilizing his footwork and can easily score points for himself or create opportunities for his teammates. However, the players often face some problems such as overthinking, and improper footwork that leads to common mistakes. Here are the common mistakes while trying to perform a triple threat.

Standing too upright.

The most happening mistake is standing too upright while performing a triple threat stance. It’s recommended that players slightly bend their knees to move quickly. Conversely, standing too upright makes it harder to move quickly and easier for the defender to steal the ball.

Keeping the ball low.

Another most common mistake is that players don’t keep the ball low. The rule says that the player should hold the ball near his hip, trying to keep it away from the defender. The defenders can easily steal the ball if you fail to keep the ball low to the ground.

Improper footwork.

As previously we have mentioned that good footwork is a pre- requisite for making a triple-threat position. However, many players either fail to set a pivot foot or set the wrong foot as a pivot foot and hence they don’t make successful in creating opportunities to pass or shoot the ball to their teammates.

Not using fake moves.

Similarly, to become an effective triple threat basketball player, players must use fake moves such as head fakes, ball fakes, or shot fakes to create opportunities for passing or shooting the ball. If they fail to use fake moves or use them inefficiently, then they can’t create scoring opportunities for their teams.

Over-dribbling and lack of court vision.

In addition to the previously-mentioned mistakes, the players fail in executing a triple-threat position due to over-dribbling and the lack of court vision. Usually, a player over-dribbles the ball when he takes time in thinking and fails to take a quick decision. Consequently, the ball is taken by the defenders. Conversely, a lack of court vision limits his ability to read the defender and anticipate the openings to make the moves.

Up till now, we have discussed different aspects of triple-threat basketball from the offensive side.

In Basketball training,  every Basketball player should practice a lot to execute triple threat effectively as an offensive stance, but for becoming an all-rounder, he should also master a defensive stance as well. In other words, he must know how to steal the ball from a triple-threat offensive player.

So let’s take a quick comparison of both offensive and defensive triple-threat stances.

First, we recall the triple threat position. You must have your feet shoulder wide apart, with bend knees, and holding the ball lower to the ground near your hip trying to keep it away from the defender. 

Now, we come to the defensive stance.

In a defensive stance, your position will be almost the same; with bending knees and your feet shoulder wide apart. However, you should move your hands actively. Your hand’s movement will depend on the ball carrier’s position. If the ball is held up, your hands should also be up. In case he dribbles the ball, your hands will be in the palms down position.

Additionally, you must move your feet quickly without traveling on them. By doing so, you can confront the offensive players and prevents them from making successful moves. 

Triple threat is an offensive position that is only performed by players that have excellent offensive skills such as shooting, passing, and dribbling and who can also move well with the ball. It also requires a lot of confidence and quick decision-making ability.

By using fake moves along with the above-mentioned skills, a player can successfully execute an effective triple threat, giving an advantage to the offensive team by creating scoring opportunities.