As a coach or young athlete, developing the fundamentals of basketball is crucial for on-court success. One of the most important offensive skills a player can learn at a young age is the triple threat. This move helps players control the ball, read the defense, and make the best decision on how to attack the defense.
Whether you’re a coach teaching your team how to implement the triple threat or an athlete trying to improve your game, understanding and practicing the triple threat will make you/your team more dangerous on offense.
What is the Triple Threat? – Coach Robert Hunter
Coach Robert Hunter is a former collegiate basketball player, and coach with a passion for player development. Coach Hunter is a lifelong basketball player, and has been training youth basketball players, and assisting AAU coaches looking to improve their team performance since 2013. In this Clip from his course ‘Complete Player Development- Elevate Your Game To The Top Level’, Coach Hunter will teach the basics of the triple threat, and why it is important for your athletes to master.
The Triple Threat is a fundamental basketball position that gives players (as the name suggests) three options with the ball: shoot, dribble/drive, or pass to a teammate. Using the triple threat position, the player can threaten the defense in multiple ways from a standstill, keeping the defense on their toes and forcing them to make decisions.
Let’s break down the options of the triple threat:
Shot: The first option is always to be ready to shoot. When you’re in the Triple Threat position, you should stay in a low, athletic stance with the ball held close to your body. This will allow you to quickly get a shot off.
Dribble: If the defender is stepping up to stop the shot, the next option is to put the ball on the floor and drive to the basket. An explosive first step after the rip-through motion can catch defenders off guard and lead to a clearer path to the basket.
Pass: The last option is to pass to another teammate. Choose this option if the defense collapses on you, and leaves you no better option but to pass the ball to a teammate.
Mastering these 3 options will help players make better offensive decisions with the ball, and improve both individual and team performance on the court.
Triple Threat Position
Good form and body positioning is essential for the triple threat to be effective. Here is how to properly position yourself for the triple threat:
Knees Bent: with the ball in your hands, you always want to maintain an athletic stance. Keep your knees bent, and feet wide apart. This athletic stance will allow you to quickly explode into your shot, or past your defender keeping you prepared for anything the defense throws at you.
Ball on the Hip: If you are right-handed, you want to keep the ball close to your body on your right hip. If you are left-handed, keep the ball on your left hip. This protects the ball from defenders while keeping the ball in a position to shoot or quickly move the ball.
Eyes Up: The most important aspect of the triple threat is to keep your head and eyes up. The triple threat position is all about making smart decisions to beat the defense. Keeping your eyes up and scanning the court will allow players to make better decisions with the ball – whether it be stepping up into a shot, exploding past a defender, or finding a teammate to pass to.
Why the Triple Threat is So Important
The triple threat is a game-changer for youth basketball players for several reasons:
Control: It allows you to control the ball and dictate the pace of the game. The triple threat forces defenses to react to your next move.
Versatility: It teaches players to use a diverse skill set. Young players must learn shooting, dribbling, and passing skills. The triple threat forces young players to sharpen their skills in all three.
Confidence: By being in the triple threat position, it allows young players to make confident decisions, and to attack the defense on their terms rather than constantly reacting to the defense. Repetitions create confidence.
Team Play: The triple threat forces players to be aware of their teammates and how to best break down a defense. The triple threat fosters teamwork and creates scoring opportunities for everyone on the court.
Emphasizing the triple threat will help your athletes be more dynamic players, and make your team offense more dangerous. The triple threat is very simple but extremely effective, giving your team multiple options to attack the hoop and break down the defense for scoring chances. Encourage your young players to incorporate the triple threat into their game to improve their basketball IQ, and for your team to make better decisions with the ball under pressure.
