Tactics & Strategy Designers

The standard 14-zone breakdown. The court is divided into 14 zones: 6 at the rim, 4 in the mid-range, 4 from three. Click each zone you've shot from and enter your FG% + sample size (number of attempts).

Color scale.

• Green ≥ 50% (above break-even for 2PT, very good for 3PT)
• Yellow 35–50% (mid-range acceptable, 3PT mediocre)
• Orange 20–35% (work on it)
• Red < 20% (consider abandoning or major rework)

Sample size thresholds. A 60% zone with 4 attempts is not a real signal. The plan shows a small flag if zone attempts are below a reasonable threshold. Recommended minimums:

• 15+ attempts at the rim (high variance, smaller samples OK)
• 25+ attempts in mid-range (lower variance, more reps needed)
• 30+ attempts from three (eFG noise dominates below this)

Where the map is most useful. Comparing your game-by-game and finding zones where you're good but under-utilized, vs zones where you shoot a lot but aren't efficient. The classic insight is "shoot more from the corner, less from the top of the key".

Should I include defended vs open shots separately? Yes, if you can. Click the same zone twice — first entry for open, second for contested. The tool labels them by F% diff. If you can't separate, note that in the export.

What counts as the "break-even" line for 3PT? 33.3% (since a made 3 = 1.5 made 2s). 36–38% is comfortably above break-even after accounting for offensive rebounds and fouls drawn.

Is there an ideal map shape? For most players: high FG% at rim (55%+), low mid-range (35–42%), moderate 3PT (32–40%), with corner 3 typically higher than above-break 3. Bigs skew toward rim, guards skew toward three.

The tree reads from top to bottom. The ball-handler encounters a read at each level. Each branch is conditioned on what the defense does, with a timing cue (count from the moment the screen is set).

Layer 1: pre-screen read. Can the handler get the switch before the screen is set? Some teams run this as an early entry into the offense.

Layer 2: screen-set reads. This is the core decision point. Most PnR trees have 3–5 options depending on coverage. The plan lists them in priority order based on the inputs.

Layer 3: post-screen reads. If the handler keeps the ball, what do they read on the next layer? Drag screen? Kick-out? Drive-and-kick chain? These are listed as continuations.

Why timing cues matter. An offense without timing cues collapses under pressure. The plan embeds "0.5s", "1.5s" etc. as decision deadlines. The handler should not be reading beyond the cue — they're shooting, passing, or resetting.

Why doesn't the tool know my team's offense? It doesn't. The output is a generic decision tree customized by coverage and big skillset. Plug your actual set names ("Horns", "Chicago", etc.) into the labels as needed.

Should I teach the whole tree? No. Teach Layer 2 in priority order. Layer 3 is for advanced handlers. Young players (under-14) should learn one option per coverage, then expand.

How often does the defense change? Almost every possession. Most pro teams run 3+ coverages per game. Your handler should read the first two steps of the defense before the screen is set and adjust their plan.

A good free throw routine has three phases. This tool builds all three.

Phase 1 — Reset (catch → set position, 1–2s). Same every time, every trip. Bounce, spin, find grip. This is where most players lose consistency — they don't reset.

Phase 2 — Settle (deep breath + cue word, 2–3s). This is where the nervous system gets a beat to drop HR and refocus. The cue word is intentionally short (one syllable is best). Research on cue-word training shows 1- or 2-syllable words outperform longer ones under pressure.

Phase 3 — Execute (release, 3–4s). Same mechanics every time. The release doesn't change based on the situation; the routine does. This is the core principle: mechanics are constant, environment varies, routine bridges them.

Why the total duration matters. Most players who struggle with free throws have a routine that's either too short (no settle phase) or too long (bored players, defenders encroaching). 6–10 seconds is the sweet spot.

Should I always do the same routine? Yes. Variance in the routine is the enemy of consistency. Pressure is the moment when you most need a known sequence to fall back on.

What if I miss the first shot of a trip? Reset the routine. The mental cue word is your reset button. Repeat it. Don't compress or skip phases.

Is "smooth" a good cue word? It's a great starter — single syllable, motor-control friendly. Other options: "snap", "up", "hold", "release". Pick one and own it for at least 8 weeks before switching.

Man defense patterns are footwork drills. The core pattern is "slide → shuffle → recover" with stance width, hip position, and hand activity. Each pattern below names a specific footwork drill that addresses a specific defensive problem.

Zone patterns are positioning drills. Footwork is secondary; gap discipline and ball-you-man awareness are primary. The patterns in this category emphasize the first step and the recovery angle, not slide mechanics.

Help defense patterns include a 2-step recovery. In a help system, defenders leave their man to gap. The recovery is a two-beat footwork — close the gap (step 1), find your man (step 2). Most breakdowns in help defense come from skipping step 1.

Full-court patterns emphasize angle of pursuit. The defender's goal is to channel the ball-handler, not steal. Patterns in this category include the "string" drill (containing the dribbler to one side) and the "trap-and-recover" drill.

How long to drill each pattern? 5–8 minutes per pattern. The most common error is over-drilling one pattern (e.g., closeout) and ignoring another (e.g., help-and-recover). Rotate.

Should bigs do the same patterns as guards? Different emphasis. Bigs work on post footwork (front/3-4/behind); guards work on lateral containment. The tool's "Defender position" input tunes the pattern.

My team switches a lot — what system should I pick? Switch-heavy is closest to "Man-to-man". Pick Man, then add a custom rep of "switch communication" to the plan.

The five templates cover the most-used agility assessments in basketball:

• T-drill — short COD with three change-of-direction angles
• 5-0-5 — explosive start + first-step quickness
• Lane agility — full movement pattern most similar to actual defensive footwork
• Pro agility (5-10-5) — NFL combine standard, also used in NBA combines
• Z-drill — diagonal cuts + lateral, more sport-specific

Target times by position:

Surface adjustments. Hardwood is the baseline. Taraflex adds ~0.1–0.2 s (more grip, less slide). Rubber gym floors vary widely; treat the targets as directional only.

The "drill quality" cues. Times alone don't tell you whether the drill is being run well. Coaching cues: drop-step before direction change, no crossover step (where possible), chest low on the deceleration, eyes up at every change. The plan lists the most important cue per drill.

How many reps? 4–6 quality reps per drill is plenty. Each rep should be near-maximum effort; if you can't hold times by rep 6, you've maxed out for the day.

Can I add a ball? Yes, and you should — but only after 3 sessions of clean footwork. The ball adds 0.2–0.5 s and breaks your ability to focus on footwork if added too early.

Is one drill enough? For testing, one is fine. For training, rotate 2–3 across the week. Each drill has a slightly different bias (lateral vs linear vs diagonal).