Yesterday we took a look at how guards use footwork on the outside to creating scoring opportunities.  Today, we are going to look at how the big men do it.  In my opinion, good footwork on the inside just might be more important than footwork on the outside.  The reason being that big men are so reliant on their post game to get their shots off, and this is really a series of pivots, pump fakes, and jab steps.

On the inside, footwork is important when setting up hook shots, when executing a drop step move, on up and under moves, and when a post player faces up.  We are going to look at each move individually with some of the best post players in the league showing us how it is done.

The Hook Shot

The hook shot is reliant on footwork, because if you don’t time your steps correctly, have the proper feet position, or turn in the correct direction, you aren’t going to have a pretty move.  Someone who is very effective with the hook shot is Pau Gasol.

Gasol makes the catch in the post, and it is obvious by the way his defender is playing him that he is trying to keep him out of the middle.  This is because Gasol likes to take that hook after making a move to the middle, however, he can hit the hook shot with either hand, and that is what makes him so tough to defend.

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