The Drag Screen is an action that sounds simple on it’s surface: space to corners and wings and run into a screen for the ballhandler. But, if the details are overlooked it’s also an action that can turn into a bit of a frustrating, ball-stopping mush of early offense.
So, how can coaches optimize this action as both an entry point into the offense and a legitimate scoring threat capable of puncturing the defense early and creating a chain reaction of offensive opportunities?
One way, which we will highlight today, is through a well-timed and executed Slip Screen. Often, the biggest challenge with a Drag Screen is coordinating the proper screening angle between the big and the point guard to create an “over” (defender chasing over the screen). By slipping out at the right moment, the offense can generate early confusion for the defense, maintain the pace of transition, and apply pressure on the rim through either the cut or penetration.
When to Slip?
With poor screening bigs, the answer might often be to always slip, as it might be better to just slip out and create space rather than clog the area with a subpar screen. However, the ideal conditions for a successful slip typically occur when the big is trailing the ballhandler, sprinting down into the screening area, and the defensive big has yet to establish any physical presence on the screener—allowing the big to move freely without any interference.
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Zooming In: Show above, with the defensive big waiting at the 3-point line, the screener has the freedom to move in and out of the screening area unimpeded. Failure by the defensive big to establish a physical presence early makes it difficult to disrupt the movement later, while also splitting attention with the ballhandler.
Zooming In 2.0: The fluidity and execution of the movement works particularly well, especially with bigger bodies, when trailing the play. As will be the main topic today, the trailing angle lends itself nicely to slip but the effectiveness of the slip lies in the ability of the big to transition in and out of the screening area with pace.
Get Out! – “Skip & Go” Footwork
What will ultimately determine the effectiveness of the slip is how well the screener can control their movement when sprinting in and out of the screening area. This boils down to their footwork, which will unlock their ability to change pace, control their movement, and effectively burst out of the screening area.
In today’s video breakdown, we highlight two of the more common footwork patterns of elite “slippers.” The first is a three-step footwork, consisting of a long stride followed by two short choppy steps to plant and burst out of the screening area. The second is the “Skip & Go” footwork, which we will take a closer look at for the purposes of today’s newsletter.
The goal of any preferred footwork when slipping is to create a movement pattern that brings the screener close enough to the guard to sell the illusion of the screen without making contact, while also controlling their momentum to enable a smooth change of direction and pace when slipping out.
With this in mind, one fascinating footwork concept we enjoyed studying is what we’ll call the “Skip & Go.” In this move, the trailing big, assessing the distance to the on-ball defender, uses a skip to enter the screening area. This skip effectively changes their pace and allows them to load their outside foot. Upon landing, the screener plants, swivels their hips, and pushes out of the screen.
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Zooming In: Depending on the location of the screen or the athlete’s preference, the screener initiates the slip with a single-leg skip into the screen, ultimately landing on the outside foot to burst out of the screen and begin sprinting toward the rim.
Priming the Athlete
With any footwork pattern or athletic movement, a player’s physical capacity ultimately determines the most effective technical approach for them. When analyzing this specific footwork pattern—particularly how the screener must move out of a slip to sprint behind the big and apply pressure on the rim—we noticed a strong resemblance to concepts covered in our video series with Athletic Performance Coach, Nik Popovic {🎧}. In that series, we focused on foundational techniques and drills {🔒} designed to prepare players for the physical demands of basketball, including strategies to improve efficiency when transitioning in and out of various positions.
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Zooming In: As demonstrated in the top left by Coach Popovic, to maximize efficiency when changing speed and direction while slipping out of a screen, the screener should position their inside foot toward their intended direction—in this case, the rim. This proper foot placement enables the screener to transition seamlessly into a sprint, eliminating the need for adjustments in foot or hip positioning during the second stride.
Creating Dominos
Throughout today’s deep-dive of the “Skip & Go” Slip Screen, we see several examples of the slip leading directly to assisted finishes at the rim or open three-point attempts. While these represent ideal outcomes, the screener’s ability to properly execute a slip and apply early pressure on the rim will inevitably force the defense to collapse in an effort to contain the roll and support the recovering big. This defensive compression forces the defense to defend from the inside out, weakening their ability to disrupt subsequent actions. As a result, the offense benefits from improved flow, greater freedom of movement, and opportunities to attack longer closeouts.
To dive deeper into these two Slip Screening footwork techniques, SG+ Members can now view the full breakdown on SGTV!
