What is the chest pass in basketball
The chest pass is comprised of offensive action in which a player in possession of the basketball throws it with two hands from their own chest area towards the chest area of a teammate.
The chest pass is also one of the basic fundamental passes alongside the bounce pass and the overhead pass. Moreover, the basic chest pass is also a type of air pass because the ball is thrown via the air as the name implies.
What is the primary difference between the chest pass and the bounce pass
Generally speaking, with the chest pass, the basketball is thrown via the air to a receiver while on the other hand, with a bounce pass, the ball is initially thrown towards the ground with a sufficient amount of force and at a certain distance before bouncing up towards a receiver.
When should a player consider using the chest pass
In general, the best time for a player in possession of the ball to consider using the chest pass is when the receiver of that pass is not too far away and when the on-ball defender is not applying an above average amount of defensive pressure.
Why is it important for players to learn the chest pass
It is important for players, especially at the youth basketball level, to learn the chest pass because it it could be used as a simple method for creating ball movement and it could also potentially help generate scoring opportunities or other playmaking options.
Create ball movement
Utilizing the chest pass could be a quick and easy method for a player to create ball movement, especially by way of ball reversal action.
Generally speaking, when ball movement and/or ball reversal occurs, that could cause defensive breakdowns because the ball, in most situations, moves faster than the players.
Essentially, each time the ball moves from one location to another on the court, it is generally in the defensive team’s best interest to stay in front of each offensive player that would receive it.
This mindset would typically apply regardless if that same defensive team is implementing man to man defense or zone defense, particularly in the half court.
The problem, at least for the defensive team, is that it could become very challenging to constantly move quickly enough to contain the ball with proper defensive closeouts.
Generate scoring/playmaking opportunities
The chest pass could be a simple, yet effective action to potentially help generate offensive scoring opportunities, particularly near the perimeter areas of the court.
Furthermore, the chest pass could also be a beneficial action to bring about additional playmaking opportunities.
As an example, let’s say we have a brief scenario between offensive player A in possession of the ball and offensive player B that does not currently have the ball.
Let’s also say that player B executes a basketball cut and/or utilizes a basketball screen to get open, particularly behind the three-point line, with both hands available ready to catch the ball from player A.
Next, let’s say that Player A executes a chest pass to player B and afterwards, player B receives that chest pass, specifically near their chest area as mentioned earlier.
Moreover, because of the ball movement created by the chest pass alongside the possible basketball cut and/or basketball screen, the defender that is assigned to guard player B could not execute a proper defensive closeout.
From that point, player B could then quickly take the open three-point jump shot and if player B makes that shot, then it would result in an assist for player A as well as three points added to the total amount of points for player B.
As another example, let’s say that we have a similar scenario as previously, but this time, player B is not able to take an open jump shot because of a quick and effective defensive closeout.
When that occurs, it still presents a potential playmaking opportunity for the offensive team.
Essentially, if player A executed the chest pass which was received by player B near their chest area, then player B could then get into a triple threat position, particularly with the basketball near the hip area.
Once that occurs, player B could then create dribble penetration, especially towards the basket, or possibly create space for a jump shot by way of offensive action such as a jab step or dribble step back move, or simply pass the ball to another teammate, which of course, equals more ball movement.
To summarize, players on offense could potentially execute a variety of different actions against the defense, just from a simple chest pass.
What are notable drawbacks of the chest pass
Notable drawbacks of the chest pass are that it is typically ineffective if the on-ball defender implements an above average amount of defensive pressure and it is also potentially inadequate when the player with the ball that would execute the chest pass is far away from the possible receiver of that pass.
Typically ineffective against above average on-ball defensive pressure
When the on-ball defender implements an above average amount of defensive pressure, it will usually be difficult for the player with the ball to execute the chest pass properly and effectively.
This is primarily due to the active hands of the on-ball defender which would typically mirror and follow the hands of the player with the ball.
Essentially, if the offensive player with the ball were to execute the chest pass when the on-ball defender implements a substantial amount of pressure, then the active hands of the on-ball defender could possibly deflect the chest pass, which could then lead to a possible turnover.
So, in that situation, the offensive player in possession of the ball should consider executing a variation of the chest pass known as a push pass.
To execute a push pass, a player in possession of the ball initially gathers it with both hands, typically in the triple threat position, but then that same player throws the ball to an adjacent teammate, utilizing one hand.
Basically, with the push pass, the offensive player with the ball locks out the elbow of the passing arm towards the target while the other elbow of the non-passing arm remains near the side of the player’s body.
The push pass is generally more efficient than the standard chest pass against potential defensive pressure of the on-ball defender because the player in possession of the ball could use the non-passing arm as a barrier to a degree so that the on-ball defender cannot easily deflect or intercept it.
Potentially inadequate when the receiver is far away
When the player with the ball is far away from the possible receiver, essentially more than one pass away, the chest pass may not be the best or correct option to consider.
Basically, the further away the source (i.e. the player with the ball) is from the destination (i.e. the possible receiver of the pass), the more time it takes for the ball to reach that destination.
The problem is that this timing window gives the defensive team an opportunity to possibly intercept the ball and cause a turnover.
In other words, the standard speed and velocity of the basic chest pass is most likely too slow (particularly when it is moving through the air) the further away the ball is from a possible receiver.
As an example, let’s say that player A has the ball on the right side wing but player B is currently open to receive it on the left side wing.
In this instance, player B is two passes away from player A as the ball would generally have to move from the right side wing to the top and then once more from the top to the left side wing.
Following that, if player A were to execute a standard cross court chest pass (which would also be a skip pass in this case), then there is at least a small chance that a defender would be able to jump into the passing lane to steal the ball.
So, in that scenario, player A could probably lower the chances of a steal occurring by using another type of pass, and more specifically, the overhead pass which generally contains more speed and power than the basic chest pass.
As another example, let’s say that player A has possession of the ball in the backcourt and player B is sprinting towards the basket in the frontcourt during a transition offense situation.
In other words, player A is very far from player B. From there, if player A attempts to execute a basic two handed chest pass, there is probably a high likelihood that one of the defenders would be able to intercept that pass.
Basically, the standard chest pass would typically not contain enough speed and velocity as well as power alongside air time to reach player B in an effective manner.
Therefore, in this case, player A should execute a different type of pass, and more specifically, a long pass such as the baseball pass or the underhand pass.
How should a player execute the chest pass in general
Generally speaking, to execute the basic chest pass, a player should be in a proper stance with both hands on the ball, step towards the receiver of the pass, and finally release the ball.
Be in a proper stance
The proper stance for a player consists of having both feet about shoulder width apart with knees slightly bent, back straight, and eyes looking forward, not at the ground.
Put both hands on the ball
The player should have both hands on the sides of the ball with a firm grip but not too tight. Essentially, the player should grip the ball with the finger pads and have the fingers slightly bent while holding the ball.
Furthermore, the player’s palms should not touch the ball while the player is holding it. In other words, there should be a small pocket of space between the palm and the ball.
The reason this is important to understand is because if the player grips the ball too tightly and/or the ball rests on the player’s palms, then the overall speed, velocity, and power of the chest pass would more than likely be affected in a negative or unintended way.
Put another way, the chest pass would most likely be thrown too slowly or inaccurately if the player grips the ball too tightly or not tightly enough.
It should also be mentioned that while holding the ball, the player should place it near their body, generally near the chest area.
The player should not hold the ball too far away from their body as that would almost certainly cause the speed, velocity, and/or power of the chest pass to become ineffective.
Moreover, while a player has their hands on the ball with the correct grip, the player’s elbows should be bent near the sides of their body.
Step towards the receiver
Once the player executes the proper stance with both hands on the ball, the player should then step towards the receiver of the pass.
In terms of which foot to step towards the receiver with, the player with the ball could technically always use the dominant foot, assuming there is not much on-ball pressure.
Even so, it is generally better to use whichever foot is adjacent to the direction of the pass.
As an example, let’s say that player A is at the top, player B is near the right side wing, and player C is near the left side wing. Furthermore, player A currently has possession of the ball and could pass to either wing.
Let’s also say that player A is right-handed and therefore, this same player’s dominant foot would typically be the right foot.
From there, if player A decides to throw a chest pass to player B, then player A could simply step towards player B with the dominant foot, which also happens to be the right foot, in this particular case.
Moreover, if player A decides to throw a chest pass to player C, then player A could step towards player C with the dominant foot, which again, is the right foot in this case.
However, since player C is on the left side of player A, it would actually be usually more effective and efficient if player A was to use the non-dominant foot, which is the left foot, in this instance.
The reason this is important to consider is because it is slightly quicker for player A to step towards player C (who is on the left side wing) with the left foot.
That is to say, if player A steps towards player C with the dominant (right) foot, then that takes a little bit longer because player A would have to turn their hips in the direction towards player C.
Release the ball
The player in possession of the ball should release it (i.e. throw it) with both hands towards the chest area of the receiver. Also, when releasing the ball, the player should snap their wrists while generally pointing their fingers on both hands down towards the ground.
Furthermore, during the release, the player should extend their arms towards the receiver and straighten out their elbows from the initial bent position. This basically certifies that the player will throw the ball to the receiver with an adequate amount of speed and power.
How can a player practice and improve the chest pass
A player can practice and improve the chest pass with a simple drill in which that same player would stand about four to six feet away from a wall, execute the chest pass by throwing the ball with both hands to an area of the wall that is approximately parallel to the player’s head, and then catch the ball with both hands as it bounces off the wall.
This basic wall passing drill could be completed over and over until the player is comfortable executing the chest pass with high confidence.