Two Hand Chest Pass

Let's talk about the two hand chest pass. Now I know most coaches of youth teams think that's where they should start to teach passing. I mean, it's the most basic passing fundamental in the game, right. I disagree. Here's why.

To throw a two hand chest pass, you first have to stop and come to a two foot jumpstop. Let's take both of those and toss them on the ash heap of history. When you jumpstop what happens? Two things, you have allowed your defender to catch up to you and you have allowed the defender of the one getting the pass to catch up to him. You have slowed down the entire play.

Second, the player with the ball becomes weaker. How many times have you seen a youth player come to a jump stop and kill his dribble, only to be swallowed up by his defender. How about every time?

No, to start to teach passing, you must first teach dribbling. From there you teach a one handed pass right off the dribble.  More to come on that