What is Triple Threat in Basketball? (Full Explanation)

Back in the “old days,” coaches used to stress that their players looked a certain way every time they caught the ball to put maximum pressure on the defense.

They referred to this as the “Triple Threat Position.”

In today’s game, triple threat isn’t something you hear about nearly as much, but that doesn’t mean it’s any less important.

This post will discuss what a triple threat position is, why it’s essential, and provide some tips to master it.

Triple threat is when an offensive player catches the ball and gets in a position where they’re a “threat” to shoot, dribble, or pass the ball.

The triple threat position immediately puts the offensive player at an advantage because the defender has no idea what the offensive player will do next.

There are a handful of fundamental steps to ensure that you are in triple threat position.

But when you put them all together, it creates an unpredictable danger to the defense.

To truly be a threat to shoot, pass, or dribble, the ball needs to be in a spot where you can immediately do any of those things.

For the triple threat, this typically means that the ball is on your hip, away from the defense, but also close enough to rise into your shooting motion at any moment.

Triple threat position requires that both hands be on the basketball at all times.

But more than that, they need to be positioned so that your dominant hand is behind the ball and your weak hand is on the side of it.

Again, this means that you can shoot the ball at any time but also that you can put the ball on the floor and dribble in either direction.

To truly sell that any of the three actions could immediately happen in triple threat position, your eyes have to be on the rim right from the catch.

Yes, you may need to sneak a peek at either side to find potential receivers to pass the ball to.

However, the only way to actually convince a defender that shooting is a legitimate option is for your eyes to be aimed at the basket. Because while you may be able to dribble without looking or make a no-look pass, you shouldn’t attempt a shot without actually looking at the hoop.

While basketball players should be in an athletic stance throughout all of their basketball games, it is especially important you get in this position on a catch.

The first key is having a balanced stance, allowing you to perform all the different potential actions of the triple threat and execute them quickly in any direction.

You should also make sure that your knees are bent in this stance, allowing you to be explosive and agile with all your possible movements.

Lastly, this stance allows you to square up to the basket. As I said with the eyes, you have to have your shoulders and hips facing the basket before shooting. This alignment gives yourself a legitimate chance to make the shot and also sets up a more direct drive to the hoop if you choose to make that move instead of shooting.

Now that you understand what triple threat position is and why it’s essential, here are a few tips to keep in mind to make you even more dangerous out of it:

It is extremely important to completely understand what I mean by this before just automatically assuming it means you should shoot every time you catch the ball.

Being a threat to shoot the ball is what truly opens up the other options in the triple threat.

When defenders are forced to respect your outside shot, they must close out on you fully, which will create opportunities to get to the rim or get the ball to a teammate.

But you must understand the distinction between the danger of shooting from outside and actually shooting the ball every time you catch it.

Besides shooting, pump fakes, head fakes, or jab steps can also create an immediate advantage for you on the catch.

Any of those fakes, if done correctly, should get a defender out of position and open up scoring chances for you. Typically, this will be some sort of drive to the basket or a drive and kick to an open teammate.

Even though you are adding a fake to the triple threat position, it’s crucial for you to still maintain its primary principles for the fakes to work.

For example, you don’t want to overdo it with the shot fake and move the ball so far that it takes too long to get it to the floor for a drive, allowing the defender time to recover.

The best way for you to develop your triple threat position technique and abilities is to practice it in live situations.

In my experience, the best types of drills to perfect it are 1-on-1 drills that begin with some sort of catch.

Yes, there is no threat of a pass in a drill like this since you won’t have any teammates, but that is typically the easiest option for players to develop anyway.

Playing 1-on-1 off a catch forces you to read how a defender is guarding you and to also learn how to make him move to create an advantage for yourself.

And you will realize very quickly if your triple threat position isn’t very good because the defender will be able to read your next move before it happens.

Despite consisting of nothing but very simple requirements that almost any player can do, the Triple Threat position is still remarkably effective.

And that’s simply because being in this stance keeps the defender on their heels because they won’t know what’s going to happen next: a shot, a drive, or a pass.

The keys to being effective at this skill are found with your hands, your eyes, your stance, and the ball.

If you can effectively position all of those factors, then your offensive game will benefit significantly because of the triple threat position.

And that will never change, no matter how much the game of basketball might.