Every movement in defense comes back to one principle: keep your hips high. When your hips are up, you control the space, not the attacker.

• Moving forward with hips high lets you close distance, apply pressure, or commit a smart foul.

• Moving backward with a reverse eggbeater keeps you goal-side and ready to shut down a drive.

• Switching from vertical to horizontal allows you to go from stable to mobile in an instant — balancing shot blocking with quick lateral movement.

Put it all together and you become a defender who can cover more space, react faster, and force attackers into mistakes. The higher and stronger your body position, the more effective your defense will be.