How To Hedge a Holding Shooter in Netball

This defensive tip from Netball Excellence Training is a really useful one for any GK who has ever looked at a tall holding GS and thought, 'Lovely, so we’re doing this today.' 😫

The focus is on how to hedge a holding shooter in netball. Instead of staying glued to the body or drifting too far away, the GK works on constantly coming on and off the shooter, using quick feet, a small base and an active ball-side position. The aim is to confuse the space, disrupt the timing of the feed and stay ready to go for the back-and-up intercept once the ball is released.

What makes this so effective is that it gives the defender options. A strong holding shooter wants the GK to become static, predictable and easy to pin. By hedging well, the GK keeps the shooter and feeder guessing. The defender is still close enough to apply pressure, but active enough to attack the ball when the chance appears.

Use this in a defensive training session for circle defence, GK footwork and marking a holding shooter. Start with the shooter holding and the GK practising the movement pattern without a feed, focusing on ball-side position, open body angle and sharp recovery. Then add a feeder and build towards live play, so the GK has to read the release rather than move on autopilot.

Great for helping GKs stay active, create doubt for the feeder and turn a difficult holding shooter match-up into a genuine ball-winning opportunity.

*For a more advanced version, a GK with a reputation for flying can use that threat as a decoy. By stepping off the GS a little further and angling as if she is about to go hunting for the outside intercept, she can tempt the feeder into passing to the shooter, then recover sharply back to the body and attack the pass.