The checklist
- Feet wider than shoulders
- Hips below knees — sit, don't bend
- Chest up, eyes on the hips of your matchup
- Hands active — one high, one low
- Weight on the balls of your feet
Why most players break stance
Standing up between actions. The moment you straighten your legs, you're slow. Elite defenders live in stance for 22 seconds straight — that's the conditioning gap.