Purpose

The shot defence ladder is the structured rep work that builds two skills simultaneously: a robust sprawl from a fully committed shot, and the shooter’s ability to convert a failed shot into a different action rather than posting the hand. level change before penetration (level change as prerequisite) and (destabilisation precedes control) describe what is happening on both sides — the shooter is trying to penetrate while the defender disrupts the level change before it converts to control.

The drill also trains the specific conversion sequence that prevents the post-and-grip blast double shoulder injury (see Blast Double Shoulder Injury). A shooter who has rehearsed sprawl-into-conversion does not post.

Setup

Both partners standing at fighting distance. Roles are defined per round: one shooter, one defender. After 60 seconds, switch roles. The shooter shoots; the defender sprawls. Continuous action, no resets between reps within the round.

Execution

Step 1 — shot: Shooter penetrates with a double leg, blast double, or single leg of their choice. Full commitment.

Step 2 — defender sprawls: Defender drives the hips forward and down, kicks the legs back, and lands chest-to-back on the shooter’s upper back. The defender’s weight should arrive on the shooter’s shoulder blades, not on the shoulder joint.

Step 3 — shooter converts (not posts): As the sprawl lands, the shooter has three options: drop to a knee and switch to a low single, sit out laterally and re-shoot, or disengage and stand back up. The shooter does not post the hand. The shooter does not collapse the shoulder under the sprawl.

Step 4 — defender adjusts: As the shooter converts, the defender keeps the chest-to-back contact, follows the shooter’s movement, and works toward a front headlock or a wrestling-up position.

Step 5 — re-engage: If the shooter successfully disengaged and stood up, the rep restarts from fighting stance. If the defender achieved a front headlock or pinning position, the partners reset.

Run for sixty seconds with shooter A, then sixty seconds with shooter B. Each shooter should get approximately six to eight reps in their sixty-second round.

Coaching Notes

The drill’s primary safety function is to take the post out of the shooter’s repertoire. Coaches: watch for the posted hand. The first time it appears in the round, stop the drill and re-run that rep with the conversion. Posting is the precursor to the AC joint and rotator cuff injury described on the blast double shoulder page.

The defender’s sprawl quality is the second technical focus. Sprawling into the shooter’s shoulder joint (rather than onto the upper back and shoulder blades) loads the shooter’s joint while the shooter is also posting — the dual-vector load that produces the worst outcomes. Coach the defender to land their chest higher up the shooter’s back.

The conversion sequence becomes automatic after a few weeks of consistent reps. New shooters often run the drill with one preferred conversion (for instance, always drop to a knee). Encourage all three options across reps. The shooter who only knows one conversion will, in the field, sometimes find that conversion blocked and then revert to the post.

Common Errors

Posting the hand: The injury mechanism the drill exists to prevent. Stop the rep. Restart with conversion.

Defender landing on the joint: Sprawl arrives on the shoulder rather than the upper back. Reset and re-coach the sprawl direction.

Half-committed shots: Shooter holds back on velocity to make the conversion easier. The drill must be run with full shot commitment to develop the actual skill — a half-shot does not produce the loading conditions the conversion is designed to handle.

Resting between reps: The round is continuous. Resting between reps trains a different (less useful) skill. If the shooter needs rest, end the round; do not pad the round with rest.