LoL! Good shot, BBT!
Moving D:
Any slow, or steady, or jerky, or quick, or accelerating D, the opposite of a straight racing D. The straight race D typically closes wherever the straight shot (from a pull, a push, or even a pinned shot) would be set up, using either the 2bar figure or the goalplayer figure. The next lane is then covered by the remaining goal area figure (2bar or goal). This would be the middle or split hole in a push or pull, or either near side of the straight in defending a frontpin Euro or backpin heelshot series. The racing D is either absolutely still, or hardly moving at all... covering the straight and next closest shot holes, racing to close the long shot. The basic moving D keeps switching the open holes, giving up the straight, middle or long continuously. This is done as randomly as possible to prevent the opposing forward from just timing when the hole he/she wants is open. Moving D takes more concentration, moving the defenders more exactly and knowing which holes are being left open. It's always in motion, thus the term "moving D," especially since a lot of good forwards simply wait for a hole to stay open too long (defender "freezes" or pauses) and then just hits it. In this age of video-enhanced techniques and learning practice, where many players can now master a long or the inside 1/4 or 3/4 pinpoint shots much more quickly, today's percentage of longs and accurate inside release shots keeps increasing, so the moving D is pretty much obsoleteing the pure race or standstill D.
Reverse D:
Just the way a goalplayer and either 2bar player are held when defending. The opposite is the standard D, where the 2bar is initially set up to block the straight or very short shot while the goalplayer is set up to block the next shot over and hopefully race to the farthest shot over (the long). The standard D can be outraced because the shooter can shoot before going past both defending figures and "spray" the ball into the long hole. Reverse D is simply where the goalplayer is initially set up to block the straight and either 2bar is set to block the next shot over and hopefully the long, too. As both the shooter and the defender get more accurate, the goal holes can be subdivided into 5 holes, not just the very basic short or straight, middle/split, or long holes. Those would be the short/straight, 1/4, middle/split, 3/4, and long holes. Remember these are the same whether you are in a standstill racing D, (straight and middle covered, race to the 3/4 and long) or in a moving D (they just start there, but start switching around almost immediately). Reverse D is a good initial response to players that "spray" the ball to the long corner, forcing them into shooting a squarer shot, going around the 2bar figure.
Deadman hole or or shot:
The deadman, or "deadbar" hole is the hole past where the nearest defending figure cannot move to, and block a shot. At the goal, the deadbar position is the hole just past where the 2bar closest to the initial shot cannot get to. A very square long pull, push, or even any front pin just past where the original defending 2bar can't move, is thereby called a deadbar long. Most experts and pros have the discipline to do these longs, having very square shooting trajectories when they need them. As a consequence, you will often see most players warming up their 3/4 long or extreme deadbar longs at a tournament, or actually anywhere they're practicing.
The Scrub Lane:
Nomenclature first: the 51 is the nearest 5bar player to the defender, and the 55 is the farthest. Vice versa for the opposing forward, so the defender's 51 faces the passer's 55, and so forth. In defending a basic attempt by the passer on his/her near side, passing through the area covered by the defender's 55, the scrub lane is the passing lane under the defender's 5bar rod about 3 1/2 balls from the wall. Although moving the defending 55 back and forth, centered on the scrub lane is better than a simple standstill in that lane, defending that lane as the primary is what noobs, beginners, or SCRUBS do. Exactly the same as a scrub tennis player caught at the net, in the middle, with the opponent in good position at the baseling, and about to make a passing shot, but the scrub at net does not commit to one or the other side once the ball is hit. That scrub is assuming the opponent will always hit the ball straight back to him, instead of to either side. (called the "Zero-Zero" D
) *note* That is the scrub lane for the defender, but is a valid lane for the passer, of course. Defending the scrub lane means not shutting down BOTH of the two extremes of the span, the quick wall or brushup, which most good passers have practiced so they can do it blindfolded. See: 50-50
Deadbar Lane, or "sweet spot":
At the 5bar, the deadbar position, or "sweet spot," is where the closest 5bar defending figure cannot go further, meaning the next 5bar figure has to be able to block it. This sweet spot is also obviously the farthest most extreme position for a defending 51 or 55 to be blocking, farthest away from the wall, and very inviting and thus a very heavily practiced lane for a brush or bounce "up" diagonal pass from near the passer's wall. Trying to block these passes with the 52 or 54 is patently useless, of course, without jarring hard to squeeze the bushing.
50-50 D:
Most basic 5bar D: As noted above, this commits to being either at the wall with the 51 or 55 player, or completely blocking the deadbar or "sweet spot" lane. Note that this span on the near or far side can only be defended by the 51 or 55 player figures, since the 54 or the 52 cannot physically reach that area... it is "dead" to these inner figures. Very useful as a starting series D against any passer one has never met or seen, such as those you meet at a larger tournament or league night. This D makes the defender keep switching from either shutting down the wall, or shutting down the "sweet spot" farthest away from the wall. End to end, as they say. Of course, the defender must be ready to snap to block a nearby pass through the adjacent scrub lane, using a tightening of the grip and wrist to jab adjacent passes. The 55 or 51 is either AT the WALL, or AT the Sweet Spot, or moving from one extreme to the other. So just about 50% of the time, the defender is committed to one end or the other. They're either already there, or getting there. Timing and switching must be varied and randomized, of course, and mixed with double reverses etc.. so the passer simply doesn't wait and time for either extreme. Shutting down the wall and ready to jab at the scrub lane, or vice versa, gives the unfamiliar defender a fighting chance, especially against a good passer, who now has to contend with a solid defensive philosophy that shuts down 2/3 or more of the span.
As a defender gets more familiar (watch matches, watch videos, duhhhh...) with passers' series', of course one adjusts, for ex, to block passers that go 95% wall or sweetspot or even lane, after all the gyrations and fakes. One can build on the basic 50-50 to also see what fakes or baits to either the wall or sweet spot will easily entrap a passer. An example would be to go wall-wall-sweetspot continuously, until the passer is ready, trying to time a wall or sweetspot angle pass. Breaking the rhythm can actually upset an intent passer. Along with the discipline, the skill technique of snapping the fingers and wrist to jab a pass going through the scrub lane HAS TO BE MASTERED. This, along with the commitment to shut down one side or the other, is what makes the D work. At this point, it's a real game at the 5bar as much as anywhere else on the table. *note* Being at the wall means BEING AT THE WALL, with no movement, just staying alert to jab to close a scrub lane pass. Even showing the jab still needs to go back to the wall or continuing to the the other side. While moving or shaking a bit while defending the sweet spot is workable, moving or "vibrating" at or near the wall is useless against a good passer, brushing or click passing, because that wall allows the smallest tolerances and will still result in a good, hard or even overwhelming wall pass, for any who have practiced enough.
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