Hammer Action

Hammer was a Spurs staple in their 2010s championship runs. The action solves an old defensive problem: when a ball-handler drives baseline, the weak-side help collapses to stop the layup, leaving the weak-side corner open for a skip pass. Hammer pre-sets a back-screen on that exact help defender, making the help itself a screening violation in the defense’s mind.

Tony Parker ran Hammer dozens of times per game during the Spurs’ peak. The pass — a tough cross-court low-handle — is harder than it looks; the screen timing is harder still. But when it works, it produces one of the cleanest corner-three looks in basketball.

Coaches teaching Hammer emphasize three details: the driver must attack with intent (a half-effort drive doesn’t pull the help), the screener must screen the actual help defender (not the nominal weak-side wing), and the corner shooter must be set on the catch (no drift, no fade). Done right, Hammer is the cleanest corner three in the half-court.