MARK - As a "serial hand checker" in college back in the day (when it was 'allowed') I can tell you that you can manipulate a ball handler occasionally based on pressure points on the hip. Plus, if you keep your hand on their hip and they have the ball on one side of their body, you have reduced the number of options available to the ball handler.
Now in the modern era, I HATE calling a "double hot stove" 40 feet from the basket when the ball handler is just standing there. But as I told more then one coach "I don't make the rules, I just enforce em".
Also, a certain former UCONN player has mastered the art of making the "hot stove touch" a "hot stove jab".
