Introduction to Basketball Layup

A layup in basketball is a two-point shot attempt made by leaping from below, laying the ball up near the basket, and using one hand to bounce it off the backboard and into the basket. The motion and one-handed reach distinguish it from a jump shot. The layup is considered the most basic shot in basketball. When doing a layup, the player lifts the outside foot, or the foot away from the basket. It is a foul if, during your layup, you hold the other person's hand or push it away to avoid him or her from defending. On the other hand, it is considered a foul if the defender jumps in front of you in the middle of nowhere and you both crash, in this case the defender causes a foul. A layup is very handy and to defend it, you just basically need to stand in front of the opponent with your arms stretched out.

An undefended layup is usually a high percentage shot. The main obstacle is getting near the rim and avoiding blocks by taller defenders who usually stand near the basket. Common layup strategies are to create spaces, release the ball from a different spot, or use alternate hands. A player able to reach over the rim might choose to perform a more spectacular and higher percentage slam dunk (dropping or throwing the ball from above the rim) instead.

Preparation for the Layup
In PREPARATION for a right handed layup get a good angle to the backboard. You can do this by making sure that you pass between the "block" and the first free throw lane hash mark. I call this the "driveway". Your steps should be: right foot - left foot & up. For a left handed layup your steps are: left foot right foot & up. You can practice these while simply walking without a ball. Then try with a ball and no dribble. Work up to shooting them off of one dribble then finally, a full dribble from 1/2 court.

Shooting a Layup
During the ACTION phase for a right handed layup you want your right knee up, and for a left handed layup you want your left knee up. You should explode upward trying to put your knee through the bottom of the basket. It is important to protect the ball with 2 hands on the same side as your shooting hand. Your elbow should be under the ball with wrist cocked and your eyes focused on a spot in the square on the backboard.

Layup follow thru
When first learning to shoot, the FOLLOW THRU should be the same as a regular shot. Your palm is facing the basket, with the ball coming off of the 1st two fingers. Flop over the wrist to get backspin on the ball for a nice soft shot. Later, when a player can jump higher, the palm can face skyward and lay the ball up softly off of the backboard with very little spin. Try not to spin the ball and be too "fancy". This should be a sure TWO POINTS-make sure that you make it.

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