The layup is a high-percentage shot in basketball and one of the fundamental skills on offense. Layups can be difficult because a player must penetrate the defense and possess the ball very close to the basket, where defenders often are most concentrated. Layups are a prime scoring opportunity, but shots can misfire if you do not use the right form and send the ball into the backboard at a strange angle. It is important to understand how your initial motions toward the basket influence how the ball reacts upon its release and contacts the hoop and backboard.
Step 1
Grab the ball off your dribble while running and rotate your hand so that it is directly underneath the basketball. Your other hand should be guiding the ball on the side to keep you from losing the ball.
Step 2
Step off your inside foot -- the one closest to the hoop -- and raise the knee of your outer leg to propel yourself toward the basket as you lift off the ground. As you jump, raise the ball out in front of you and then up above you. Your arms should be almost fully extended to keep the ball out of the defense's reach. Once the ball is in the air, you will want to roll it off your fingertips to give it spin as it hits the backboard.
Step 3
Perform a power layup in heavy traffic to protect the ball and produce a fast release. To do this, you gather up the ball into both hands on either side of the ball. Come to a jump stop -- in which you lift both feet off the ground and land on the ground with both feet at the same time -- about 1 to 4 feet from the basket.
Step 4
Lift the ball above your head and place your shooting hand directly behind the ball to push it toward the basket. This is the same form you would use to shoot a jump shot. The non-shooting hand should be placed alongside the ball as a guide. As you jump, the arms should fully extend, placing the ball near the basket for the wrist to snap and roll the ball off the fingers.
Tips and Warnings
- It can take time to develop the finesse you need to put the right amount of force behind a basketball as you shoot a layup. Too much force -- either due to the wrist, your running speed, or both -- can cause the ball to bounce strongly off the backboard and misfire. Practice layups consistently to develop a good feel for the shot.
Member Comments