Teaching the Proper Layup

When coaching basketball the fundamentals are critical.  Here at TBL, there is nothing more important than teaching the fundamentals.  One of the most basic yet most important skills that kids need to learn quickly when they begin playing the game of basketball is how to make a basic layup.  Layups are one of the basic building blocks that scoring is built off of and without a proper grasp on how to make a basic layup, building to more complicated shots such as layups in traffic or shooting floaters in the paint cannot be accomplished.

As with almost everything in basketball, a proper layup comes down to footwork.  Proper footwork is so important when attempting a layup that I like to concentrate on the footwork part of the layup without a ball before we progress to making layups.


Steps to a proper layup:
  1. Line up on the right side about 5 feet away of the basket.  You should be at about a 45 degree angle from the front of the basket.
    This is where you should line up when training to make basic layups.
  2. Keep your feet together about shoulder width apart.  Take a step with your left leg towards the basket.
  3. As your weight transfers to the left leg lift your right leg up .  The knee should be bent.  This right leg lift is what will drive you up in the air so it is always recommended to raise it forcefully and as high as you can.
  4. As your body is rising in the air, raise your right hand up and shoot the ball off of the backboard.
Proper layup form.
Progressions: As with everything there are progressions you should follow to slowly get your players up to speed with these shots.
  1. Do the above described drill using no basketball.  Just get used to the footwork.
  2. Do the above described basketball drill.  Start with the left foot step and raise the right leg and shoot the ball with the right hand.
  3. Have players take a step back, then step forward with the right leg with a dribble and start layup sequence described above.
  4. Have players do the same but start at the free throw line extended and dribble to basket and then enter layup sequence.
Repeat this sequence from the left side doing the opposite.  That is step off of the right leg and rise up using the left leg and shoot with the left hand.

One thing to note, is that many coaches like to keep the players from dribbling even when they are taking multiple steps in this layup drill just so they can start getting their footwork right.  I'm not a big fan of this as I hate to promote things that cannot be used in the game.  I like to have my players get used to dribbling in for the layup.

Regardless of what you prefer to do, I think that most coaches will agree that layups should never be ignored.  If they are they will come back and bite you in games regardless of what age level you coach.

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