The lay-up is the most basic and the first shot you should learn in basketball. While the lay-up appears to be an easy shot, It’s not as easy as it look. Many young players have difficulty implementing the correct footwork with the ball handling of the shot. Add in learning to use both hands, and later, performing reverse lay-ups, and it becomes essential that you have a good lay-up practice plan to work off of.
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Lay-Up Basics
A layup 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 are what make it different than a jump shot.
An undefended layup is usually a high percentage shot. The biggest obstacle is getting close enough to the rim and avoiding blocks by taller defenders. Common layup strategies are to create spaces, release the ball from a different spot, or use alternate hands.
During your lay-up, it is a foul if you hold the other person’s hand or push it away to avoid him or her from defending. It is also considered a foul if the defender jumps in front of you and you both crash, with the defender causing the foul.
Princeton Lay Ups – Basketball Shooting Drill
In this video, we demonstrate the “Princeton Lay Up” Drill, which focuses on ball handling, working on pivoting and game-type lay-up situations.
Marist Lay Ups – Basketball Shooting Drill
In this video, we are breaking down the Marist Lay-up drill, which focuses on strong footwork and one-step layups. This drill works both sides of the court, so we can work on developing the off hand as well as the dominant hand.
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