Many basketball teams practice layup drills to improve their skills. As a rule, this is especially important if you have players who can’t seem to make consistent layups. If players can consistently lay the ball up, they will start making layups more often.

Another problem I see with young teams is that they can’t do a lot at once. They make players think about timing, passing, and how to get there. 

I like these basketball practice drills because it allows for focus on those skills.

This is a simple layup drill that helps you improve your feeding and on-the-go skills. 

People on my team can shoot, lay up, and pass on their own. But when I put them all together, it was a different story. This drill was very useful to foster teamwork and coordination.

5 Important Layup Drills

1. Technique Layups

The Drill’s job:

Practice layups off one step, two steps, and with one dribble, then full-speed layups from the three-point line, which they do with one dribble.

Purpose:

All players should work on their layup skills. Players need to learn and practice the basic technique before they use it in practice and games at game speed.

 

Instructions:

1. Before the player’s practice, the coach must explain and show how to make a layup from each spot.
2. During a layup drills, players start on the block, move one step forward with their closest foot to the middle of the court and finish the shot.
3. Afterward, the person who just made a layup joins the rest of them.
4. Continue in this way for a few minutes before coming back.
5. That’s when they take a step back from the block and do a two-step layup (place a cone if you have one so the players always know where to start from). First, players step with their outside foot. Then, they step with their inside foot.
6. They practice dribbling in and making layups with cones in front of them at the three-point line.

2. Zig-Zag Layups

The Drill’s job:

For two minutes, a player goes after the rim and finishes at the basket with a different type of layup every time. When they drive, they have to change the angle of the shot on each one.

Purpose:

This drill lets players practice finishing at the basket with different layups.

Instructions:

You should start in a place that isn’t on the three-point line.
Drive toward the basket and finish your move with a variety of moves:

• Layup
• Layup in the backwards
• When you lay up, you use your overhand hand to do it
• Floater
• Jump stop and layup.
• Euro step
• Inside hand finish
• etc.

When you finish, right away get the basketball back, move to a spot outside the three-point line, and then attack and finish with a different move.

In total, the drill is done this way for two minutes.

3. Around the Arc

The Drill’s job:

It’s an offensive/defensive split. They start in a corner and work their way around. 

How it works: It’s because the offensive player must get there first. The offensive player must go after him and score.

Purpose:

Players practice finishing at the hoop even if someone follows. They also practice avoiding rear-end hits.

Instructions:

1. An offensive player dribbles around the three-point line while being pursued by a defender.
2. In a game, the offensive player can try to get a goal at any time. As long as the offensive player doesn’t cross over into 3-point land, the defense can’t do anything.
3. Before the offensive player gets to the 3-point line, he or she can make any moves or fakes with the ball. Once inside, the offensive player must try to keep the ball and score while the defender tries to block the shot.
4. They quickly switch places and join the lines on the other side of where they started. The next pair starts their round.
5. The drill is done this way for a set amount of time.

4. Two-on-One Half-Court

The Drill’s job:

Both of the outside lines are offensive, but the middle line is defensive. This is how it works: All three players run up and around the cones before they start a two-on-one transition game against the other team.

Purpose:

Practicing decision-making on the fast break and defending in a bad situation are two things that can be done in this game.

Instructions:

1. The coach passes to one of the offensive players to start the drill. This is how it starts. All three players run quickly up and around the cones as soon as they get it.
2. Live two-on-one games are now being played.
3. The drill goes on until a basket is made, or until the defender gets the ball through a rebound or steal.
4. Coach: The players then give their basketballs back to the coach. They then form a new line.

5. Russian Layouts

The Drill’s job:

In this drill, people will make a long pass and then sprint down the court to get a pass from another line for a layup.

Purpose:

One of the best exercises for getting in shape. It focuses on long passes and the ability to finish layups quickly.

Instructions:

1. The drill starts with the player dribbling until he is in the passing range, at which point he makes the long pass and then moves on.
2. Continues to run and grabs the basketball in preparation for the layup.
3. After passing, he runs up the court and gets the pass at full speed, and passes it to the other high post.
4. After the first layup, they move someone else into the high post without rebounding their shot.
5. If the sprinter gets the pass, the next step is to rebound the layup and pass it to the next person in line in the corner.
6. Each end of the court is done for three or five minutes.

Final Thought

Layup drills are a great way to develop the layup shots on each players’ shot chart. It is just as crucial that layups are practiced at full speed as it is practicing dunks.

Any of these layup drills can be used with any group size, whether you have 5 players or 20. Just scale the drill back so that all players are involved. To lower the number of layups done in a drill, reduce the number of layups each person does and increase the number of people who participate.

An assist in basketball is a pass made by a teammate to another player. An assist is a last and final pass before a score and scores can happen in any of the following ways:

– A field goal, worth two or three points depending on where it was taken from

– A free throw, worth one point unless two are awarded for a technical foul

– A basket scored by means of an steal during play, worth two points

– A basket scored from a fast break play

There are multiple ways to get an assist in basketball. A player can make a pass with no dribbling before it takes so long as the player passes directly, immediately after receiving the ball from another player. A player can also make a pass if a player dribbles around or to the side of a teammate and passes before the receiving teammate takes possession of the ball again.

How Many Assists a Player has During a Game…

Knowing how many assists a player has during a game is important. Because it counts as their scoring contribution, just as any shot does. If a team has lots of assists, it means they are sharing the ball well and have many chances to score. This is usually a good thing for a team. Because they will be able to score easier than if players were not passing the ball around.

Moreover, having lots of assists also helps when evaluating player performance, which makes sense. Because passing is something that you can easily see on the court. A player with lots of assists is more easily recognized than someone who scores without receiving an assist. This means they had to create their own shot.

How to Get an Assist?

There are multiple ways of getting an assist, so it’s important to know what types of passes give assists and what do not. 

A good rule for knowing whether or not a pass gives an assist is if a pass leads to a score. If, for example, one player passes the ball to another and it leads them to score, the first player has given their team an assist. A direct pass is not necessary as long as there is no dribbling before the pass.

A good way of thinking about this is that an assist is any pass that leads to a score. It’s as simple as that.

A Basketball Should Be Received by the Other Player Within a Reasonable Amount of Time

A basketball can be passed through many players on the team and towards the goal of the opposing team without it being an assist. A player must make actual physical contact with another player for making an assist. If a player passes and there is no player to receive it within a reasonable amount of time, the pass does not count as an assist.

Even though assists are counted towards a player’s scoring contribution and ultimately their point total, they do not have any effect on a player’s individual points per game or other statistics that show how often a player scores. They only help the team score.

Players can get assists by passing the ball to someone on their team and that player scoring after receiving the pass. A player can also get an assist by dribbling around a teammate and then passing before this teammate gets the ball again. Any time a pass leads to a score, it counts as an assist.

Furthermore, when evaluating players based on how well they play together, assists can speak a lot about how well a team shares the ball. If one player always takes the ball from their teammates without passing it, they’re not going to have as many chances to score.

A Direct Pass is Required in Order to Get an Assist

In order to get assists in basketball, there cannot be any dribbling before the pass. A direct pass is also necessary in order for a pass to give an assist. If a player sends a pass to another player and it leads the receiving player to score, it will count as an assist for the passing player.

In addition, the number of assists a player gets is counted on stat sheets along with their other statistics. It’s always better to have too many rather than not enough information about the game you’re watching or playing.

So, assists are useful statistics because they show how well a team is sharing the ball and involving their teammates. It’s an excellent way to see how well a player works with their teammates and shows their unselfish nature. This is especially important when evaluating players because assists show a willingness to pass the ball.

Some Rules for Playing Basketball:

1. In basketball, a player cannot rebound their own shot, unless they are the last one to touch it;

2. A player must dribble the ball three times before shooting or passing;

3. If you use two hands on your dribble, you can only take two steps;

4. You cannot make more than three consecutive passes;

5. You cannot pass the ball into the goal;

6. A shot cannot be released until you get both of your feet on the ground or jump from inbounds, and it must go into the basket to count as a score.

7. A player cannot take a dribble after receiving a pass;

8. If the ball is passed to a player, he must touch it before passing to another player;

Wrapping Up:

An assist in basketball is any pass that leads to a score. When evaluating players, assists help show how well they play together and share the ball. There are multiple ways of getting an assist, so it’s best to know what types of passes count as assists and which do not. A good rule for knowing whether or not a pass gives an assist is if the pass leads to a score.

Performing layups in a controlled fashion can take a lot of practice. It’s worth practicing since layups are an integral part of basketball. They require a huge amount of coordination along with power and strength. 

You will also need incredible hand-eye coordination for this task if you hope to even come close to making layups regularly. In layups, the wrists have to snap at exactly the right time while layups around the basket require a lot of power and strength.

The layup is also important because you need to get a good layup to keep quick pressure on your opponent while this move can help you score. This makes layups a valuable asset for any basketball player. 

If you truly wish to excel at layups then you need to take them very seriously and learn as much as possible about layups. This article is going to go over the basics of layup shots and what it takes to make layups in a controlled fashion with several drills and moves that can assist layup performance and lay-up accuracy.

Steps on Performing Layups in Basketball

1. Eyes Up

To start, the player must raise their eyes. This is important for two main reasons:

a. To Lock onto the Target

Because of the angle and speed of the player, their goal will be the hoop or the backboard. This is a skill that players will learn over time.

b. To Read the Defense

As soon as a player makes a layup, several defenders will move across to help and to fight the shot.

To read these defenders, the players must raise their eyes and use their peripheral vision to look at them from all sides.

This helps the player figure out which layup variation has the best chance of scoring (or which teammate is now open to receiving a pass).

2. Outside Foot Step (Long)

Keep in mind that this blog post is about an unguarded layup. First, when a player picks up the basketball, they should step with their “outside” foot, not their “inside” (closest to the sideline).

Here’s the right foot to use when you’re making layups with your right hand.

This is the left foot for layups with the left hand.

When coaching players how to do this, there are two important things to keep in mind:

(1) Long Step

We want the players to move farther with their first step, and a long step also helps them reach the second goal.

(2) Controlled

Players must keep control of their bodies as they lay up. Too often, we see young players running toward the hoop and then throwing the ball hard off the backboard.

Take their time so that they have a better chance of getting a basket.

3. Inside Foot Step (High)

This is the second step in a traditional layup. You should use your inside foot for this (closest to the middle of the court).

This is the left foot for layups with a right hand.

This is the right foot for making layups with your left hand.

The following is the most important point for the second step:

This is a very high jump.

Besides making sure young players slow down and keep control of their layups, the emphasis on jumping high gives them the momentum to finish the layup.

As they leap from their other foot, they thrust their shooting-side knee into the air.

On layups made with the right hand, the right knee goes down. Layups with the left hand: Knee with the left hand.

4. Protect the Ball

Players must keep the ball safe while they try to make a layup.

Two things to look for:

a. Getting Stripped

During their two steps, smart defenders will try to take the ball away from the offensive player and run with it.

The offensive player must have strong hands and keep the ball close to his or her body to avoid this.

b. Blocked

When the offensive player moves the ball up or releases it, tall defenders will try to stop the shot.

Fouls are more likely to occur when non-shooting hands defend the ball.

5. Continuity

To learn how to layup, the fifth step is to practice.

Take the ball above their heads, extend your arm, and flick your wrist to direct the ball into a hoop.

Traditional overhand layups are a lot like standard jump shots when it comes to this part of the layup method.

Check out the following about some players:

They push the basketball up from their chests rather than raise it above their heads before shooting. This is a sign that someone doesn’t have enough strength.

This isn’t a big deal when they are young, but as they get older and stronger, make sure they break this habit.

6. Practice!

Once your players have learned the correct layup technique, it’s time for them to get down to business with their layup practice!

Consider the following important things for coaches:

a. Different Angles and Speeds

Layup drills should be done where players try to get to the hoop from a lot of different places on the court and at different speeds.

• Left/right

• The face of the rim

• Following the base

They must be able to drive to the basket from any point on the court.

b. Right Hand and Left Hand

Allow young players to only use their dominant hand when learning to make a layup.

Keep an eye on them to make sure they start using both hands when they’ve mastered the correct technique and built up the strength they need to do so.

This is very important as they get older and face more difficult opponents. It lets them keep the ball and finish around good defenders.

c. Competition!

You should start running drills right away that make players attack the defense — and finish with a layup against a live defense.

Every practice should include drills on how to lay up and how to compete in a scrimmage against each other.

Your players may have a hard time at first when they play against other people. They might commit a traveling violation, jump off the wrong foot, or take two steps too quickly. But in the long run, they will benefit from the competitive struggle.

Final Thoughts

It’s important to remember layup technique drills and layup competition drills should be used for players of all ages and abilities. Even the best basketball players in the world constantly work on their layup technique during practice!

For younger players, focus on making sure they get plenty of reps driving to the hoop before you add layup competition. The layup might seem simple, but it’s one of the most effective ways to score in basketball.

The reverse layup is a very easy and simple way to score in basketball. It’s also one of the most impressive-looking shots you can make, even though it looks like anyone could do it.

Since the reverse layup requires a high level of athleticism, it’s common to see only skilled players making this shot.

The reverse layup is so popular because it not only looks cool but also because it’s an easy way to score from long range. 

The reverse layup can be used as a trick play at the end of a game when you need either one or two points to win. Generally, this is just done to impress the crowd with an easy score.

When doing reverse layups in practice, you mustn’t overdo it. It shouldn’t be your main shot – even though it looks flashy and impressive, emphasis should be on making other shots too.

How to do a Reverse Layup in Basketball

1. Start your layup outside the key on either side

A reverse layup can be done from a closer distance, but it’s not very likely. To fully understand how this shot works, however, you should start outside the key.

There are many ways to attack the reverse layup, but all the traditional ones drive from one side of the free-throw line to the other side of the basket.

This is a skill even true beginners can learn. The keyhole shape is made by the paint on the free-throw line and a semicircle that is at the top of that line is on the court.

2. Make a buffer between you and the defender to cut inside

To stop you from cutting inside (toward the basket) and crossing to the other side of the hoop, the defender might try to stop you. This is called “blocking.” Allow enough space between you and the defender to make sure you can get to the baseline.

It’s a line that runs right next to the basket on both sides of the court.

If the defender is getting in your way, juke to the outside (away from the basket) to deflect them. Then cut quickly to the opposite side of the basket to get the ball.

3. Drive to the baseline

Then drive to the baseline on the other side of the basket. You’ve now made enough space for your approach. Two steps away from the other side of the rim, take hold of the basketball and get ready to shoot.

You might have to change your defense while you shoot this. This might mean that you start your reverse layup jump a step or two earlier or later and make adjustments as needed.

4. Exit the rim on the other side

Make a diagonal cut across the free-throw line and back to the baseline. As you do this, one leg should be facing in and the other should be facing out (away from the basket, toward the court). Jump to the other side of the rim with your inside leg.

People can make a back layup from either side of the free-throw line. Jump off your inside leg, no matter which way you start.

During a high jump, it’s normal to look down or at the ball. If you don’t see the basket, your shot will be off. Keep the basket in sight by tilting your head a little forward as you jump.

5. Reverse layup pickup delayed before shot

Take the basketball and shoot it as soon as you start your jump. When you pick up the basketball, a little delay in your pick up so that you can hold the basketball high in the arc of its bounce. Before taking the shot, the basketball should be about chest level.

6. Make the shot

You should have one hand facing inside (toward the basket) and the other facing outside (toward the court). Hold the basketball in your outside hand as you jump, then swing your arm out and flip the basketball into the hoop.

As with most long-range shots, you don’t have to shoot from the knees when you do a reverse layup. In place of that, work on making your shooting motion strong, consistent, and clean instead.

Improving Your Reverse Layup Technique

Shoot closer to the baseline to save shots

The backboard protects your shot from potential blocks the closer you shoot to the baseline. Your shooting angle will decrease as you approach the baseline. This can make for a more difficult shot.

The defense often dictates how close you can get to the basket. It’s not always possible to lay up close to the baseline.

The taller, more aggressive defense may necessitate reverse layups close to the rim.

Add spin to your shot for better backboard action

Spin on your basketball, and it will hold onto the backboard. This will let you use more of the backboard when you make your shot. As you let go of the ball, move your wrist a little to add spin to the shot.

To find the way that works best for yourself, you should try out different ways to move your wrist and how hard you flick.

Drill your reverse layups

To be able to do this shot in a split second on the court, you’ll need to make it a habit. This means you’ll have to practice it over and over again until you can do it without thinking about how to do it.

Final Thought

A reverse layup is a two-handed, reverse shot made by jumping off of the inside leg towards the basket. It’s most commonly done on an approach from either side of the free-throw lane to score at a closer distance. 

Hopefully, this article has shown you how to reverse layup in basketball. Don’t beat yourself up if you can’t do it right away — you’ll have ample opportunities to practice reverse layups during your regular playing time, so start practicing now!