Teaching Basketball Layups: No Dribble Layups & 1 Dribble Layups

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The following drills are designed to help players develop the correct footwork for taking layups and should be introduced once the previous two drills, no step, imaginary lay-ups & No step lay-ups have been mastered. It might be wise for a coach to review these drills and have the players complete some repetitions before introducing these drills.

2 feet together, one step, no dribble lay-up: This drill adds a step, but no dribble. Hopefully, the majority of the players have successfully completed the previous drills. It is important to allow for success and not rush players to the next drill until they have mastered the previous drill.  It is ok to spend several practices mastering a new skill.

The starting point for this drill should be nearly identical to the previous one, maybe a few inches back. The player starts with both feet together. The player steps with the plant foot and drives the shooting knee and shooting elbow to the rim. The player shoots the ball. Remind the players to keep the elbow and knee on a string.

Coaching Point: Driviing the knee to the basket is a very important coaching point that not all players can master quickly. Identify a player who drives his knee the best and have this player demonstrate for the others. 

Simple Steps: 

1. Start with both feet together.
2. Take one step with the plant foot.
3. At the same team me, raise shooting elbow (like raising your hand in class) and drive the shooting knee to the rim: “ELBOW AND KNEE ON A STRING.”
4. Shoot the lay-up, aiming for top corner of the square.

One Dribble Lay-up: This drills add the difficulty of using a dribble. The player uses the same starting point and the same footwork as the previous drill. The player executes a strong hand dribble, at the same time the player steps with the plant foot. The player will pick up the dribble and proceed to shoot the lay-up, using the correct footwork. This is a great time to teach the concept of taking the ball from “hip to rim.”

Simple Steps:

1. Both feet together
2. Dribble and step with plant foot
3. Raise shooting elbow and shooting knee: “ELBOW AND KNEE ON A STRING”
4. Shoot the lay-up, aiming for top corner of the square