The one skill almost every player chooses to ignore during a layup shot is footwork. Players assume there is no strategy to your footwork when performing a layup. They seem to think as long as they can get to the hoop and are able to jump to take the shot that they are in a good position. They could not be further from the truth.

Your footwork depends on which side of the basket the player is taking the layup shot. If the player is driving the lane from the right side, they should jump off their left foot in order to complete the shot. If the layer is coming from the left hand side to take the shot, then the right foot should be used to jump off and complete the layup shot. The reason for this is quite simple- when you leave the ground to complete the layup shot you need to keep your body and the ball protected from the defense. Jumping off from the foot closest to the basketball lane

allows you to shield away from the defender in the lane, which is the most common place you will find a defender trying to prevent you from making your layup shot.

There is also another trick to provide the ball with a little security when taking a layup shot. You always want to use one hand to finish your shot, and you should use the hand farthest away from your defender. Therefore, a right side layup should feature the use of the player’s right hand to complete the layup, and the same for the left side approach to the layup.

Another seemingly easy fundamental that a number of players choose to ignore is hitting the corner of the backboard box when taking a layup. The layup is the one shot when you usually use the backboard to assist your shot. The box painted on the backboard is there for a reason, it is designed to help the player knowing where to bounce the ball off the backboard in order to it to go in the hoop. It sounds simple, and it is that simple. All you have to do to make any shot off a backboard is to make sure you hit the top corner of the closest side of the basket to you, and the ball will drop every time. The only problem a player can have when they do hit the corner is having a bit too much strength behind the shot. This will allow the ball to bounce right off the corner and spring off the rim, resulting in a missed shot. There is no need to fire the ball at the backboard; a simple a gentle kiss off the backboard will leave you with a two-point play.

As you can tell, the fundamentals of the layup are quite easy to learn; all you need to do is make sure you don’t forget them when you are out on the court dominating your competition.