A layup is a shot taken right next to the basket, usually laid off the backboard. You run toward one side of the basket, take two steps, jump off one foot and lay the ball off the glass. The core pattern for a right-hand layup: step right, step left, jump off the left foot, drive the right knee up and release with the right hand. Mirror it on the left. The app reads your body mechanics from the side; it can't see whether the ball goes in.
Approach and two steps
Approach from a slight angle to one side of the basket. On the right side, dribble with your right hand.
coming in on an angle, not straight down the middle.
Keep your eyes up. Pick your target on the backboard early and use your side vision to see any help defender coming.
Pick the ball up with both hands and hold it close to your body through the two steps, so it can't be stripped.
Right-hand layup: first step with your right (outside) foot, second step with your left (inside) foot, and jump off that left foot. Left-hand layup: mirror it (left, right, jump off the right).
a two-count rhythm: right, left, up.
Slow down enough to stay in control on the two steps. Coaches differ on step length (some teach a short first step, some a long one); what matters is that you don't rush or add steps.
Stay legal. Under NBA and FIBA rules you get two steps after you gain control of the ball while moving; the first step is the first foot (or feet) to touch the floor after that. High school and college rules word this differently, so check your league.
Drive the knee and rise
Jump up off the inside foot, not out. Drive your shooting-side knee (right knee on a right-hand layup) up as your shooting hand rises.
a string tying your right hand to your right knee: they rise together.
Take the ball up with two hands. Your non-shooting hand stays on the ball to shield it from a shot blocker until you release.
Go up strong and straight to the basket. Don't drift or angle away from a defender to avoid contact.
Soft off the backboard
Keep your eyes on the top corner of the square on the backboard, on your side. Watch the target, not the ball.
At the top of your jump, extend your arm and release with your outside hand (right hand on the right side). Younger players often push it off the fingertips with the back of the hand facing them; stronger players can use the underhand roll, palm up, off the palm and fingertips.
a soft release at full reach, not a throw.
Lay the ball softly off the glass at that top corner. Release it before your feet come back to the floor.
Land softly: bend your knees and hips and keep your knees over your toes.
a quiet landing, ready to get back or follow the shot.
Feel it
A controlled two-count (right, left on the right side) into a jump that goes up, with your right knee and right hand rising together like they're tied by a string. Eyes stay on the top corner of the square. Two hands carry the ball up and the outside hand lays it soft off the glass. Then a soft, bent-knee landing. Practise both sides and both hands. The app reads your body, not the make.
Fix-its
- You jump off the wrong foot Right-hand layup jumps off the left foot; left-hand layup off the right. Go back to the one-step layup (feet together, step with the inside foot, jump) until it's automatic, then add the run and the dribble.
- You fly in out of control and bang it off the glass Slow down on the two steps, jump up rather than out, and lay it soft at the top corner of the square.
- You travel or rush the steps Count from the moment you gain control: two steps, then up. Walk the footwork slowly before adding speed.
- The ball gets stripped or blocked Hold it with two hands close to your body on the steps, take it up with two hands, and keep your non-shooting hand on as a shield until the release.
- You shy away from the defender Go up strong and straight to the hoop. Don't angle away to avoid contact; contact can earn you free throws.
Drill
- One-step layup: feet together facing the right side of the backboard, step with the left foot, jump off it, right-hand layup with the right thigh coming up. Then the same footwork on the run without a dribble, then with a dribble. Repeat on the left side.
- Add steps and dribbles from the right block: two-step layup (start one step back: right, left, up), one-dribble layup, then a multi-dribble layup starting behind the three-point line.
- Mikan drill: start under the basket, right-hand layup off the left foot, rebound, left-hand layup off the right foot. Keep the ball at shoulder height and alternate until you've made 20.
- Catch and layup: a passer at the free-throw line hits you as you cut to the basket for a no-dribble layup. Rotate the passer every minute or two. Then alternate about 10 minutes of technique with 10 minutes of half-court 2-on-1.
- Film from the side to check the two-count, which foot you jump off, the knee rising with the hand, and a soft landing.
By position
Every position uses the same footwork. Practise from the sides, the front of the rim and the baseline, and at different speeds, so the layup holds up in games. Start with your dominant hand, then build the other hand as your strength and technique allow.
Sources
- Coach's Clipboard — Lay-ups
- Basketball For Coaches — How to Do a Layup in Basketball (6-Step Guide)
- Jr. NBA — What is a Layup?
- Basketball For Coaches — The Mikan Drill: How it Works and 8 Important Variations
- NBA Official Rulebook 2026-27 — Rule No. 10, Sec. XIII (Traveling)
- FIBA — Official Basketball Rules 2026, Art. 25 (Travelling)
- Padua et al. — NATA Position Statement: Prevention of ACL Injury, J Athl Train (2018)
Last checked 2026-10-26.