How To Make a Layup

The first step when successfully making a layup is to catch the ball and position yourself about ten feet from the right side of the basketball if you’re right hand dominant, or left side if you’re left hand is your dominant. Next, dribble the ball up to the basket until you’re about three feet away from the rim and backboard. Pick up the ball with both hands, on the outside of your body, and place your non-dominant foot forward. Take two steps, then lift up the ball to shoot, along with your dominant foot. 

Senior girls basketball player, Morgan Wahl, said that you want to “act like your dominant hand and your dominant foot are connected by a string, and as you’re lifting your hand up with the ball, your knee goes with it.” When you’re in the air in this position, it is then time to shoot. You want to aim for the top corner of the backboard as you shoot. This is the shot that’s most likely to go in if using the right amount of strength. “And then you swish it!” Wahl finished with.

Fig. 1. “A young boy shoots a layup on an outdoor basketball court” prompt, Canva, Magic Media, 1 Mar. 2024.

Whether you’ve never touched a basketball before or you play on a competitive team, everyone will most likely have the opportunity to shoot a layup at least once in their life. So next time you see a ball and a hoop, grab it and give this step-by-step a “shot”!