Dribble close to the basket with your left hand. Since you're doing a left-handed lay up, angle your approach toward the left side of the basket. You want to get close enough to have easy access to the basket, but not so close that you end up directly under it.

  • Lay ups are often taken off of a running dribble. Practice approaching the basket slowly at first, and increase your speed once you've got the footwork down.
  • You can do a left-handed lay up if you're starting near the center or left side of the basket. If you're approaching the basket from the right, you'll want to do a right-handed lay up.

Step toward the basket with your left foot. When you're just a few steps from the basket (around the edge of the painted area), take a step toward it with our left foot.

Dribble close to the basket with your right hand. Since you're doing a right-handed lay up, angle your approach toward the right side of the basket. You want to get close enough to have easy access to the basket, but not so close that you end up directly under it.

  • Lay ups are often taken off of a running dribble. Practice approaching the basket slowly at first, and increase your speed once you've got the footwork down.
  • You can do a right-handed lay up if you're starting near the center or right side of the basket. If you're approaching the basket from the left, you'll want to do a left-handed lay up.

Step toward the basket with your right foot. When you're just a few steps from the basket (around the edge of the painted area), take a step toward it with our right foot.

Touch the ball with your fingertips, not your palm. Don't slap the ball with your palm. Rather, try to handle the ball with the tips of your fingers. Spread your fingers out across the surface of the ball for a wider, more balanced contact area.

Get in a low stance. When dribbling in an upright posture the ball will have to travel from your upper body to the ground and back again as it bounces, leaving it wide open for a defender to steal. Before you start to dribble, get in a low, defensive stance. Spread your feet shoulder-width apart. Bend your knees and drop your hips back slightly (as if you were sitting in a chair). Get your head up and your upper body mostly upright.

Keep your feet no further than shoulder width apart.

Flex your knees slightly. Locking your knees makes it easy for you to get knocked off balance. Flex your knees comfortably so you're in position to jump as soon as you have the ball.

Dip the ball down to your waist. The ball and your shooting eye should form a straight line to the basket.

Position your shooting hand elbow so it's under the ball. Your arm should be straight up and down, not out to the side.

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Eastern Southland Basketball Association (ESBA)

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