The lay-up is the most basic shot in basketball. Unfortunately, it does not get a lot of attention when people work on improving their overall game. In a time now where fundamentals are slowly being forgotten and replaced with fancy, show-boating moves, players need to remind themselves of the basic techniques of shooting lay-ups to make themselves better scorers.

1. 1
Lay-up Fundamentals-hoopskills.com
Lay-Up Fundamentals
-by Coach Andy Louder
http://www.hoopskills.com
The lay-up is the most basic shot in basketball.
Unfortunately, it does not get a lot of attention
when people work on improving their overall
game.
In a time now where fundamentals are slowly
being forgotten and replaced with fancy, show-
boating moves, players need to remind themselves
of the basic techniques of shooting lay-ups to
make themselves better scorers.
When Practicing Lay-ups Take It Serious
In an actual game you will rarely have the
opportunity to lazily run to the basket and shoot
an uncontested lay-up. Most lay-ups are shot while
you are fast breaking with a defender on your hip harassing you all the way to the
basket.
If you practice lay-ups nonchalantly then in a game type situation you are more
likely to miss the lay-up because you might jump off the wrong foot, or shoot the
lay-up too hard because your timing is off.
It's not logical at all for you to make even the simplest of shots in a game if you are
not practicing the shots the same way you would shoot them in a game. Make sure
you are using correct technique and that you are moving at game speed when you
shoot lay-ups during your warm-ups.
Be Able To Use Both Hands
You should be able to shoot lay-ups effectively with both the right and left hand. If
you are driving to the basket on the left hand side of the floor and shoot a lay-up
using your right hand you are likely to get the shot blocked.

2. 2
Lay-up Fundamentals-hoopskills.com
Make sure that whatever side of the basket you are driving towards you use that
hand to shoot the lay-up. This will ensure that your body will be in between you
and your defender and it's likely that you'll draw a foul if your defender tries to
block your shot.
Be Selective
If you try to shoot the same type of lay-up in every situation you will lack the
advantage. It's important that you are able to shoot different types of lay-ups so
that you will be harder to defend in certain situations.
For example a defender may be over aggressively challenging every shot you take,
as you get to the basket you may want to head fake and shoot what is referred to
as a power lay-up where you go off two feet and try to draw a foul or shoot over
your defender as you time it perfect.
Or sometimes on a break you would want to actually shoot a lay-up with the
opposite hand of the side of the basket you are driving towards. Sometimes when
you are pressured to get a shot off you can get the ball to the basket quicker if you
were to use the right hand when going up on the left hand side of the basket or
vice versa. The bottom line is that you need to have a selection of lay-ups that you
feel comfortable shooting so that during games you can use every advantage you
possibly can.