This series of videos will teach you HOW TO DO A LEFT HAND LAYUP. Whether you are a player in elementary school, middle school, or high school, and you’re strong hand is your right hand, you must master this vital fundamental. It’s extremely important to be able to attack the basket and finish with your left hand. Without this skill, you are limiting your options offensively and making it easier for your defender to keep you from scoring.
FOOTWORK & FINISH: Whenever you are learning a new skill, it’s always better to break it down into parts. This first video below will get you started, focusing on the footwork and the finish of the left hand layup. This will prepare you for each new video that follows.
REVIEW & BREAKDOWN WITH ACAEMY PLAYER: In this video, besides showing the left hand layup from a different angle, we will also break down one of our academy players performing the same left hand layup.
LEFT HAND LAYUP OFF TWO DRIBBLES: This next video will help you to perform the left hand layup off two dribbles. You will see that with each right step, there is a left hand dribble. Practice makes perfect, so if you struggle with any of these exercises, do not give up. Keep pushing yourself even when you get discouraged. We’ve all been at the stage you are at now at one time or another, and you are not the only player on the planet having a hard time at mastering this vital fundamental.
LEFT HAND POWER LAYUP: The second type of left hand layup is the left hand power layup. The left hand power layup is different because instead of jumping off one foot, you now jump off two feet. Typically you will use the left hand power layup when you are driving to the basket and the defender is putting a lot of pressure on you by leaning into your body, making it tougher to complete the drive to the basket off one foot. The most important thing to remember is when you come into the power layup, your feet should be parallel to the baseline and you are performing the power layup over your left shoulder.
POWER LAYUP ANALYSIS: In this video, we will take a closer look at the left hand power layup, using both the front view and rear view. From these video angles, you can really see how importance it is to land with your body parallel to the baseline, and keep your shoulders between your defender and the ball. We also show you how to come off your dribble by aggressively grabbing the ball with your left hand and quickly bring it to your right hand to secure the ball just prior to performing the left hand power layup.
MASTER ALL THE ANGLES: It’s important that you practice your left hand drive and left hand layups from various angles on the floor. In this sequence, we will learn how to drive from the right baseline, finishing with the left hand layup in front of the rim or on the far side of the rim using the backboard.
HOW TO HANDLE THE LEFT HAND LAYUP DURING GAME PLAY: In this video, we imagine that we are in practice or a game and we receive the ball. Fist and foremost, you need to square up to the basket by using one of your four pivots. Once you are facing the basket, you will jab step with your right foot and lead with your right foot, driving to the basket from the wing position, and finish with a left hand layup in front of the rim, or on the opposite side of the basket using the backboard.
WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE vs. DEFENSE: In this video you’ll get an idea of what a left hand drive and layup would look like vs the defense. It’s imperative that you practice your left hand layups from various positions on the floor to make it comfortable for you to drive against your defender from anywhere on the court.
HOW TO COME INTO THE LEFT HAND POWER LAYUP OFF THE PASS: This next video will teach you how to come into a left hand power layup off the pass. As you can see, there are so many different ways to score with your left hand near the basket that you need to master all of them. Nothing comes naturally, so you will have to work hard and put in the time to become an effective scorer with your left hand.
IF YOU LIVE IN ORANGE COUNTY AND YOU NEED SOME PRIVATE COACHING FOR THIS AND OTHER IMPORTANT FUNDAMENTALS, PLEASE CALL COACH BEEZ TO SCHEDULE A LESSON AT 949-547-5944 OR EMAIL BASKETBALLWITHCOACHBEEZ@COX.NET.