Outside Foot Layup Drill

By: Ryan Goodson

Originally Published in: Basketball Essentials

Provided by: Human Kinetics

When I watch youth basketball practices, I am confused when coaches use only the inside-foot layup. There are many situations in the game that call for alternate finishes at the rim. The inside-foot layup is appropriate only when the defender occupies the inside position between the offensive player and the basket. Sometimes the offensive player may be between the defender and the basket; in this scenario, the offensive player may need to finish with the inside hand and jump off the outside foot to protect and shield the basketball from the defender and to open a scoring window.

After picking up the dribble, take two steps. The first step is with the inside foot and the second step is with the outside foot. The first step is long and the second is short in order to maintain body control. Land on the second step in a low and athletic position; then launch up and toward the basket and protect the basketball on the inside of the body by finishing with an inside-hand layup off the correct quadrant. During this maneuver, focus on the basket until the basketball comes through the bottom of the net (see figure 3.4).

OUTSIDE-FOOT LAYUP CHOREOGRAPHY DRILL - Breakdown

Setup

• Use one player and one basketball.
• The player is on the baseline with the ball.

Execution

1. The player gets into a low and athletic stance by bending down and touching the basketball to the ground.
2. The player then takes two steps to the right without a dribble. The first step (with the left foot) is long and the second step (with the right foot) is short.
3. The player then explodes off the ground and shoots a left-hand layup straight up in the air.
4. The player then catches the ball and returns to a low and athletic stance by bending down and touching the basketball to the ground.
5. The player continues by taking two steps to the left without a dribble. The first step (with the right foot) is long and the second step (with the left foot) is short.
6. The player then explodes off the ground and shoots a right-hand layup straight up in air.
7. The player repeats these steps in a zigzag motion and stops at the opposite baseline.

OUTSIDE-FOOT LAYUP CONE DRILL - Breakdown

Setup

• One player, one basketball, and one cone.
• The player has the ball and stands at the cone, which is placed just above the block.

Execution

1. The player gets into a low and athletic stance by bending down and touching the basketball to the floor.
2. The player takes two steps toward the rim: a long step with the inside foot followed by a short step with the outside foot.
3. The player then jumps up toward the basket and finishes with a layup off the backboard with the inside hand.
4. The player repeats these steps on both sides of the basket and completes 10 layups with each hand.

OUTSIDE-FOOT LAYUP GAME-READY DRILL - Breakdown

Setup

• Use one player, one ball, and six cones.
• The player stands under the rim with the basketball.

Execution

1. The player dribbles inside and around cone 1.
2. The player then faces the basket and attacks the rim by dribbling through cones 2 and 3 with the outside hand, which creates the perfect angle for the player to finish at the rim with an outside-foot layup off the backboard (figure 3.5)
3. The player rebounds the shot and dribbles inside and around cone 1 on the opposite side of the court.
4. The player then faces the basket and attacks the rim by dribbling through cones 2 and 3 with the outside hand, which again creates the perfect angle for the player to finish at the rim with an outside-foot layup off the backboard.
5. The player repeats the drill until 10 layups are made with the correct form.

Coaching Point

The player should protect the ball with the outside shoulder to prevent a deflection from the defender.