A basketball lay-up may seem as the easiest shot to do, but putting the ball into the hoop is not as easy as you might think. Even great basketball players mistake with their lay-ups every now and then. Here are some good tips that you can perform when doing a lay-up.

Follow through – When learning to shoot, the “follow through” should be the same as a regular shot. Your palm is facing the basket, with the ball coming off the first two finger. Flop over the wrist to give the ball a backspin for a nice soft shot. Eventually, when a player can jump higher, the palm can face skyward and lay the ball up softly off to the backboard with very little spin.

Proper position – When doing a right-handed lay-up shot, put your right knee up; and for a left-handed lay-up put your left knee up. You should thrust upward trying to put your knee through the bottom of the basket. Remember to protect the ball with two hands on the same side as your shooting hand. Your elbow should be under the ball with wrist cocked and your eyes focused on a spot in the square on the backboard.

Preparation – In preparing for a right-handed lay-up, get a good angle to the backboard. Do this by making sure that you pass between the block and the first free throw lane has mark. Your steps should start with the right foot first, then your left, and lift your body up. The steps are reversed for a left-handed lay-up (left foot first). You can practice this by simply walking without a ball first, then once used to it do the routine with the ball without dribbling. Work you way shooting them off with one dribble, then a full dribble from half court.