Layups & Finishing
The highest-percentage shot in basketball — done right
How to Make Layups and Finish at the Rim is part of Movement & Ball Skills, BasketballGraph's level 2 basketball curriculum. This lesson explains the footwork pattern, use the glass, both hands, many finishes.
01The footwork pattern
The standard layup off a right-hand drive: step right foot, then left foot, jump off the left, and lay the ball up with your right hand. Off a left-hand drive it mirrors: left-right, jump off the right foot, finish left-handed.
The pattern is outside hand shoots, inside foot jumps. This lifts your shooting hand up and away from defenders and raises your knee naturally for height.
02Use the glass
On angled drives, aim for the top corner of the small square painted on the backboard. A soft ball placed on that spot banks in with remarkable consistency — the backboard is your friend, not a decoration.
Go up strong and high: extend fully, finish at the top of your jump, and expect contact. Shying away from contact causes more missed layups than bad aim does.
03Both hands, many finishes
You must finish with both hands. Defenders shade you toward your weak hand on purpose; a right-handed player who can't finish left is a scouting report note by age 12.
Beyond the standard layup, you'll later add the reverse (finishing on the far side of the rim, using it as a shield) and the power layup (jump stop, two-foot takeoff, strong finish through contact). Two-foot finishes trade a little height for a lot of balance and strength.
See it in action
Layup footwork taught in 5 minutes
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