Concentration On Layups

[MannyO]

I want to talk about being fully focused on finishing at the basket. I have noticed that lately I will make a really nice move and will not be able to finish the layup. My greatest fear is missing a wide open fast break layup. I really need to be able to have that kind of focus that blocks out everything.

Does this happen to you guys?

[ivienthol]

Do you ever do any fast break drills before or after practice running as fast as you can while dribbling and doing layups with both hands, off the glass, without the glass, etc?

When you do those enough, it won't even cross your mind to be nervous in a game because they're so easy.

Maybe you need to play more pickup games too so you're not nervous around people. I guess it's just one of those things that go away with time and experience. lol They're just layups.

[MannyO]

Do you ever do any fast break drills before or after practice running as fast as you can while dribbling and doing layups with both hands, off the glass, without the glass, etc?

When you do those enough, it won't even cross your mind to be nervous in a game because they're so easy.

Maybe you need to play more pickup games too so you're not nervous around people. I guess it's just one of those things that go away with time and experience. lol They're just layups.

Yea this used to not be much of a problem before, but this is my first year on varsity and its a MUCH bigger crowd. The fact that I barely even play any minutes really adds to the problem. But not just fastbreak layups like finishing in traffic after getting by my defender. I need to find a way to finish better.

[LevisJeans]

Do you lay-up underhand? I used to lay-up like Stephon Marbury (), but now that I lay-up the right way, I can go up strong and make every lay-up a semi-dunk.

[ivienthol]

Another drill you can try is have someone push you when you're finishing at the basket.

Other than that it just sounds like you need more experience in games so your nerves go away when you play. Maybe try to meditate before a game and calm yourself down as much as you can. Even on the bench keep a clear head so your confident in game. Pretend you're scrimmaging and don't buy in to the hype.

[MannyO]

@LeviJeans- lol you now use the over hand layup? Isn't it better to use under hand if you are going at high speeds? Can you show an example of how you do it?


@ivienthol- I try to calm my self my its just such a nerve racking game like the gym is just ROARING like every game is the NBA Finals or something. If you dare mess up your soul will be condemned (lol)

[Swaggin916]

Well if you barely get nay minutes it's not like you are playing in crunch time right?? Just sit back and relax man

No but in all seriousness on a break away lay up you should not be afraid of that. Just get a good jump and lay it in... should be second nature. Finishing in traffic takes skill and a lot of people can't do it real well so don't worry about that... if you miss you miss. If you make it you look like a stud so just do what's instinctive.

[BlueCrayon]

Yea I know what you mean, sometimes on a fast break and I get the loose ball and go for a layup on the other end I end up missing because I worry too much about the people chasing me down.

[Swaggin916]

Yea I know what you mean, sometimes on a fast break and I get the loose ball and go for a layup on the other end I end up missing because I worry too much about the people chasing me down.

Yea I mean if a Lebron like guy is chasing you down it's only natural to think about it a little bit... but in those situation you just have to jump from further out and extend you arm a little more. (the arm you are laying it up with)

[MannyO]

Yea I know what you mean, sometimes on a fast break and I get the loose ball and go for a layup on the other end I end up missing because I worry too much about the people chasing me down.

this is not much of a worry for me because I like to try get the and1. Also a simple reverse layup will help. Its just the fact that being all by yourself on the break and its supposed to be a simple layup but what if somehow you miss. Your the laughing stock for the rest of the year.

[Kumo]

You've dunked right? I can't dunk yet, but I can get up high enough to just barely flick it in. Do that..

[Timmy D for MVP]

Layup drills, layup drills, layup drills. Seriously guys stop doing layup drills because they reach an age and then figure "I don't need to do layups anymore." This is bullsh!t.

It takes maybe 10 minutes to do 100 layups on eachside. You can vary the drill by having someone jump at you, hit you with cushions, push you, etc. Also you can do fast break layup drills full court if you have a couple friends or you can do sprints and layups which help both your stamina and layups at full speed.

Once it's something you can do without thinking you'll find those thoughts melt away because you know you've done it literally thousands of times.

[Swaggin916]

Layup drills, layup drills, layup drills. Seriously guys stop doing layup drills because they reach an age and then figure "I don't need to do layups anymore." This is bullsh!t.

It takes maybe 10 minutes to do 100 layups on eachside. You can vary the drill by having someone jump at you, hit you with cushions, push you, etc. Also you can do fast break layup drills full court if you have a couple friends or you can do sprints and layups which help both your stamina and layups at full speed.

Once it's something you can do without thinking you'll find those thoughts melt away because you know you've done it literally thousands of times.

Yea I think I am going to try that... I will have my friend jump at me when going up for layups. I am not worried about blowing a layup on the break but that will be a great way to practice finishing in traffic. He is like 3 inches taller than me and can jump out of the gym so pretty good practice ha.

[Atrokkus]

Yep, lay-ups are a must. Focus, however, not just on good layups as finishers for high-speed dribble penetration (not letting the spin be too strong etc), but also stationary layups from under the basket, no matter what position you're playing. Even point-guards have to clean up their teammates' mess sometimes.

Oh, and also: I'm a right-hander, but I was fortunate enough to first learn how to layup with my left, and the right kind of followed suit fast, so now I'm ambidextrous (just as in dribbling... yet i can only do right-handed hooks and floaters and of course jumpers). So to anyone who's startin out my advice is this -- get your offhand active in layups as early as possible, because your lead hand is bound to be just as good or better anyway. I see all the time how players have to get all acrobatic on a finishing move JUST because they can't finish with a hand that's more effective in their current attack trajectory, so they have to twist or go under the hoop just to use their main hand.

[MannyO]

Yep, lay-ups are a must. Focus, however, not just on good layups as finishers for high-speed dribble penetration (not letting the spin be too strong etc), but also stationary layups from under the basket, no matter what position you're playing. Even point-guards have to clean up their teammates' mess sometimes.

Oh, and also: I'm a right-hander, but I was fortunate enough to first learn how to layup with my left, and the right kind of followed suit fast, so now I'm ambidextrous (just as in dribbling... yet i can only do right-handed hooks and floaters and of course jumpers). So to anyone who's startin out my advice is this -- get your offhand active in layups as early as possible, because your lead hand is bound to be just as good or better anyway. I see all the time how players have to get all acrobatic on a finishing move JUST because they can't finish with a hand that's more effective in their current attack trajectory, so they have to twist or go under the hoop just to use their main hand.

Yea I think another aspect on finishing is using the other hand to protect the ball from getting blocked. I never did this before but I think it is necessary to learn.