The Finishing Touch layup drills are to help improve the confidence of a player in the open court. These drills will also improve the ability of a player to score the basketball around opposing players in the lane. This drill series was developed after my sophomore year of college as I had difficulty catching a pass and finishing the layup in stride without taking a dribble. I worked on these drills and showed a lot of improvement my junior season. The drills listed below can be practiced in a team or individual workout. These drills will improve concentration, confidence, conditioning and explosiveness.
Fast Break Situation - the player will start on the baseline on the lane line. The passer will stand across from the player on the opposite lane line. The passer will tell the player to go and throw the ball into the front court. The player will chase the ball down and finish the lay up. This drill should be completed by shooting off of one foot and and work on a quick jump stop off two feet as well.
Half Court Pass
Lay ups - the player will begin at the half court line by the sideline. The passer will stand in the corner with the ball. The player will sprint towards the basket and catch the pass in stride near the hash marks/block and finishes the lay up. The player will then rebound the ball and return it to the passer. This should be done 3 to 5 times
consecutively and then switch to the other side of the court.
Adjustments to the drill can include
- running down the middle of the floor
