The lay-up is one of the fundemental basketball shots that many players neglect when practicing basketball. The lay-up doesn’t draw the same kind of response from a crowd as a slam dunk or a fade-away jumper from the three point line but the points on the board count just as much. Since the lay-up isn’t the glamor shot, quite a few players tend to become lazy throughout practice and ignore it. Here are some basketball suggestions to boost your workout and score many more points.

First, take the lay-up very seriously.

In an actual game situation, you are not going to have a lot of chances to trot up to the hoop and make an uncontested lay-up. Lay-ups are usually shot while in a fast break while a defender is stuck to your hip harassing you all the way towards the hoop. Should you practice lay-ups like you’re the only person on the court you will miss a large number of shots or have the ball taken away from you. You can end up jumping off the wrong foot or throw the ball too hard because your timing was bad. Just because the lay-up appears straightforward during practice when you are by yourself doesn’t mean you should take it for granted. It’s a very different situation during a game. Train for lay-ups the way you would use them in a game. Use the right technique and practice at game speed, even in the course of warm-ups.

Do basketball drills with both hands when shooting lay-ups.

You ought to be able to shoot lay-ups equally well with your right or left hand. If you are driving to the basket on the right side of the floor and shoot with our left hand, you are in all likelihood going to have your shot blocked. If you’re driving toward the right side of the hoop, shoot with your right hand and if you’re driving to the left side of the hoop, shoot with your left hand. This will maintain your body in between the ball and the defender and you’ll be likely to draw a foul if your opponent tries to block your shot.

Be selective.

Don’t make an effort to shoot the exact same kind of lay-up each time you use it. Use different types of lay-ups and you’ll be harder to defend against. For example, if your opponent is being very aggressive with each and every shot you take, once you near the basket, us a head fake and shoot a power lay-up. That’s where you go off two feet and try and either draw a foul or shoot over your opponent if you time it right. If you’re being compelled to shoot, you might want to shoot using the opposite hand to confuse your opponent. The important thing is that you have a selection of lay-ups that you feel confident shooting to ensure that during games you’ll be able to use each advantage you possibly can. Just keep in mind, exercise like you play.