Week of Jan 29-Feb 4 Player Tip of the Week

How to prevent missing layups on the move in the open court. How many times do players hear the footsteps when they go in for a layup in transition with a defender close behind the player with the ball on the dribble?

Because the player is airborne the player with the ball is worried about getting fouled while in the air. And the player has every right to feel that way because he is very vunerable with little or no protection. Also, if the player misses the layup then his follow through takes him under the backboard where he is not in position to rebound if he should miss the moving layup.

To prevent this the player should take a jump stop and stop at the crotch of the rim and soon as he lands on the floor he should look over his inside shoulder to see where the defensive player is. If the defender is right on his back all he has to do is pump fake the ball and the defender will go right by him, thus allowing the polayer to shoot a power layup which will allow him to be in position to get his own rebound on either side of the rim if the shot is missed.

Also, because he has pump faked he should bend his knees so that if there is contact by the defender the shooter will have a base to protect himself and be in the act of shooting so that if he makes the power layup he will get a foul shot also, or get two shots if the shot is missed.

Practice this on your own by dribbling in from midcourt and then jump stoplook over your inside shoulder, pump fake and then shoot a power layup and rebound the miss if missed. Practice this from each side of the court.