Euro Step

A “Euro Step” lay-up incorporates a change of direction as the player takes their “two steps”. The steps may also be slower.

Here, the player takes their first step to their left (black dot). With their second step they step past the defender to the right hand side (red dot). They should also lift the ball and move it from one side of their body to the other.

Outside Foot, Inside Foot

The offensive player uses their lay-up footwork to move laterally to get to the basket. Typically, they may dribble down the “seam” at the side of the key, landing their “outside foot” (furthest from the basket - shown in red). They then land their “inside foot” and jump off both feet to the basket.

The move is done in motion, enabling the player to move from the side of the key to the basket.

Floater or “Tear Drop”

This is also called a “long lay-up”. The offensive player penetrates to the top of the key and shoots before getting to the help defender.

The footwork is the same as “motion lay-up”, however the player shoots from the top of the key rather than at the basket. They must jump high so that they can shoot over the defender.

Wrong Foot Lay-up

Players must be able to shoot jumping off the same foot as they are shooting with. The need may arise for a number of reasons:

• Choice of pivot foot. The example shown, the left foot is the pivot, so the first step must be with the right foot (shown red). The second step is with the left and as they are on the left side they may shoot with the left
• At the end of a “Euro Step”;
• Taking only one step instead of two, to avoid defenders.

Hook Shot

The hook shot is taken side on to the basket, with the offensive player’s body separating them from their defender. The most renowned exponent of this shot was Kareem Abdul Jabbar, who would shoot equally adeptly with left and right hand.

Importantly, players often move their arm in a circular motion, releasing the shot very differently to normal shot technique. This is incorrect.

The release of a hook shot should be the same as any shot. The player should lift the ball to their shoulder and then reach upwards to shoot the ball. Players often incorrectly start with the ball at their hip - this should be discouraged.

A hook shot can be done from a jump stop, which often will happen at the end of “drop step” from the low post. However the “sky hook” made famous by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, is a moving lay-up.

It may be done with one step (without dribble), where the player takes a step (shown here toward the baseline) and then lifts their pivot foot as they jump and shoot.

It can also be done with two steps, which will require the player to dribble. Shown here, a post player “backs in” toward the basket and then spins to the middle to shoot a hook shot.

A hook shot may be taken any time. They step first with their baseline foot (shown in black) and take the second step with their other foot (shown in red), an offensive player moves across the basket.