Master the Reverse Layup: Elite Finishing at the Rim
The reverse layup is an essential finishing move for any guard or forward looking to score effectively against taller defenders and rim protectors. This drill focuses on developing superior body control, rim awareness, and the soft touch required to finish in traffic. By mastering this move, you transform the rim from an obstacle into a shield, making it significantly harder for defenders to block your shot without fouling.
How to Perform This Drill
- Setup: Start on the wing or the slot in a disciplined triple threat position, facing the basket with your knees bent and eyes up.
- Attack: Rip the ball through aggressively and take hard, game-speed dribbles toward the baseline side of the hoop, simulating a drive past your primary defender.
- Takeoff: As you approach the block, plant your foot and jump toward the baseline side, carrying your momentum past the rim rather than directly at it.
- Execute: While in the air, turn your shoulders back toward the court and extend the ball on the opposite side of the rim (the reverse side) from where you started.
- Finish: Flip the ball gently off the glass using the backboard to angle the shot into the hoop, ensuring your body stays between the imaginary defender and the ball.
- Challenge: Put 60 seconds on the clock and count your makes. Immediately rebound your own shot, sprint back to the starting spot, and repeat to build cardiovascular endurance and muscle memory.
Why This Drill Works
In a real game, driving directly into a shot blocker usually results in a blocked shot or an offensive foul. The reverse layup works because it utilizes the rim as a physical barrier, forcing the defender to reach over the hoop—and likely commit a foul—to get to the ball. This drill builds the "muscle memory" required to instinctively protect the ball with your body and develops the high-level coordination needed to finish smoothly while moving away from the target.
Pro Tips
- Apply "English": Use a subtle spin on the ball when releasing it off the backboard; this helps deaden the bounce and allows the ball to drop softly into the net.
- Chin the Ball: On your drive, keep the ball strong and tucked near your chin or "cuffed" away from the defense to prevent guards from stripping it before you take off.
- Eyes on the Target: Locate the rim early. You need to spot your landing zone on the backboard before you are underneath the basket to ensure accuracy.
- Explode Upward: Don't just jump forward; focus on vertical explosion to hang in the air long enough to adjust your shot against contact.
