What is a layup?
“In
basketball, the layup is the highest percentage shot in the game. Many players
know how to correctly execute only one or two of the six variations. The
overhand layup is the one most commonly taught. The overhand layup is the
easiest in-motion layup to learn and is shot like a regular shot” (Palazzo
& Zimmerman, 2005.)
If
you are still unsure about what a layup is/looks like please watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TgFAQooBho
What does a text
book method of teaching the layup look like?
STACK provides learning sequences on how to learn/teach particular skills as well as drills that coaches can use when introducing these techniques to students. The instructions they provide for learning/teaching a standard layup can be seen below and it is very evident that they use a fairly standard text book technique.
STACK provides learning sequences on how to learn/teach particular skills as well as drills that coaches can use when introducing these techniques to students. The instructions they provide for learning/teaching a standard layup can be seen below and it is very evident that they use a fairly standard text book technique.
After
reading through the points there are many sections where people could get lost
or confused. Personally I have played basketball since the age of ten, I am by no means a professional player but with eleven years of basketball behind me I
am unaware of where ‘the first hash mark from the block’ is or even what it
looks like. I also do not see why it is necessary in the third point to ‘slap
the ball hard.’ While this textbook teaching method may be efficient for
certain teachers or coaches there is no evidence of it being informed by research. There is no
biomechanical reference in any of the steps to tell the students why they need
to do a particular part of the skill in a certain way or the benefits that come
with it.
So what are the biomechanical principals
surrounding a basketball layup?
Angular Velocity –
Angular velocity is “the rate of change in the angle of the thrower”
(Blazevich, 2010, p16.) Changing the angular velocity will change how fast the
basketball will be moving and will affect how far it can be thrown (Blazevich,
2010, p20.) This is important as where the arms are bent and the angle at which they're bent will need to be decided on in relation to how far away the ring is.
Blazevich states that changing angular velocity can affect the release velocity
by 40% a number which is similar for both long and short armed throwers (2010,
p21.) Angular velocity is the reason having ones arms bent at the elbow is
biomechanically beneficial and it is important to note that changing the angle
can greatly affect the outcome of the shot.
Projectile Motion - Projectile
motion is “the motion of an object projected at an angle into the air”
(Blazevich, 2010, p25.) This projectile motion is influenced by projectile
speed, the projectile angle and the relative height of projection. The
projection speed relates to how far an object will go, this is decided upon
when the angular velocity is created by bending the arms at the elbow before
shooting and will determine whether the ball makes the ring or falls back to
earth before reaching it. Projection angle relates to the angle at which the
ball travels and again will determine if the ball makes the ring or not. The
relative height of projection is “the vertical distance between the projection
point and the point at which it lands” (Blazevich, 2010, p 26.) When throwing a
basketball at a ring the relative height of projection is negative as the ball
needs to land somewhere higher than it started. This tells us that the optimum
projection angle should be greater than 45° as it gives the ball a greater
curve and means it will be falling straight down into the ring. The projectile
motion helps to reiterate why the angular velocity is so important and how
bending the arms at just the right angle in the preparation phase can determine
the outcome of the shot. This is particularly important in basketball as “the
ball is much more likely to fall through the ring/basket if it falls vertically
than when it skims across the ring/basket” (Blazevich, 2010, p 38.)
Newton’s
Laws/Reaction Force – Newton’s first law relates to a state called inertia. The law is
that “an object will remain at rest or continue to move with constant velocity
as long as the net force equals zero” (Blazevich, 2010, p 44.) Inertia is the term used to describe that and
object will remain in its present state, unless it is acted upon by a force,
but the larger the mass of an object the greater the force needed to change its
state. The second law is that “the acceleration of an object is proportional to
the net force acting on it and inversely proportional to the mass of the
object” (Blazevich, 2010, p 45.) Newton’s third law states that “for every
action there is an equal and opposite reaction” (Blazevich, 2010, p 45.) All of
these laws and biomechanical principals relate to the run up and jump in a
basketball layup. To get moving and build up speed in the run up, inertia needs
to be overcome, this is done by using our own mass and pushing it forwards. When
we push our foot against the ground and away from the position we are in, the
earth creates an equal and opposite reaction which essentially ‘kicks’ us
forward. This is a reaction force which relates to everything having an equal
and opposite reaction (Blazevich, 2010, p46.) This also explains why bending
our knees before jumping means that we can jump much higher because it helps us
to overcome inertia. By bending at the knees we create more potential energy,
meaning that the distance in which to accelerate is greater. By creating more
time/space to accelerate one is able to create a larger reaction meaning they
can jump higher propelling them away from defenders and closer to the ring. An
important factor is to recognise that the gravitational force is less when were
lighter so by safely minimising body fat (within healthy limitations) we are
able to great a greater net force accelerating us upwards when jumping.
The
Impulse-Momentum Relationship – This biomechanical principle
helps us to realise the best ways to accelerate our body. It links in with Newton’s
third law and states that “when we hit the ground with our foot, we need to
apply the largest force possible for the longest time possible, as the greater
the impulse, the greater the change in momentum” (Blazevich, 2010, p53.) When
running we create breaking and propulsive impulses as our foot strikes the
ground. When it first lands on the heel it creates a breaking impulse which
means the force created in our leg slows our speed slightly. The propulsive
impulse occurs when our weight moves forward and we begin to push ourselves
forward off our toes, accelerating ourselves. So to speed up our run up we need
to reduce the braking and increase the propulsive forces (Blazevich, 2010, p55.)
This can be done by keeping the feet closer to the body when running as “the
breaking impulse is usually greater when the foot lands further in front of the
body” (Blazevich, 2010, p57.)
Centre
of Mass – Knowing about centre of mass and how it affects us can help
propel a basketballer higher during the jump stage of a layup. When jumping
bring your legs up under the body, then when gravity begins to pull you back
toward the ground the legs can be rapidly extended downwards, conserving
momentum and pushing the upper body higher. It is very slight and is often
called being able to ‘hang.’ It is possible as our body’s centre of mass is
moving downwards but then our upper body is going up creating a moment of
stationary hang in the air (Blazevich, 2010, p 67.)
Angular
Kinetics – Similarly to Newton’s laws and reaction force, angular kinetics
notices that we are able to run forward because the force we apply against the
ground is moving backwards. Our speed is decided upon in relation to the amount
of force we can produce and how frequently it can be applied (Blazevich, 2010,
p 73.) So to be able to run faster we need to move the leg forward and swing
the leg backward at a quicker pace, this is done by increasing “the torque
(moment of force) developed by the hip muscles, decreasing the mass of the leg
and ensuring that the remaining mass is located as close to the hip joint as
practically possible” (Blazevich, 2010, p 79.) The moment of inertia can be
reduced by flexing the leg during recovery meaning that the leg swings forwards at a faster pace, one closer to the pace that the leg is
swung backwards (Blazevich, 2010, p 86.)
The
Kinetic Chain – The kinetic chain effectively relates to our body having “a
moving chain of parts” (Blazevich, 2010, p 196) and this is then broken into two
movement patterns, push-like and throw-like. Push-like movement patterns “tend
to extend all the joins in our kinetic chain simultaneously in a single
movement” (Blazevich, 2010, p 196) like a leg press or a basketball free throw.
They are very efficient and help to produce a greater amount of force.
Throw-like movement patterns alternatively move “the joints of the kinetic
chain sequentially, one after another” (Blazevich, 2010, p 198) like throwing a
dart or kicking a football. This type of movement pattern makes good use of fast
shortening tendons creating a high release velocity, meaning we are able to
throw a ball faster than if we used a push-like movement pattern. A basketball
shot can incorporate both aspects of the kinetic chain moving from a push-like to a throw-like movement. The throw like stage is introduced at the end through
the flick of the wrist or the follow through as it is sometimes referred to.
Flicking the “wrist and fingers at the end of an over-arm throw contributes a
great deal to the overall release speed of a ball” (Blazevich, 2010, p 202) and
the quicker the basketball is thrown the less time there is for interference
from the defence.
The Answer:
Students can produce consistent outcomes with a teacher or coach
who does not have a biomechanical knowledge but it is likely that the outcomes
being achieved are not the greatest that the individual could perform. When a
teacher has a biomechanics knowledge base they are able to develop learning
cues based on research and evidence. According to McGinnis (2013) “Traditional teaching and coaching
methods tell you what techniques to teach or coach, whereas biomechanics tells
you why those techniques are best to teach. A good knowledge of
biomechanics will enable you to evaluate techniques used in unfamiliar sport
skills as well as to better evaluate new techniques in sports familiar to you.”
Physical educators and coaches naturally want the best for their students or athletes
and this not only includes improving their performance but also reducing their
risk of injury, both of which can be done with a biomechanical knowledge (Knudson,
2007.)
Qualitative analysis is one of the most important
professional activities of teachers and coaches (Knudson, 2007.) Through an
understanding and effective use of biomechanics it is possible to help students
understand the meaning behind your skill cues. For example, instead of just
telling a person to keep their centre of mass low a coach or teacher can use their knowledge to
inform the student about where or how low
the centre of mass should be within their base of support, how it should move
and how fast in order to achieve a certain mobility or stability objective required
to perform the task quickly (Knudson, 2007.) This type of qualitative analysis
can not only help the student's understanding but also help the coach or teacher
identify the type of training the athlete or student requires to improve (McGinnis, 2013.)
When using a text book
technique teachers and coaches often give skill cues based on the aesthetics of
how someone is performing a skill. The focus is placed on how the person looks
when doing a layup and if it matches what is said in a text book. By having a
basic biomechanical knowledge a student’s basketball layup can be improved through
an understanding of what is most efficient for their body even if it may not
look aesthetically appealing. Biomechanics helps students understand mentally
and physically why a coach or teacher asks them to do something and with time they
are able to see the benefits it creates. Using biomechanics to inform decisions
and planning is
very important as the most influential biomechanical flaws are able to be noticed
and corrected (Blazevich, 2010,
p 210.) By using and understanding the biomechanics related
to a basketball layup students or athletes should be able to improve their
technique and the gained understanding can be related back into a game
situation. The use of biomechanics to improve a person’s layup means that they
are able to use their body to its fullest potential, while reducing the risk of
injury and creating a consistent pattern to help them gain success.
How
else can we use this information?
The biomechanical
principles provided are relevant to use when playing a large number of sports,
including anything where running, jumping or shooting is involved. Angular velocity
can be used in any sport or situation where a ball is thrown such as netball,
baseball, cricket or grid iron football. By giving athletes an understanding of
how the angle in their arm controls the outcome of their throw they should be
able to experiment with the maths as well as trying it out in practise to give
themselves a greater understanding of the effects of their own movement.
An understanding of projectile motion can benefit
any sport or activity where a ball or projectile object is used. Anyone who
plays volleyball, basketball, tennis, shot put or javelin along with many
other sports would benefit from an understanding of the things that influence
projectile motion and how they can control those influences. For any teacher,
athlete or coach having a basic understanding of Newton’s laws can forge beneficial
changes in any sport. For any sport where running is involved understanding inertia
and the best ways to overcome it can increase ones speed. Newton’s third law
could biomechanically help anyone involved in a sport where jumping or shoving
is involved such as diving, netball and rugby. The same goes for all of the
biomechanical principles listed at the beginning of this blog, having a basic understanding
of even one of them can benefit your movements or help you to improve the efficiency
of other people’s movements. This information can help you to give your
students or athlete’s confidence and drive. With a biomechanical knowledge
you can now tell them what to work on but also why to do it and the potential
benefits it can create.
References:
Blazevich, A., 2010. Sports
Biomechanics The Basics Optimising Human Performance. 2nd ed. London:
A&C Black Publishers.
Knudson,
D. (2007). Qualitative biomechanical principles for application in coaching.
Sports Biomechanics, 6(1), 109-118. DOI 10.1080/14763140601062567
LIVESTRONG.COM.
(2009). How to Shoot a Layup.
Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TgFAQooBho
McGinnis,
P. (2013). Biomechanics of Sport and
Exercise (3rd ed., pp. 1-10). USA: Human Kinetics
Palazzo,
N., & Zimmerman, C. (2005). About Us and 6 Basketball Layup Variations,
Part 1: Overhand Layup. Stackactive.com. Retrieved
from http://www.stackactive.com/