The baby hook is an incredibly powerful and underrated shot. Particularly in youth basketball, the baby hook is not emphasised enough given it’s incredible strength. In my opinion, more time should be spent during basketball workouts honing this technique. It is somewhere between a power layup and a sky-hook.
The beauty of the baby hook is it is one of the easier shots to master on both hands. Much of the power for any hook shot comes from the chest and shoulder, allowing the arm to concentrate on the finesse of the movement.
The baby hook looks like a “power layup”, which is what many coaches call a layup that is off of two feet. A power layup should come from the side of the body as well, but the baby hook can be shot off one or two feet and on the move. It is also shot above the head – where a layup usually starts with the ball next to the chest, the baby hook should start with the ball directly in front of the shoulder. The shooting hand moves upwards in a slight arc and the ball is given direction with a flick of the wrist. The other hand plays an important role in protecting the basketball. In order to protect the shot, the ball should
The baby hook is best learnt as part of a basketball workout focussed on post moves. Post up, then drop-step to the middle and jump stop. Jump off of two feet and shoot the hook with the hand furthest from the hoop. Whether or not you use the backboard is up to you. Also try a half turn to the base line and shoot the baby hook side on using the backboard. For a player with a height advantage on their opponent this can be an unstoppable move.