I have an 8-year-old. He seems getting right under the basket which makes it harder to do layup.

Based on what I read from various books, it appears the best location is between the low block and first hash mark ("the gate").
But the question is that should the jump foot land there or the planting foot landing there?
let's use right hand layup example, should the right foot land to that spot, then jump off the left foot and shoot?

can I get some clarification on this?

I don't think there is a "best" spot to jump from and it will vary based on the individual player, age, skill, athletic ability, and situation on the court. In a game, unfortunately we can't ask defensive players to move so we can step on the right spot and make the shot. You just never know what angle you'll be taking in a game, how many dribbles you'll get, etc.

With that said, a young kids will want to start with something easy. If he is directly under the basket that will make things harder. So if he's getting to far under, just have him jump a foot or two farther back. Experiment to see what works.

This isn't the greatest video, but it shows a teaching progression on layups. I like the first part of the video where the players are closer to the basket and performing the last step of a layup, you might try that. Jeff brings up a valid point about each player's athletic abilities, skill level, and the defense. After many repetitions, your 8 yr old will start to find their sweet spot. It's not uncommon to see younger players get too far underneath the basket or too far away, which is why I like using some type of progression drill when teaching layups.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXySVm3s1A8

One thing I have done for my team of 2nd/3rd graders is to put tape down on the court in the general area where they should be trying to take off from. I put the tape just inside the block. It gives a visual reminder to the kids to get close to the basket, but not under the basket. Obviously the actual location that is best varies slightly from kid to kid, but this gives them a good reminder. To make it fun, I picked up some duct tape of varying colors and design to mark different area of the court. For layups, I use Batman tape and Superman tape (since most of the kids love superheroes). Batman is on the side for right handed layups and Superman is on the opposite end for left handed layups. Now we have Batman and Superman layups - and I just have to remind the kids to find the right spot.

It has really helped cut down on the kids getting right under the basket or trying to do a layup from 4 feet outside the key. Plus, it is fun for the kids.

Coach Rob, I really like the progressions in that video. I had never seen that before. Partially, because I use similar progressions myself. Tomorrow's newsletter will have an article on teaching lay ups to beginners.

http://www.breakthroughbasketball.com/drills/lay-up-progressions.html