The first title for this hub was “How to Shoot Free Throws Like a Pro” but I realized that may not be a goal worth shooting for (pun intended). During the 2006-7 NBA season the average free throw percentage was just 75.2%. Over the past 50 years this statistic has held consistently right around the 75% mark. That means the average pro misses 2 or 3 shots out of every ten attempted. How many more games might be won if that percentage were 80 or 85%! Maybe we should aim to shoot free throws better than a pro!

However, great free throw shooters do exist. Guys like Mark Price, Rick Barry and Steve Nash averaged over or around 90% over their entire careers! They proved the free throw can be and should be a high percentage shot. Think about it, when at the line you’ve been given the chance to take an uncontested shot from 15 feet straight away. Who wouldn’t love to take that as a jump shot!

Having coached youth basketball and observed basketball from youth league through high school, college and the pros I have observed certain traits in common among the best free throw shooters. In this hub, I will share these observations with you.

Where’s the BEEF?

No, I’m not talking about a Wendy’s hamburger here. BEEF is an acronym for a shooting technique that I have seen in every great free throw shooter.

The ‘B’ in beef stands for ‘Balance’.

Balance is a key factor in successful free throws. Your feet should be roughly shoulder width apart with you weight distributed evenly between them. Bend you knees slightly. It is important for good balance. You should be squared up to the basket. Some shooters prefer to have one foot few slightly behind the other. This is fine as long as it doesn’t cause you not to be squared up or your weight to be too unbalanced.

Good balance provides a strong foundation for creating a sound shot that can be reproduced every time you are at the line. Bad balance will result in your shot varying from game to game or even shot to shot. Many players that shoot well one game and poorly the next can trace their trouble to poor balance.

The first ‘E’ stands for ‘Eye on the target’.

This sounds incredibly obvious but you would be surprised at the number of players that don’t do this or don’t do it every time. I frequently asked my players what was their target when they shot free throws and have been surprised by their responses. ‘The front of the rim’ or the ‘square on the backboard’ are the most common wrong answers. Why were they surprised when there shot bounded off the front of the rim or took a hard bounce off the backboard? The ball has a tendency to go where you shoot it and if you are aiming at the wrong place, don’t be surprised when you hit it. Your target is the center of the rim and nothing else.

The second ‘E’ stands for ‘Elbow in’.

If your free throw has a tendency to go left or right of the rim, check your elbow. It should be pointing down, not out. Allowing your elbow to point out allows your shooting arm to move side to side more easily during the shooting motion. If you keep it pointed down, it is much easier to shoot straight toward the rim.

Often you may hear a coach tell his player that ‘at least it was straight’. He isn’t just saying that to make him feel better. If a players shot is straight, the correct distance will come with practice. If the shot isn’t straight, then the player has other problems that must be resolved first. The shot must be straight first before it will go in!

The ‘F’ stands for ‘Follow Through”.

A proper follow through is essential for a good shot with proper arc. A ‘straight line’ or ‘frozen rope’ shot has a very low margin for error and very low success rate. A proper follow through includes fully extending your arm during the shot as well as a sharp wrist snap. Your hand should be pointing directly toward the rim on the follow through. If not, don’t expect to make the shot. The ball has an amazing way of going where you shoot it.

Hand Position

Proper position of the hand on the ball is critical.  Your hand  should be on the center line of the ball with your fingers pointed up.  If you were to look over the ball to the rim, your middle finger should be on the center line and pointing to the rim. As you shoot with a proper wrist snap your middle finger should be the last finger in contact with the ball.

Placing your hand to one side of the ball or the other can result in pushing the ball off line to the opposite side.  So, if your hand is off center to the right, you will have a tendency to shoot the ball offline to the left.  The opposite is also true if your hand if your hand were off center to the left.  So, if your elbow is tucked in and your shots are consistently going left or right, check to be sure your hand in properly positioned on the ball.

Full extension of your shooting arm and a proper wrist snap is essential for obtaining proper arc on the shot. The importance of proper arc cannot be understated. Imagine the flight of the ball from the balls perspective. If your shot has little to no arc, the ball sees the rim edge on or from a very low angle. From that view, the hole looks very small and there is little room for error. Either you hit the hole and you score or the ball hits the rim and bounces away.

If you shoot the ball with proper arc, the ball sees the rim from well above. The odds of making the shot are improved for 2 reasons. First, the rim looks like a circle and the opening looks much larger. Second, the rebound on missed shots is more likely to rebound up and to stay around the rim increasing the likelihood of the shot falling in on the second or third bounce. This is what is commonly referred to as a ‘shooters touch’ or shooters bounce’. Simply put, it is the result of proper arc on the ball. Frozen rope shots bounce away from the rim and properly arced shots bounce around the rim increasing the chances for a successful shot.

Use Your Knees

Another common trait among the best free throw shooters is that they use their knees during the shot. Proper knee bend and extension during the shot is important in giving the ball the proper arc. It also allows you to develop a consistent rhythm to the shot. The knee extension should occur simultaneously with your arm extension and wrist snap thus imparting more upward energy to the ball in the form of arc.

Bending you knees also helps establish a solid base for your shot. It helps ensure good balance essential for a good shot.

Develop a Routine

All great free throw shooters have a routine. They shoot the shot exactly the same way every time. The routine helps them to focus on the task at hand. We’ve all soon some pretty weird routines over the years but as long as the fundamentals are there it doesn’t matter. Some players bounce the ball a certain number of times before shooting. Some spin the ball in their hands. Some blow kisses to the rim. No, seriously, some of you know to whom I refer.

The point is that developing a routine helps to encourage muscle memory. If your routine before the shot is the same every time, it encourages you to shoot the ball the same way every time thus increasing your chances for success. Also, having a free throw routine helps settle nerves in high pressure situations. It helps you feel more in control of the situation also increasing your chances of success at the line.

Take Your Time

I don’t know how many times I’ve seen players shoot the ball only a few seconds after getting it from the ref. Hurried free throws equal missed free throws. Take your time. You’re not in a rush. Typically, a player has 10 seconds to shoot from the time the ref gives him the ball. However, this rule is rarely enforced unless noticeably exceeded. Take a few deep breaths to help control your breathing and relax. Go through your routine. Focus on the rim and let it fly.

Repetition, Repetition, Repetition

The most important thing you can do to get better at the free throw line is to shoot free throws. Hundreds and thousands of them. Practice, practice and then practice some more. The key to successful practice is to use the correct technique every time.

If you practice with poor technique, you will have a poor shot. If you practice with good technique, you will have a good shot. Remind yourself of BEEF and to bend your knees before every shot. Do it every shot. When it comes time to shoot that free throw in a real game you don’t want to have to remind yourself of all these things. You want it to be automatic. It’s called muscle memory and it is the result of repetition, repetition and more repetition.

Practice When Tired

Set aside time near the end of your practices to work on your free throws. You will rarely approach the free throw line during a game when you are well rested. Rather, you will have been running the floor for at least a few minutes and have broken a good sweat.

You will need to control your breathing and settle down. Get your focus and remind yourself of the fundamentals of the shot. You want to practice your free throws under game-like conditions. Of course, it is fine to practice free throws at any time, rested or not. The more repetitions the better. It helps to build muscle memory. However, be sure to practice when tired so you have the opportunity to learn to control your body under game conditions.

Thoughts in Closing

If you were hoping to get better at the line by just learning a few tips, then I’m afraid you will be disappointed. Great free throw shooting is the result of good technique, discipline, self-control and repetition.   It is not difficult.  It just takes desire and commitment. It is within reach, if you are willing to put in the time. Then it will be you sinking that clutch, game-winning free throw at the end of the game. Swish!