Free Throw Research Paper

Nolan Enlow
Mr. Houston
VU Comp
2 September 2014 How to Be An Efficient Free Throw Shooter
It was the championship game of my 8th grade AJAA basketball season and my team was down one point and with two seconds left. The point guard Alex passed me the ball under the basket and as I was going up for the shot, I got fouled. I stepped up to the free throw line cool and composed and banked in my first free throw. I wiped the sweat off my forehead and without hesitating; I knocked down the second free throw. I won the championship game for my team because I knew how to make free throws. Free throws are without a doubt one of the most important aspects in basketball, and as history shows, they win championships. Although most people
Step up to the free throw line and place your feet as close to the line as possible, making it the closest and easiest shot possible. However, make sure your feet are not touching the line because that would be illegal. Keep your feet shoulder width part and line up your shooting foot so it is perfectly in line with the center of the rim. If you are left-handed your shooting foot would be your left foot and vice versa. Then, scoot your other foot back about six inches, still maintaining the shoulder width apart rule. This may not feel comfortable at first but this is the correct technique and might just take some time before it feels right. Next, you want to bend your knees so you aren't relying completely on upper body strength. Make sure you bend enough so your legs are the source of about half of the power in the shot but also don't bend so much that your butt touches your heels because that will tire your legs out. As you are bending your knees, raise the ball to eye-level, keep your non-shooting elbow (not the elbow of your dominant hand) tucked in, and then when you rise back up and straighten your legs, release the
It may sound cliché but when you are at the free throw line it just needs to be you, the ball, and the basket. Block out all other distractions and clear your mind. You need to stay calm and have poise, no matter how important the free throws are. Take a deep breath to help with this. Also it is important to realize your fatigue level when shooting free throws, especially in a game. When you shoot free throws in a game, your legs will most likely be tired from running so you need to adjust how you shoot appropriately. This would most likely be done by using more strength in your arms. Furthermore, confidence is a very important part of the mental aspect. You need to think that every free throw you shoot is going in. Surprisingly, just a simple change in your mindset like this can help your shooting a lot. I know that there is a mental facet of free throw shooting because there have been some great shooters in the NBA that were not that great at the free throw line; Chuck Hayes and Chris Dudley to name a