How to Shoot a Free Throw

Shooting free throws can be the easiest way to score points and lead your team to victory, or it can be stressful and embarrassing. Bad free throw shooting can even cost your team the game! The most important way to make free throws is shooting consistently. To obtain consistency, a player must always practice his form. By doing so, the free throw shooter will gain confidence and will see an increase in the number of free throws he can make. The free throw form should be the same form used for shooting jump shots. 1. First, Position your feet shoulder-width apart. The main foot should be positioned right behind the free throw line, while the other foot is positioned a couple of inches behind the free throw line. The main foot matches your handedness. If you are right-handed, then your right foot will be dominant at the free throw line. 2. Secondly, your legs should be slightly bent at the knee. 3. Thirdly, your dominant hand should be used to cradle the ball from underneath, with the other hand positioned on the side of the basketball for guidance and stability. 4. Fourthly, the ball should be positioned at about chest height, beneath the chin. 5. Fifthly, your dominant arm should form a C shape, with the ball perched atop the hand. 6. Next, the release motion should be smooth, as jerkiness will lead to inconsistent delivery from shot to shot. Your goal is to have the same movement every time you shoot a free throw. The release should flow from underneath the chin upwards and outwards. 7. Also, the wrist of your hand supporting the basketball should be snapped forward, applying backspin to the basketball as it is released. This should look as if the shooter is reaching above and in front of her head to steal cookies out of a cookie jar. 8. Finally, the shooter should find a routine that is comfortable for he/she and practice that routine so that it becomes second-nature. Only then can he/she obtain consistent success from