- 1). Position your feet about shoulder-width apart, just behind the free-throw line. If you step on the line during the shot, the basket will not count if it goes in.
- 2). Perform your pre-shot routine. If you don't have a routine, start simple: Dribble the ball twice and hold it at your waist. Perform this routine in the same fashion every time you shoot a free throw. Developing a pattern should help you feel more comfortable. Avoid elaborate pre-shot routines.
- 3). Bend your legs slightly and take a breath. This breath, similar to the one a pitcher takes before delivering a pitch, is meant to relax your muscles.
- 4). Bring the ball to your shooting "pocket," which is the position from which you typically release the basketball when shooting. For most players, the pocket is somewhere between the upper chest and the top of the head.
- 5). Push up from your legs and shoot the ball, aiming just over the front of the rim. A proper shot has plenty of arc and backspin, which are both designed to maximize your chances of making the shot if the ball caroms off the rim.
- 6). Follow through with your shooting hand. The position of your arm/hand should look like a goose neck or -- as it's often explained to young players -- like you are dipping your hand in a cookie jar.
previous post
next post