Practicing free throws - cougarguard.com — unofficial BYU Cougars / LDS sports, football, basketball forum and message board

MikeWaters · 03-03-2015, 07:13 PM

Today during lunch I practiced my free throws. In honor of Haws.

The last time I played organized ball (for my high school) was 10th grade. I was one of the better free throw shooters. At 69%. And I got to the line quite a bit, as I played a pauper's version of a forward.

Given that I wasn't a shooter. And you know, game time free throws are much different than practice. In practice you get a rhythm. In games, you are cold each time you get to the line. 80% in practice w/ consecutive FTs might translate to 60% in games.

Someone like Jimmer, than can shoot 94% FTs, can probably make 100 in a row in practice. 150 in a row.

A scrub like me can make 10 in a row with no trouble, pretty consistently. Just the boredom of retrieving your own rebound.

One thing I have noticed about Haws FTs...he gets less arc on them than he does his jump shot. It's hard to critique a fabulous FT shooter. But I think if he just got a little more arc under there, he could bump his % up.

BlueK · 03-03-2015, 08:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

Today during lunch I practiced my free throws. In honor of Haws.

The last time I played organized ball (for my high school) was 10th grade. I was one of the better free throw shooters. At 69%. And I got to the line quite a bit, as I played a pauper's version of a forward.

Given that I wasn't a shooter. And you know, game time free throws are much different than practice. In practice you get a rhythm. In games, you are cold each time you get to the line. 80% in practice w/ consecutive FTs might translate to 60% in games.

Someone like Jimmer, than can shoot 94% FTs, can probably make 100 in a row in practice. 150 in a row.

A scrub like me can make 10 in a row with no trouble, pretty consistently. Just the boredom of retrieving your own rebound.

One thing I have noticed about Haws FTs...he gets less arc on them than he does his jump shot. It's hard to critique a fabulous FT shooter. But I think if he just got a little more arc under there, he could bump his % up.

Collinsworth's improvement this year is actually pretty substantial. You don't normally see anyone go from awful at the line to pretty good in just one season to the next.

MikeWaters · 03-04-2015, 04:19 AM

You're right. It's rare.

Usually because someone at the Div 1A level has already figured out the basics of shooting form and has gotten somewhat close to their maximum potential. A 10% improvement is a big jump for someone that knows what they are doing.

There was this guy at my high school. A few years older than me, he was my basketball hero. He was the star of the high school team, and eventually played at Sam Houston State. I thought he was nails at the free throw line. But he was only about an 80% FT shooter. Lows 80s at best. That's great esp for high school, but it's not amazing.

Having shot at 70%, I probably could have improved to 80%.

So what does this tell us about KC? That his form and technique were awful, and that he was amenable to improving his technique. And that has paid dividends. It's not just a matter of reps and consistency. Because you can be doing the same bad thing over and over. It's about consistency and good technique. The right knee bend, the right rhythm--legs working with arms. The right arc and follow through, keeping the elbow in. Concentrating on a single point. Repeating the same motion every time, using the same procedure for muscle memory.

But some guys just can't do it even when it's the only thing they need to do and received instruction from the best coaches on earth (Shaq).

When I was younger I was a terrible shooter. Even though I could shoot 69% from the FT line, I had no outside shot. So there's a disconnect there. How is one of your worst shooters also one of your best free throw shooters? Well, now the rest of my game has caught up, and while I'm not a great shooter, and I'm no longer a horrible shooter. And it had to do with form. Simple things I wasn't doing, that if I had been correctly coached, would have improved very quickly. I never played club, I didn't start til the 8th grade, and my career was over after the 10th. And the coaches during that time never played basketball themselves. Never could have afforded a summer camp or anything like that.

Wish I knew then what I know now. I could have at least been a bench warmer on varsity.

03-03-2015, 07:13 PM	#1
MikeWaters Demiurge Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 36,365	Practicing free throws Today during lunch I practiced my free throws. In honor of Haws. The last time I played organized ball (for my high school) was 10th grade. I was one of the better free throw shooters. At 69%. And I got to the line quite a bit, as I played a pauper's version of a forward. Given that I wasn't a shooter. And you know, game time free throws are much different than practice. In practice you get a rhythm. In games, you are cold each time you get to the line. 80% in practice w/ consecutive FTs might translate to 60% in games. Someone like Jimmer, than can shoot 94% FTs, can probably make 100 in a row in practice. 150 in a row. A scrub like me can make 10 in a row with no trouble, pretty consistently. Just the boredom of retrieving your own rebound. One thing I have noticed about Haws FTs...he gets less arc on them than he does his jump shot. It's hard to critique a fabulous FT shooter. But I think if he just got a little more arc under there, he could bump his % up.

03-04-2015, 04:19 AM	#3
MikeWaters Demiurge Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 36,365	You're right. It's rare. Usually because someone at the Div 1A level has already figured out the basics of shooting form and has gotten somewhat close to their maximum potential. A 10% improvement is a big jump for someone that knows what they are doing. There was this guy at my high school. A few years older than me, he was my basketball hero. He was the star of the high school team, and eventually played at Sam Houston State. I thought he was nails at the free throw line. But he was only about an 80% FT shooter. Lows 80s at best. That's great esp for high school, but it's not amazing. Having shot at 70%, I probably could have improved to 80%. So what does this tell us about KC? That his form and technique were awful, and that he was amenable to improving his technique. And that has paid dividends. It's not just a matter of reps and consistency. Because you can be doing the same bad thing over and over. It's about consistency and good technique. The right knee bend, the right rhythm--legs working with arms. The right arc and follow through, keeping the elbow in. Concentrating on a single point. Repeating the same motion every time, using the same procedure for muscle memory. But some guys just can't do it even when it's the only thing they need to do and received instruction from the best coaches on earth (Shaq). When I was younger I was a terrible shooter. Even though I could shoot 69% from the FT line, I had no outside shot. So there's a disconnect there. How is one of your worst shooters also one of your best free throw shooters? Well, now the rest of my game has caught up, and while I'm not a great shooter, and I'm no longer a horrible shooter. And it had to do with form. Simple things I wasn't doing, that if I had been correctly coached, would have improved very quickly. I never played club, I didn't start til the 8th grade, and my career was over after the 10th. And the coaches during that time never played basketball themselves. Never could have afforded a summer camp or anything like that. Wish I knew then what I know now. I could have at least been a bench warmer on varsity.