One of the most exciting plays in basketball comes when the clock winds down and your team has the ball at the foul line with the chance to take the lead and win the game. However, this play becomes much less exciting if you are one of those players who can never seem to make their free throws! If you’re serious about improving your free throw percentage and winning more games, follow these easy tips that can help you make 80% of your free throws each time you step up to the line.
Increase Your Free Throw Percentage
Practice Makes Perfect
Shooting free throws on the court is one thing, but in order to increase your shooting accuracy off the court, you need to practice. The best way to do that is by establishing a shooting routine and then following it every time you’re on the court. I recommend practicing at least five days a week with a mix of your own personal drills and games like H-O-R-S-E or Roundball where you have a specific objective that keeps things moving quickly. Here are some exercises that will help: Build up a pile of shots and take them in rapid succession while keeping the ball tight to your body. Don’t worry about making all 10 shots; just focus on getting your rhythm down so when you get back on the court, it’s automatic.
You Are Not Alone
As a free throw shooter, you’re in good company. The list of players who have shot worse than 50 percent from the line is incredibly long, including legends like John Stockton and Tim Duncan (and present-day stars like Dwight Howard). These players are among some of basketball’s greatest – but they are more than a few percentage points away from making their mark on history. Many others haven’t even come close: Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade all have free throw percentages in their career of lower than .700. If you’re not where you want to be at free throws, ask for help! A coach or someone with expertise can help find your form and build up your confidence.
Positive Reinforcement Works
Shooting free throws under pressure is not a skill everyone has. But, with positive reinforcement and practice, you can improve your free throw percentage. To be a good free throw shooter, try thinking about making shots instead of missing them. If you focus on missing your shots, then you will miss your shots. However, if you focus on making them, then it’s more likely that you’ll make them. Also try to make sure you are taking enough time to shoot your free throws. Shoot quickly and you won’t have time to think about whether or not you’re going to make it.
Be Patient With Yourself
Most players make this mistake, take time shooting your free throws! Don’t rush the shot. There’s a lot of practice and dedication required to develop your shot, so the first thing you should do is establish a routine. Shooting 100 free throws per day is a good place to start. Make sure each shot is accurate, and make sure you don’t rush through the shot. This can help keep your shooting accuracy steady. Also, it’s important to let yourself be patient with your progress and to not take it personally if you miss shots; give yourself time to master the art of free throw shooting and don’t get frustrated if things aren’t going as planned.
Practice With a Partner
Having a person stand in front of you while shooting free throws will help. Have your partner yell at you if you make an error, but if you don’t, have them encourage you. This way, you’re going to keep your confidence up and not give up during practice. Don’t be afraid to ask someone close to help; they’ll appreciate it and they might be able to offer tips on how to improve your shooting accuracy even more. If you are having trouble shooting free throws, try to practice with a friend or family member. If you get bad advice from them, there is no harm done because they are just trying to help. But if they tell you something that helps, it could mean a lot for your game. It’s all about finding what works best for you!
Work On Your Form
Focus on keeping the same form every free throw attempt and you will make shots. Inconsistent form is the number one reason people struggle to make free throws, no matter how much practice they get. Even players like Steph Curry and Damian Lillard who appear to have it all figured out off the court will have a bad day from the charity stripe if their form is off. You may not be an NBA All-Star, but you should still try to develop the same consistent form as these future Hall of Famers; check out the YouTube video below for a breakdown of proper technique (just ignore those weird robotic arms). The beauty of free throws is that practicing them—like practicing any other shot—is extremely easy and doesn’t require a team or a net.
Find A Coach
If you’re struggling to be consistent on the court, find a coach to train you! As a professional, you will know how to adjust your training methods as you move up the ranks. Regardless of whether you’re improving as an individual or with a team, free throw shooting is an area that often needs special attention. With a little bit of work in the right direction, you could see an improvement in your shooting accuracy in less than two weeks. All it takes is some practice! Find yourself a basketball coach today and commit to honing your skills. After all, consistency is key when taking free throws! You can’t miss every shot if you take them consistently! Start practicing and get better today. Stay consistent and don’t give up!
If you want to level up your shooting accuracy, we got you. We created the 6ixShooter Academy. A one-stop basketball training program to help elevate your game and become an unstoppable shooter with coach Seth McCoy a.k.a 6ixShooter. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE
If you want to level up your shooting accuracy, we got you. We created the 6ixShooter Academy. A one-stop basketball training program to help elevate your game and become an unstoppable shooter with coach Seth McCoy a.k.a 6ixShooter. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE
