The free-throw line is one of the most important areas of the basketball court, as it accounts for 30% of field goal attempts and 20% of points scored during an average NBA game. If you’re not good at shooting free throws, you’re definitely holding your team back. Here are seven tips to help you become better at shooting free throws in just seven days.
1) Start by focusing on form
Great free throw shooters have developed a perfect form that helps them hit dead center of each shot every time. Start by focusing on form, and you’ll be much more likely to improve your game. Start by shooting at least 100 free throws per day, or 5 minutes of non-stop shooting if you can’t get out of work. Even if you miss every single one, it will still help develop muscle memory.
If you focus on perfecting your form before attempting shots, it’s much more likely that you’ll see results over time.
2) Practice makes perfect
Keep your eyes on the rim. If you lose focus, shoot from a spot where it’s easy to see. Form shooting makes sure you release only one shot at a time—and that each of those shots finds its mark. With enough practice and consistency, any basketball player can learn how to shoot better free throws. You don’t have to be a great shooter right away; keep practicing, and you will get there.
The more time you spend practicing in the gym the more, efficient your shooting form will become. You’ll find that it becomes easier and easier to hit from farther away. With enough practice and consistency, any basketball player can learn how to shoot better free throws.
3) Get a shooting training program if you need help
A good shooting training program will help you practice and reinforce your form shooting skills. This is important because you need a lot of reps—thousands of them if possible—to build muscle memory and actually become a better free-throw shooter. With a sound program, you’ll work through a structured routine that reinforces proper form and provides feedback when you make errors (and they always happen). It’s like having your own trainer on call 24/7.
Training with other basketball players will help you improve your free throw shooting. When you train alone, it’s easy to get into bad habits and not notice them. This is especially true when working on form shooting skills. For example, if you’re trying to improve your jump shot, it’s hard to see if your elbow is bent or if your wrist is flat when you shoot—you just have no idea what good form looks like. You also need a lot of reps and that can be tough when working by yourself.
If you are interested in a basketball shooting program, we have a great relationship with Seth McCoy, the famous Tiktok shooting trainer who created 6ixShooter Academy. You can view the program here > https://6ixshooteracademy.com
4) Build up your muscles and strength
The muscles of your arms and core are essential for your free-throw shooting. The stronger those muscles are, and more accustomed they are to holding and balancing weight, the more control you will have over your shot. Even if you’re not a regular gym-goer, there are simple exercises that can strengthen key muscles for shooting.
By working on form shooting every day for at least 30 minutes, you can build up your strength without weights or machines. Even just walking with a heavy bag will do; jogging upstairs works even better because it builds strength in other areas as well. And always practice with good form! You should be focusing on hitting only one spot on the rim while keeping everything else still and balanced.
5) Focus on the middle of the rim
It’s easy to have tunnel vision when shooting free throws. After all, the rim is only ten feet away and the backboard is staring you right in the face. But by focusing on nothing but the middle of the rim, you can add points to your average with a more efficient shot—and there’s no reason not to do it today!
The idea is simple: By keeping your eyes glued on that spot, you’ll shoot more consistently and never again hit a last-second brick. Practicing spot training on a specific spot will help you develop muscle memory for shooting free throws—and soon enough, you’ll be hitting those shots like a pro!
In order to improve your free throw percentage, it’s important to practice these tips during every free throw session. Over time, it will become easier for you to focus on nothing but that middle spot. And once you’ve gotten used to doing so during practice sessions, there’s no reason not to do it when shooting at game time!
If you can make all of these adjustments while practicing regularly over a period of weeks or months (depending on how much time and effort you put into practicing), then you should notice a significant improvement in your ability to shoot better free throws.
6) Set daily goals and challenge yourself
You need to figure out how many attempts you will make and set daily goals. It can be helpful to challenge yourself each day. For example, if you’re trying to perfect your foul shots, set a goal of making 100 of them.
Once you get there, try setting a new goal of making 200. This challenge method is great because it not only helps you focus on rim, but it also motivates you as well! Over time, as you continue practicing and improving your free throws, your confidence should increase—and that should lead to increased performance on game day.
Try the in-a-row series is a great challenge you can do. Set goals to make 10 or 20 in a row, and maybe one day you can even make 100 in a row, sky is the limit.
7) Track your daily progress
Tracking your progress is a great way to boost your motivation by seeing all your hard work pay off. In order to track your progress, you need a method of tracking (like keeping a diary or using an app). Most importantly, however, you need an end goal that has meaning and helps keep you motivated.
If your daily focus is on getting as many shots up as possible (instead of, say, % made) that means that when you have low energy levels or just don’t feel like it’s time for another shot –but only shooting at 50%—you’ll be reminded that missing today may mean not achieving your final goal (whatever it may be).
We are here for you, get out there, make a plan and let us know how the next 7 days go.
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
