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How to make a free throw in basketball
5 Tips on How to Improve Your Free Throw Shot
Basketball Tip
Presented by John Gillon, Featured Athlete
Do you ever struggle with your free throw shot? Free throws can be a deciding factor in the outcome of the game, so understanding the importance of how to shoot a basketball is crucial to improving your game not only as an individual but also as a team player. Approaching the line in a game setting is a daunting task until you practice seriously and simulate a game time scenario. The free throw is the only opportunity in basketball where the defense cannot interfere, leaving the moment entirely up to you which is why it is essential to incorporate repetition of shots from the free throw line during practice. Here are five free throw shooting tips from John Gillon, a current NBA G league BayHawks Player and pro player basketball camp director.
Establishing a routine
Establishing a unique routine that goes step by step is highly recommended if your goal is to improve your free throw shooting percentage. John Gillon has had the same routine for years, “He bounces the ball three times, looks down at the floor, raises his eyes to find the rim.” Once created, consistency is key to becoming an effective free throw shooter. From the moment the referee passes you the ball up until the shot is complete, everything needs to be repeated during each attempt to solidify your new habits. This routine is beneficial for mental recollection and confidence at the line and is also imperative for muscle memory from a bio-mechanical standpoint.
Balance
The power of your shot comes from your legs. Keep your knees bent with your weight on your toes all whilst balancing the ball with your non-dominant hand. Although the majority of the shot is controlled by your hands and legs, engaging your core will set you up in a stable position to aim at the hoop.
Elbows
The position of your elbows is a critical part of the form for any shot. Bend your shooting arm and point your elbow straight to the rim while staying aligned with your shoulder, and keep your elbow directly underneath the ball. As time passes this will become natural and will not require much thought.
Eyes
It is best to focus your eyes directly at your target. As you become more comfortable with your routine and form you won’t need to pay as much attention to your hand and elbow placement. This will allow for better accuracy when aiming the ball at the hoop.
Follow Through
Once you finally get to shooting the ball, extend your knees and elbow and most importantly flick your wrist. Once the ball leaves your hand, the flick with your wrist will produce a back spin on the ball. This should all be in one smooth motion and your feet should not leave the ground.
With anything in basketball practice makes perfect. Establish a routine and stick to it to maximize your results. Check out more basketball shooting tips and join John Gillon and his staff this summer in Syracuse or Houston at John Gillon Basketball Camp.
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By working on your alignment and shooting form, you can start to see better results at the charity stripe.
No matter if you are playing for the rec league, varsity team or in the pros, being able to make free throws can be crucial for a player’s success on the basketball court.
Free throws are very important to a team, especially at the end of a game. Strong free-throw shooters have proper alignment, simple form and consistent routines.
ALIGNMENT
The first step to a successful trip to the free-throw line is having a proper alignment. There are two main ways to align yourself to the basket.
The first is the center alignment:
The middle of your body should be centered on the free-throw line.
Spread your feet to straddle the center of the free-throw line so that your belly button, nose and eyes align to the middle of the rim.
The second alignment is called shooting hand or shooting foot alignment:
With this alignment, your dominant foot (right foot if you shoot with your right hand; left foot if you shoot with your left hand) should align with the center of the rim.
The knee, hip and elbow on your dominant side should also align with the center of the rim.
Align the basketball and your dominant-side eye, too.
Keep in mind that you cannot step on or beyond the free-throw line when taking a foul shot. You can only cross the line after your shot has first hit the rim or backboard.
SHOOTING FORM
Once your body is aligned with the rim, keep your shooting form simple:
Your shooting-side foot should be at the line, but not touching it.
Your opposite foot should be slightly back from the free-throw line.
Have your hand underneath the ball. The ball should be shoulder or head height.
Take the ball from your starting point and execute your shot in a smooth, rhythmic fashion.
Extend your arm to follow through.
Remember to pick a part of the rim to focus on when shooting. Some players choose to look at the front. Others look at the back. This comes down to your personal preference.
You should use the same alignment, form and pre-shot routine when you shoot free throws. Keeping your approach simple and straight forward will help you become a successful free-throw shooter.
Proper shooting mechanics can be crucial for success on the hardwood. The 5-Spot Shooting Drill can help you learn to shoot more consistently from five popular spots on the court.
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Execution technique, placement of players, points, distance to the ring
Home / All sports / Free throw in basketball: execution technique, placement of players, points, distance to the ring
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A basketball free throw is a shot taken by one player of the fouled team. Free throws differ from game throws by the number of points awarded. From the game, a basketball player can write down 2 or 3 points to his account, and each realized penalty brings only 1 point. A free throw is always made from a certain place on the court - the free throw line, and none of the players of the opposite team should interfere with its implementation, that is, this is a kind of penalty kick in which the player with the ball fights against the ring with a shield.
The ability to shoot free throws is one of the most important skills a professional basketball player should have. The implementation of such a penalty can determine the outcome of the game, although it is not always easy to execute such a technical element, especially due to pressure from the stands. To throw the ball into the ring, the player must have confidence, correctly set throwing technique and good concentration. Even some of the most famous and experienced players in the NBA have trouble getting into the basket from a free kick. A good indicator is when a basketball player manages to realize 75-80% of all shots, and when the statistical indicator is below 50%, then such persons, with a high degree of probability, will rest on the bench at the end of the match.
How many free throws are there in basketball?
Let's start with the fact that all free throws are taken from a certain line, which is part of the basketball court markings. At a distance of 4. 6 meters from the ring and 5.8 meters from the end line there is a free-throw line 3.6 meters long.
If a player breaks the rules, free throws are awarded to his team. The number of shots fired depends on where and how the foul was committed.
1 free throw - a player was fouled, who managed to throw the ball into the basket and hit it. Also, with a technical foul, 1 throw is given.
2 shots - awarded when a player is fouled on a shot and missed. Also, 2 throws are assigned when a violation of the rules occurs on an athlete who did not plan to throw the ball into the basket, and the team of the offending basketball player has more than 5 fouls.
3 Throws - When an athlete about to take a throw is fouled outside the 3-point zone. If the throw is not accurate, then 3 penalties are awarded.
Note that when a basketball player who has committed 5 personal or technical fouls (6 offenses in the National Basketball Association - NBA) or 2 unsportsmanlike fouls in a match, must leave the playing court and no longer enter it, while he is allowed to remain on the bench .
Dimensions of the basketball court in meters (FIBA and NBA standard)
Position of players during a free throw in basketball
During the execution of a free throw, all players on the court must take certain positions. Along the free throw lane, on the sides of the so-called rectangle from the line to the ring, there are 5 players: 3 from the defending team and 2 from the attacking team. Closer to the ring on both sides are the basketball players of the defending side, in the middle there are 2 attackers and one more defender on the right or left closer to the thrower. All other players from both teams must be outside the 3-point zone.
Basketball free throw technique
Free throw can decide the outcome of a single match, so it is important to understand that such a technical element should not be ignored, but rather needs to be constantly trained and improved. Approaching the free-throw line, concentrating and accurately putting the ball in the basket is a difficult task for many players, even top professionals. The free throw is the only opportunity in basketball where the defense can in no way interfere with throwing the ball into the rings and scoring a point. Below are the techniques for throwing in stages with important tips:
Mentally focus on the execution of the next throw. Force yourself not to worry and pay attention to others, especially loud fans of the opposing team.
Relax. Every basketball player should be familiar with the relaxation techniques, you need to learn a certain breathing technique that will reduce nervousness and tension.
Body alignment. It is important for the thrower to align his body at the free-throw line. Statistical studies show that correct body position significantly increases a player's chances of making an accurate shot. The legs should be shoulder-width apart, and the fingers should be located at a distance of 3-5 centimeters from the line. Also, the legs should be slightly bent at the knees.
Bend the pushing arm at the elbow pointing straight at the ring. The elbows tend to swing out to the sides and it is important to keep them close to the body before throwing.
Eyes are best focused directly on the target. Decide right away how you want to hit: immediately into the ring or with a rebound from the shield. With practice, you will begin to feel more confident in the stance and will not need to pay much attention to the location of the elbows. This in turn improves accuracy.
Execution. The legs are unbent at the knees, the elbow is straightened, then the hand comes, and the ball is pushed out with the fingertips. It is important to do all this in one smooth movement, and you need to make sure that your legs do not come off the floor.
These are the simple rules for shooting free throws in basketball. By following them and regularly practicing this technical element, you will eventually begin to hit the ring more often, or even completely forget what a miss is.
Rules of the game of basketball briefly and clearly in paragraphs
2020-01-19
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Free throw - frwiki.wiki
Dirk Nowitzki scores a free throw.
In basketball, free throw is the player's penalty kick fouled at the time of shooting.
Summary
1 procedure
1.1 Miscellaneous rules
1.2 Free throw technique
2 Importance of free throws in basketball
2.1 Cracker
2.2 After the match
3 meeting records
4 season records
4.1 NBA
4.2 WNBA
5 Notes and references
6 External links
Process
When the referee signals a fault, play stops and the player who committed the fault moves behind the free throw line 4.6m from the opponents' basket (ie 5.8m from the baseline). Earth). He then has two opportunities in a row to score a point by shooting without touching the line. However, the official rules do not prohibit the shooter from taking their feet off the ground while firing.
If the error that caused the free throws was made on a three-point shot, the player gets three free throws instead of two. If the shot was successful at the time of the foul, the shot is granted and the player is only entitled to an additional free throw (if he throws one, then we speak of a "three-point" shot if the shot was made from a double-point basket and a "four-point" shot) action if the shot was a three-pointer).
During free throws, five players (usually the tallest and highest-jumping players) in addition to the shooter stand in a designated position on either side of the racket. The remaining four players must be behind the three-point line during free throws. The others, including the shooter, fight for a possible rebound of the last free throw of the series, and play resumes. If the last free throw is scored, the defending team must put the ball back into play from the baseline.
During the throws, the referee raises both hands, palms open, if there is something else to throw. For the last shot, he raises the index finger of one hand, indicating that the rebound can be challenged.
Other rules
From 1976 to 1984 a three free throw foul penalty from 10- team foul (and 8- in 1980), on the third run only one of the first two will fail. This rule was abolished at 1984, when the three-point basket was introduced. In the same year, the penalty is reduced to 7- team fouls, but takes the form of "1 + 1": the second free throw is only taken if the first one is successful if the game continues on a rebound.
Prior to the 2015-2016 NCAA Women's season, administer two free throws after the fifth team foul in each period and also eliminate the 1+1 rule.
In the 2019-2020 season, the G-League tests the single free throw for one, two or three points depending on the shooting situation.
Free throw technique
Fatimatu Sako makes his first free throw.
Fatimato Sako takes the second free throw (see referee's hand).
It is recommended to place one foot on the side of the throw a few centimeters ahead of the other so that the ball bounces several times. To fire a shot, you place your hands on the ball with your fingers spread apart. Bend your legs. The wrist of the shooting arm was broken at a right angle behind the ball and above the knee. While inhaling, we strike by bringing the ball above the shooter's elbow, lifting it along the axis of the shooter's knee: the heels remain in contact with the ground. Aim for the center of the basket. The fingers are spread apart, the ball is not in the palm of a strong hand, but on the fingertips. We shoot on the exhale, the whip accompanies the ball to the fingertips and tends to grow. Keep the target until the ball has reached its target: when shooting is completed, the wrist is broken, the index and / or middle finger is oriented to the central axis and the ground.
There are several shooting styles, none of which are the most effective, and several players have quirks: Michael Jordan sticking out his tongue, Karl Malone's facial expressions.
Michael Jordan has also been seen scoring shots with his eyes closed. This feat is possible thanks to visual memory photographing the image of the basket in the brain. The position of a free throw is by definition always in the same place and at a calm moment, this situation allows for a repetitive, almost automatic and intuitive gesture. By defiance, provocation and a touch of arrogance, he dared to make this gesture during an official match. This moment has remained known in his career as " blind shot ".
Rick Barry's outdated spoon-shooting technique proved effective. The most skilled free throw player of the 1970s, he was still the fourth-best in NBA history this year in early 2021, just behind Stephen Curry, Steve Nash and Mark Price with an 89. 98% shooting percentage.
The Importance of Free Throws in Basketball
Kobe Bryant takes a warm-up throw.
Marianne Tolo takes a free throw at the LFB Open 2014.
Free throws are gestures that are very often repeated by players in training, like double steps. This is a really high number of points that can be scored in each game. The best free throwers have close to 90% chance of success in a match, but some players have great difficulty with this drill and have a rate of less than 50%. Interiors tend to do worse in this exercise, although there are many exceptions. In France, American leader Robert Smith in season 1987-1988 with Monaco achieved the legendary 99% success rate. In the NBA, Mark Price has a career best average of 94%.
Hack the player
The American Shaquille O'Neal, whose very large hands prevent him from shooting effectively from a distance, is a typical representative of these difficulties. His early career clumsiness was such that a defensive tactic was introduced in the late 1990s to stop him: "Hack-a-Shaq", a technique that involved systematically making mistakes on him. letting it soak. Despite his low percentage (52% for career at the end of the 2009 season-2010), O'Neal is one of the most free throw players in NBA history. Near the end of his career, he improved his statistics in this area in 2008-2009, attributing this progress to a return to his throwing technique that he practiced in high school.
Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni uses the same tactic in against Dwight Howard, who only managed 5 of 16 free throws with several money-time misses to give the Lakers a 9-point win9–98.
Spurs manager Gregg Popovich also employs the same tactic in against DeAndre Jordan, especially during the 2015 playoffs. The practice has been disputed because it has been accused of damaging the show, but the Spurs coach explains, "I have to admit, it's still very ugly [. ..] Personally, I don't feel embarrassed about using this strategy." If someone has a weakness, we must know how to use it, "and we appreciate him in the same way at : "Do you want me to stop? Learn to shoot shots. On the one hand, we hate doing this, but at the same time, we have to exploit the weaknesses of the other team."
Commissioner Adam Silver said, “I've had meetings with some of the greatest players in history, like Michael Jordan or Larry Bird, who say players have to learn how to hit their free throws and that's part of the game. at the same time, you can't make a big TV show out of it, and that's why I'm divided." AT , general managers are looking into this matter. They learned that 76% of the 2015 regular season and playoff deliberate fouls combined are concentrated on just five players (Dwight Howard, Josh Smith, Andre Drummond, Joey Dorsey and DeAndre Jordan), with the latter concentrating half of those deliberate fouls. If there is no consensus, the rule does not change.
At the end of the match
Vassilis Spanoulis prepares a no-line shot.
A team may also benefit from free throws when an opponent commits a personal foul while their team has already equaled or exceeded the allowed team foul quota (adding all personal fouls of the team's players during the period). In modern basketball, a common late game strategy when the score is close is for the late team to intentionally foul the ball carrier as quickly as possible in order to get the ball back faster and have more time to score. This strategy can pay off if the offending player misses his free throws.
In the event of a flagrant foul, free throws awarded are awarded without a line-up as the ball is returned to the kicker's team.
Match records
Record for most successful free throws in an NBA game - 28:
by Wilt Chamberlain of the Philadelphia Warriors (against the New York Knicks)
by Dantley of the Utah Jazz (vs. Houston Rockets)
Record for most free throws made in an NBA game - 39:
by Shaquille O'Neal of the Los Angeles Lakers (NBA Finals vs. Indiana Pacers)
by Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic (vs. Golden State Warriors) at .
In the WNBA, Della Donnas of 19 free throws is uninterrupted at against the Atlanta Dream, surpassing Angel McCutrie's previous record of 17
Season records
NBA
Over seasons with more than 0 attempts 0 owned by Predrag Stojakovic with success 92.7% (394/425) in 2003-2004, followed by Rick Barry with 92.4% (378/409) in 1977-1978, followed by Reggie. Miller: 91. 9% (373/406) in 1999-2000 And 91.8% (551/600) in 1990-1991.
WNBA
Becky Hammon (89.7% career) has shot over 95% four times in her career while shooting less than 100 shots per year in a season. In her final season, in 2014, she had a perfect season with 35 free throw attempts and all of them successful. In 2014, Danielle Robinson peaks at 94.1% (96/102) with more than 100 successes.
Elena Delle Donne in 2015 became the first player on the way to a successful season with over 95% success and over 100 attempts. Elena Delle Donne (in 2017) and DeVanna Bonner (in 2015) jointly own 59 successful free throws, while Eva Nemtsova reaches 66, but in the 1999 and 2000 seasons.
Notes and links
↑ a and b " History and evolution of basketball ", bcles3rivieres (accessed June 27, 2015)
↑ (in) Colin Davenport, " NCAA proposes new rules ", swishappeal. com, (accessed June 27, 2015)
↑ Gabriel Pantel-Jouve, " NBA Introduces New Free Throw Rule in G-LEAGUE ", bebasket.fr, (accessed October 2, 2019)
Establish a routine and stick to it to maximize your results. Check out more basketball shooting tips and join John Gillon and his staff this summer in Syracuse or Houston at John Gillon Basketball Camp. 
Strong free-throw shooters have proper alignment, simple form and consistent routines.
You can only cross the line after your shot has first hit the rim or backboard.
The 5-Spot Shooting Drill can help you learn to shoot more consistently from five popular spots on the court.
6 meters from the ring and 5.8 meters from the end line there is a free-throw line 3.6 meters long. 
The free throw is the only opportunity in basketball where the defense can in no way interfere with throwing the ball into the rings and scoring a point. Below are the techniques for throwing in stages with important tips: 
The elbows tend to swing out to the sides and it is important to keep them close to the body before throwing. 
The arena for the grand ... 
However, the official rules do not prohibit the shooter from taking their feet off the ground while firing. 
Keep the target until the ball has reached its target: when shooting is completed, the wrist is broken, the index and / or middle finger is oriented to the central axis and the ground. 
98% shooting percentage. 
His early career clumsiness was such that a defensive tactic was introduced in the late 1990s to stop him: "Hack-a-Shaq", a technique that involved systematically making mistakes on him. letting it soak. Despite his low percentage (52% for career at the end of the 2009 season-2010), O'Neal is one of the most free throw players in NBA history. Near the end of his career, he improved his statistics in this area in 2008-2009, attributing this progress to a return to his throwing technique that he practiced in high school. 
..] Personally, I don't feel embarrassed about using this strategy." If someone has a weakness, we must know how to use it, "and we appreciate him in the same way at : "Do you want me to stop? Learn to shoot shots. On the one hand, we hate doing this, but at the same time, we have to exploit the weaknesses of the other team." 
If there is no consensus, the rule does not change. 
Houston Rockets) 
9% (373/406) in 1999-2000 And 91.8% (551/600) in 1990-1991. 
com, (accessed June 27, 2015) 
com (accessed July 22, 2010) 
com, (accessed May 13, 2015) 
New York Knicks Box Score, March 2, 1962. ", available at Basketball-reference.com (accessed February 6, 2012) 
