Are Free Throws really that hard to make?
- Thread starter ClonesTwenty1
- Start date
My grandfather was a great athlete (basketball, track) back in the day. He shot Granny style from everywhere and I remember my cousin being outraged during games of horse as he would get destroyed by the granny shot. For free throws I think it's a legit strategy.
It's his form, when he leans back, he is horrible, when he keeps his weight going forward, he makes them. I would say when the leans back, his weight is on the heels of his feet, but when he keeps the weight on the balls of the feet and toes, he is just fine.
Generally, a good FT shooter is bent slightly at the waist forward to the basket, while poor shooters stay straight up and down. I would explain it like a wave, the shot should flow, from the bent knees upward, to your extended arms. There is a rhythm to it just like your regular shot. Players like BRE look a jagged piece of glass, straight up and down and swinging left to right, instead of forward to the basket. He needs to get into his routine and concentrate on repeating that same routine every time at the line.
Let me be the first to say I would be bringing the Iowa State basketball team FT% down. Probably significantly.
Free throws are easy in your driveway or in the gym by yourself, but it is really hard to simulate the pressure in game settings. That changes things. Back in the day, I could make free throws alone in the gym with no pressure.
However, our coach used to line us up at the end of practice and we had to make 10 in a row to leave. Not all individually, but a different guy each time. Simulating the front end of a 1 and 1. Meaning, I shoot one and make... next guy gets his one shot... make and next guy gets his shot and so on. Talk about pressure when you are the 7th guy in line and everybody is counting on you to make it... lol
I don't recall a single time we made it to ten. Coaches would make us run and let us go.
However, our coach used to line us up at the end of practice and we had to make 10 in a row to leave. Not all individually, but a different guy each time. Simulating the front end of a 1 and 1. Meaning, I shoot one and make... next guy gets his one shot... make and next guy gets his shot and so on. Talk about pressure when you are the 7th guy in line and everybody is counting on you to make it... lol
I don't recall a single time we made it to ten. Coaches would make us run and let us go.
At BYU would be really tough.
I played in some pretty hostile high school gyms and I think I was somewhere in the 80ish %. I did miss more on the road. The noise and shaking floor does mess with you. Played in a couple of gyms with bleachers behind the basket. That makes it even worse. High school is one thing. I can't imagine trying to shoot from the line in a hostile Big 12 atmosphere. Plus, college big men are freaking giants. The ball must seem tiny in their hands.
Women use a smaller ball and they aren't as strong. They have beautiful soft touches for the most part. Probably the on aspect of the game where they match the men.
I was thinking about this recently. We've seen the FT% regress, especially the first year here, on almost all of our transfers. I think what you mentioned as #2 above is the primary reason.
So I went and looked it up:
Gilbert: Previous 76%; ISU 71%
CJones: Previous 75%; ISU 77%
Pav: Previous: 84%; ISU 73% (small sample size )
Holmes: Previous 74%; ISU 69%
Osunniyi: Previous 64%; ISU 67%
Jaz : Previous 80%; ISU 73%
Gabe: Previous 78%; ISU 69%
Ward: Previous 70%; ISU 46% (small sample size)
R Jones: Previous 48%; ISU 42%
Brockington: Previous 78%; ISU 78%
So leaving out the small sample sizes (< 30 FTs with ISU), there's been 8 transfers - 2 improved slightly; 1 stayed the same; 5 regressed between 5-9%.
Also, something to watch for next year - Gabe and Jaz both improved between years 1 and 2 at ISU, but not back to where they were before (both shot >86% in the year before their transfer). For that matter, Bob has improved every year here too, for what it's worth - in his 5 yr career he's 140-314.
Don't read into this as I don't like TJ, just free throw stats:
YEAR / FT% / RANK IN COUNTRY
23-24 / 68.5% / 293rd (19th in country in attempts)
22-23 / 67% / 321st in the country (304th in attempts)
21-22 / 68.3% / 289th (284th in attempts)
The team has been much better at getting to the line, but it doesn't mean much when you aren't converting your opportunities.
YEAR / FT% / RANK IN COUNTRY
23-24 / 68.5% / 293rd (19th in country in attempts)
22-23 / 67% / 321st in the country (304th in attempts)
21-22 / 68.3% / 289th (284th in attempts)
The team has been much better at getting to the line, but it doesn't mean much when you aren't converting your opportunities.
They are down this yr. If the team could hit 75% it would be a huge difference maker.IMO.
They are harder to shoot in the game. Bet you lipsey shoots at or better tha. 80% in practice.
I think it is mental, and would be hard to fix mid season. Dudes need complete trust in the shot and once that goes away it will be streaky.
I think it is mental, and would be hard to fix mid season. Dudes need complete trust in the shot and once that goes away it will be streaky.
MBB and WBB in college both shoot about 68% and have for decades.
Fennelly recruits different types of players than TJ.
Adding totals to this. Rob has our 3rd most FT attempts (72) on the year. Lipsey has the 2nd most attempts and is shooting below 70% (surprising).
Gilbert has already attempted and made more FT than he did all season at UNLV last year.
Keeping in mind, Dedric Willoughby was a career 80% FT shooter, who many may consider one of the more clutch shooters in ISU history.
I finished my high school career 72%, the best on my team as a 2 year starter…so no they’re not that easy. That’s why anyone that consistently shoots over 80% is so highly valued
