How To: Shoot free throw shots

In this edition of ClubHouseGas, with host Casey Bass, basketball coach Chuck Melito shows us how to shoot free throws. He shows us how to work on both the mental and the physical approach to free throw shooting. A right-handed shooter should place his right foot at the center of the basket. A left-handed shooter should place his left foor at the center of the basket. Then it's important to get balanced, so you're not leaning to one side or another, or more weight on one foot than the other. You want a balanced feel. Next is your preparation with the ball. Once you recieve the ball from the official you should clear your head without even looking at the rim of the basket. This is a shot you should be able to shoot at every gym you go into, in any situation. So, you want to eliminate everything else (the situation, the crowd noise, etc.) and be able to make this shot like you do in practice in the gym. Then you should bounce the ball two times, and when you bounce the ball you say "bounce, bounce" in your head. This will help clear your head. Then you focus on the rim, and then pick up whatever your target is at that point - the front of the rim, the center of the rim, the back of the rim - and from that point, a momentary pause, and then shoot and hold your follow through. Note that the elbow is what keeps the ball straight. You want to have a backward rotation on the ball. One you've learned the mechanics of the free throw, with repetition you should get better and more comfortable. The coach stresses that the psychological aspect is very important.