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Someone please tell me how a college player shoots an air ball from the free throw line?

Hate to admit this but I did it in high school. I played in France and one of our first games was on a court that had multiple uses. I toed up to the wrong line and it was not just an air ball, it was a good two feet short. Let's just say their fans enjoyed it immensely.
 
Al McGuire used to have the camera zoom in on the shooters heels. If they were off the floor when the shot left the shooters hands, it was usually a made free throw.
 
Every basketball season we get these "Even I can shoot free throws, why can't these players?" Yeah, yeah. Sure, you could shoot free throws, but you would never get to the line in an actual game. Plus, you couldn't guard anyone. The game is a lot more than shooting free throws.

 
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Every basketball season we get these "Even I can shoot free throws, why can't these players?" Yeah, yeah. Sure, you could shoot free throws, but you would never get to the line in an actual game. Plus, you couldn't guard anyone. The game is a lot more than shooting free throws.

Free throw shooting is a fundamental skill that college players should easily master.
 
Every basketball season we get these "Even I can shoot free throws, why can't these players?" Yeah, yeah. Sure, you could shoot free throws, but you would never get to the line in an actual game. Plus, you couldn't guard anyone. The game is a lot more than shooting free throws.

But you have to admit kids don't practice FT's like we did. I remember staying out there till I couldn't see almost every day shooting FT's. I read somewhere yesterday that Roche hit 100% of his FT's in 2 consecutive games back in the day. There is a lot more to basketball than FT's but when it comes up it should be better than a 50/50 shot.
 
An air ball result of a free throw attempt is something that just happens on occasions. I have seen it more than once i the pro game. I also feel pretty confident, that the players do a lot of free throw shooting during practice and afterwards. That said, don't think kids growing up take the time to shoot free throws while practicing like they once did. Heck, back in my 30's, i once hit 52 in a row...of course, that was in a church gym, with only my church's kids team watching. A little different with several thousand fans watching on.
 
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But you have to admit kids don't practice FT's like we did. I remember staying out there till I couldn't see almost every day shooting FT's. I read somewhere yesterday that Roche hit 100% of his FT's in 2 consecutive games back in the day. There is a lot more to basketball than FT's but when it comes up it should be better than a 50/50 shot.

I think they still are kids like us back in day who shoot free throws regularly. No doubt a college coach could fill his roster with 90% free throw shooters. But could they get to the free throw line? Could they defend anyone? Could they rebound? Could they bring the ball up floor against pressure?
 
I would say if this is in reference to Dozier, I believe he has shot more air balls in general this year than I can remember an SC player doing in some time. He is feast or famine. He either makes a great shot or misses terribly, backboard/rim and all.
 
I would say if this is in reference to Dozier, I believe he has shot more air balls in general this year than I can remember an SC player doing in some time. He is feast or famine. He either makes a great shot or misses terribly, backboard/rim and all.

"Air ball" is an appropriate description of his shot in general. I don't know why he developed such an exaggerated high arc. He's tall for a ball handler, so it's not like he's in the habit of shooting over bigger players.
 
50% from the foul line is not acceptable for any skilled player. PJ drives me crazy with his poor shooting. If Silva can learn hit better, why not some of the others? I had/have high hopes for PJ but how he is higher draft rated than Sin is a mystery.
 
I come from a time period when free throws were almost automatic. They don't practice it enough now. It is repetition and focus. Back in the day there were a lot of 88% to 95% free throw shooters on every team.
 
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I come from a time period when free throws were almost automatic. They don't practice it enough now. It is repetition and focus. Back in the day there were a lot of 88% to 95% free throw shooters on every team.
Fun fact. There are 347 Division 1 teams. Of those only two teams shoot more than 80% from the free throw line. 164 shoot in the seventies, and 181 shoot in the sixties. South Carolina shoots at 69.1% which ranks 196th out of 347 teams. Notable teams that shoot worse than us include Louisville, Kentucky, Georgia Tech, Florida State, and Stanford.
 
Fun fact. There are 347 Division 1 teams. Of those only two teams shoot more than 80% from the free throw line. 164 shoot in the seventies, and 181 shoot in the sixties. South Carolina shoots at 69.1% which ranks 196th out of 347 teams. Notable teams that shoot worse than us include Louisville, Kentucky, Georgia Tech, Florida State, and Stanford.
Catholic schools must teach good free throw shooting. Notre Dame and Villanova are the only teams to shoot over 80%.
 
Sometimes I wonder how much of it is pressure. And if you can't handle pressure, FM is probably the last person you should be playing for imo.
 
When I coached church league ball I had a 6th grade point guard who didn't miss a free throw all season. He was not a big kid (around 5 feet). But he just stepped up, spun the ball, and stroked it. In the tournament championship game, he made 9 out of 9.

He was exceptional. But I had a lot of other 6th and 7th graders who shot a high percentage. Their secrets? They practiced.
 
I come from a time period when free throws were almost automatic. They don't practice it enough now. It is repetition and focus. Back in the day there were a lot of 88% to 95% free throw shooters on every team.

True. At the same time, off season conditioning is far more intense now than back in the day. Guys are bigger, stronger, faster.

If it were possible to field a team that shot 90% from the free throw line and win games, someone would do it.

Maybe the kids who shoot 90% from the line would be better served working on improving their athleticism than practicing free throws.
 
True. At the same time, off season conditioning is far more intense now than back in the day. Guys are bigger, stronger, faster.

If it were possible to field a team that shot 90% from the free throw line and win games, someone would do it.

Maybe the kids who shoot 90% from the line would be better served working on improving their athleticism than practicing free throws.
I question if becoming bigger, faster and stronger helps a finesse part of the game. The reason I ask is I spent 20+ years coaching softball pitchers. Over the years it became apparent that those who would visit the weight room for upper body work tend to eventually take a back seat to those who didn't. At the same time, lower body work seemed to have no ill performance issues.
 
Played a lot of HS basketball including a state championship. Foul shots are made when you can control your emotions and concentrate. Keeping your balance and follow through. What I don't understand is how a highly touted player for us missed a foul shot that was short and at least a foot off to the left. Beyond me. Must have had physiological warfare going on in his head.
 
There was an article a while back (I can't find it online) about how Dwight Howard almost never misses a free throw in practice, but gets nervous in the games and really struggles at the line. Funny thing about basketball, the two most effective shots in history are the underhanded free throw and the sky hook, and almost nobody shoots either one.
 
NCAA tourney, nerves?

south-florida-airball-2012-ncaa-tournament-terrible-basketball-shots.gif


this NBA dude got no net, not even close LOL

desagana-diop-free-throw-airball-fail-terrible-basketball-shots.gif
 
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But you have to admit kids don't practice FT's like we did. I remember staying out there till I couldn't see almost every day shooting FT's. I read somewhere yesterday that Roche hit 100% of his FT's in 2 consecutive games back in the day. There is a lot more to basketball than FT's but when it comes up it should be better than a 50/50 shot.
Its all dunking and 3 pt shooting. Hardly see a player pull up and shoot a jump shot around 10 ft
 
Its all dunking and 3 pt shooting. Hardly see a player pull up and shoot a jump shot around 10 ft
Here is a mind-blowing stat that us old folks will have a hard time believing. Over the past 50 years the average free throw percentage in NCAA Men's Basketball has never been lower than 67% and never been higher than 70.9%. I think we tend to remember players like Rick Barry and Calvin Murphy and John Roach who hit around 90%, we fail to remember guys like Wilt Chamberlain, Walt Bellamy, and Artis Gilmore who hit around 50% like Shaq.

The percentage for the men's and women's games are almost identical.
 
Here is a mind-blowing stat that us old folks will have a hard time believing. Over the past 50 years the average free throw percentage in NCAA Men's Basketball has never been lower than 67% and never been higher than 70.9%. I think we tend to remember players like Rick Barry and Calvin Murphy and John Roach who hit around 90%, we fail to remember guys like Wilt Chamberlain, Walt Bellamy, and Artis Gilmore who hit around 50% like Shaq.

The percentage for the men's and women's games are almost identical.
Are these real facts or alternative facts?!? ;)

Seriously, that's pretty darned interesting. Would've thought older teams would've had considerably higher FT shooting percentages than more contemporary teams. Remember Stockton, Barry, Lucas, Bradley, Bird, Parrish, Johnson, McHale, etc... being able to simply knock them down.
 
Catholic schools must teach good free throw shooting. Notre Dame and Villanova are the only teams to shoot over 80%.

The teaching nuns hit them with a ruler in high school when they missed free throws. My friends that went to Catholic Schools told me the teaching nuns were the Frank Martins of the classroom.
 
When I coached church league ball I had a 6th grade point guard who didn't miss a free throw all season. He was not a big kid (around 5 feet). But he just stepped up, spun the ball, and stroked it. In the tournament championship game, he made 9 out of 9.

He was exceptional. But I had a lot of other 6th and 7th graders who shot a high percentage. Their secrets? They practiced.
where did he/she play college ball?
 
FT shooting is all about mechanics and duplicating a consistent form. Brenton Williams did the exact same thing every time and shot about 90 percent.
 
where did he/she play college ball?
He was an excellent private school guard. He was too small to play major college ball. He got an mba and makes $$$$ a year.

I'm not sure what your point is, in any event. If a kid who isn't good enough to play college ball can shoot fts, should a 5 star rated national guard?
 
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Shooting free throws is easy when you're alone and not winded.. Go run up and down the court chasing SEC caliber athletes around them shoot some free throws with 10k screaming fans.
 
Saw a piece the other day on tv about the Miss. State coach and they showed a machine they used called Noah's Arc. It's mounted on the wall and when their players practice free throws it talks and tells the arc on the ball. They said a 45 degree angle was the most successful shot. It was pretty interesting. I think Frank needs to invest in one.
 
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