by Allen Wade

Created on: November 05, 2009

Making free throws is one of the most important steps to becoming a great basketball player. Unless you are over seven feet tall, like Shaq, you have to be able to consistently step to the line and knock down your shots. Free throws can make the best players in basketball look silly and the worst players look good. They can get in your head and become such a pain in your side that you can't get over it. Here are some keys to becoming a good free throw shooter:

Repetition- A step that is sometimes overlooked is repetition. Every player has their own technique when stepping up to the line. It is very important for you to find your own technique that you feel comfortable with and use it over and over. You can dribble the ball once, rotate it in your hands, dribble again, and then shoot. The key is no matter how you decide to prepare for the free throw make sure you do the exact same routine each time you step up to the line. This technique trains your brain to use the same shooting technique each time you come to the line.

Focus- When in an actual game situation there are going to be so many distractions around that it makes it easy to forget your routine. You have to block out everything that is going on and just focus on the basket and the ball. Concentrate on the noise you create such as dribbling the ball and your routine and block out all the distractions. The only way to gain focus is experience and over time you will realize you can do it.

Mind Over Matter- It is very easy to let yourself get into a slump when it comes to free throws. You miss a couple and next thing you know you are missing them all. The mind is a funny tool and sometimes very hard to take control of. This may be one of the rare times to change your routine. Try something new that will get you back into the groove. Free throws are all about timing and a steady pace so take some deep breaths and relax. Don't let one bad shot become a lot of bad shots.

Practice- PRACTICE! PRACTICE! PRACTICE! The most important part of being a good free throw shooter is practice. You have to shoot free throws daily. Start shooting 100-200 daily and keeping track of how many you make. The next day try to do better. Some days are going to be worse than others but remember you are shooting over one-hundred shots and you may only shoot five at game time. If you don't practice all other ways of improving your free throws will not work. So you gotta practice.

Free throws make a good player great. If you can drive the lane and draw the foul then it doesn't matter if you make the shot as long as you make the free throws. Remember to practice daily, keep your mind clear, focus, and make a routine. Follow those steps and you will be an eighty percent free throw shooter in no time.

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