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Are underhand free throws more effective?
Underhanded free throws have proven effective at the highest levels of basketball. If Drummond had shot at even that rate, the league standard, he would have made 1,384 free throws, 701 more than he actually has, an increase of roughly 1.82 points per game.
Can free throws be shot underhand?
‘ “ Barry went on to shoot underhand from the free-throw line throughout his professional days, leading the league seven times in free-throw shooting percentage. He is also the only player to ever lead the NCAA, NBA, and ABA in scoring.
Why don t basketball players jump on free throws?
So really,in the end, it’s a one word answer. The reason basketball players normally jump when they shoot is so that defenders will have a harder time blocking the shot. On a free throw, there’s no defender, so there’s no reason to jump and add an unnecessary element to the shot.
Is shooting underhand better?
“From the physics standpoint, it’s a much better way to shoot,” he told the author Malcolm Gladwell in a recent interview. “You have a little bit more margin for error than when you shoot overhand.”
What pro basketball player shot free throws underhand?
Rick Barry
No one in the history of the NBA has been a louder proponent of the underhanded free throw than Rick Barry. The unorthodox technique — sometimes known as the “granny” — earned the Hall of Famer the title of one of the best free throw shooters of all time. Barry swears by its accuracy, but players hardly ever use it.
What professional basketball player shot free throws underhand?
No one in the history of the NBA has been a louder proponent of the underhanded free throw than Rick Barry. The unorthodox technique — sometimes known as the “granny” — earned the Hall of Famer the title of one of the best free throw shooters of all time.
Who has the highest free throw percentage in the NBA?
Stephen Curry
With a career free-throw percentage of 90, Stephen Curry has the best career percentage….Who Has The Best Free Throw Record?
| Rank | Player | Free Throw \% |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stephen Curry | .9069 |
| 2 | Steve Nash | .9043 |
| 3 | Mark Price | .9039 |
| 4 | Peja Stojaković | .8948 |
Why did Rick Barry shoot free throws underhand?
The Golden State Warriors legend and 1975 NBA Finals MVP couldn’t contemplate refusing to improve yourself for the betterment of the team. He found the most effective way to do that at the free throw line was the underhanded shot. The idea being that it’s a more fluid motion with a soft touch.
What college basketball players can shoot underhanded free throws?
Canyon Barry and Onuaku were the only two active Division I college basketball players to shoot underhanded free throws when Gladwell released “The Big Man Can’t Shoot” last July. Onuaku has since graduated from Louisville, and plays for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in the NBA Developmental League.
What is an example of an underhand throw in basketball?
Perhaps the most famous example of a player making the switch to an underhand technique was Wilt Chamberlain. In 1961-62, Chamberlain increased his free throw percentage by nearly 11\% from the previous season, up to his career high, 61.3\%.
What does it take to become a good free throw shooter?
“All it takes to become good is three things: knowledge, practice, and time,” he says. But even the pros don’t have hours a day to practice free throws. There’s more to basketball than foul shots, after all. The average free throw percentage across the NBA, WNBA, and NCAA could almost certainly increase, Silverberg says, but it probably won’t.
Why did Wilt stop shooting free throws underhanded?
Chamberlain admitted in his autobiography “Wilt, 1962” that he was wrong to abandon shooting free throws underhanded, but said he felt “silly, like a sissy.” Other poor free throw shooters such as Shaquille O’Neal and Andre Drummond have publicly refused to shoot free throws underhanded.