Your Ritual Will Improve
Your Free Throw Shooting Percentage
Want Better Free Throw Shooting?
Running some youth basketball camps?
Coaching Basketball at the Y or at School?
You can improve basketball free throw shooting with the FREE THROW TRAINER.
By Al Heystek, Inventor of the "Nothin' But Net" FREE THROW TRAINER™ - www.FREETHROWTRAINER.com
This is the text of the first in a series of 5 instructional videos that we have produced to help you and your free throw shooting.
This video is on Ritual.
Ritual
Your ritual is the process that relaxes, focuses and precedes putting the free throw stroke in motion.
The point of the ritual is that it leads to an effective mechanically sound shot.
If you have seen a major league baseball player go through all the movement and almost crazy looking antics before being ready for the actual pitch then you have a picture in your mind of the issue here.
It doesn’t really matter how cool or fancy the ritual is if it doesn’t help the hitter make contact with the ball. What good is it if it doesn’t impact the outcome?
So your particular free throw ritual in not for show, but rather preparing you for positive results.
Missouri is called “The Show Me State.”
Don’t just talk or make gestures, show me some real tangible results, show me.
Don’t allow your free throw ritual to distract you into some kind of show, rather have it lead to showing others how good a free throw stroke and result you have.
Here are the important aspects of a free throw shooting ritual.
Foot Position
The best shooters keep their feet parallel or their shooting foot (right foot for right-handers and left foot for left-handers) just a bit in front of the opposite foot.
When one foot is significantly in front of the other it prevents the shoulders from being square to the basket, which hinders shooting the ball straight. Experts agree that it’s better to be squared up toward the basket.
Some shooters such as Steve Nash line his right foot (left foot for left- handers) up with the middle of the basket so that his release is lined up with the center point of the rim.
Breathing
Richard Hamilton is one the best conditioned athletes in the NBA. Yet, just before he shoots a free throw he takes a deep breath. He’s not doing this because he’s tired. He’s doing it to relax his body and his mind. Relaxing as you do your free throw ritual is a good way to insure success. Taking a deep breath can help you focus on what you are doing and assist you to let go of the outcome.
Practice free throw stroke without the ball
Both Steve Nash and Richard Hamilton make the motion of shooting the free throw before getting the ball in order to focus on their motion, to prime the pump of muscle memory. You can try this and see if that might help you.
Gripping the Ball
Grip the ball lightly, primarily with the finger tips. You want to grip the ball lightly enough that it would be easy for someone to slap it out of your hands. This is not how you normally grip the ball in a game. The free throw is a shot that you have a lot of time to prepare for and think about so being loose and relaxed is key.
Practice your ritual so that you don’t have to think about it. Keep it consistent and make adjustments that are related to results.
A consistent ritual that you are comfortable with and that is effective for you is the goal here. Keep working at it.
This has been Al Heystek, inventor of the "Nothin' But Net" FREE THROW TRAINER™
Al Heystek and Andy Atwood
Heystek & Atwood, LLC
Inventors of the Patent Pending "Nothin' But Net" FREE THROW TRAINER™
www.FREETHROWTRAINER.com
This is the text of the first in a series of 5 instructional videos that we have produced to help you and your free throw shooting.
This video is on Ritual.
Ritual
Your ritual is the process that relaxes, focuses and precedes putting the free throw stroke in motion.
The point of the ritual is that it leads to an effective mechanically sound shot.
If you have seen a major league baseball player go through all the movement and almost crazy looking antics before being ready for the actual pitch then you have a picture in your mind of the issue here.
It doesn’t really matter how cool or fancy the ritual is if it doesn’t help the hitter make contact with the ball. What good is it if it doesn’t impact the outcome?
So your particular free throw ritual in not for show, but rather preparing you for positive results.
Missouri is called “The Show Me State.”
Don’t just talk or make gestures, show me some real tangible results, show me.
Don’t allow your free throw ritual to distract you into some kind of show, rather have it lead to showing others how good a free throw stroke and result you have.
Here are the important aspects of a free throw shooting ritual.
Foot Position
The best shooters keep their feet parallel or their shooting foot (right foot for right-handers and left foot for left-handers) just a bit in front of the opposite foot.
When one foot is significantly in front of the other it prevents the shoulders from being square to the basket, which hinders shooting the ball straight. Experts agree that it’s better to be squared up toward the basket.
Some shooters such as Steve Nash line his right foot (left foot for left- handers) up with the middle of the basket so that his release is lined up with the center point of the rim.
Breathing
Richard Hamilton is one the best conditioned athletes in the NBA. Yet, just before he shoots a free throw he takes a deep breath. He’s not doing this because he’s tired. He’s doing it to relax his body and his mind. Relaxing as you do your free throw ritual is a good way to insure success. Taking a deep breath can help you focus on what you are doing and assist you to let go of the outcome.
Practice free throw stroke without the ball
Both Steve Nash and Richard Hamilton make the motion of shooting the free throw before getting the ball in order to focus on their motion, to prime the pump of muscle memory. You can try this and see if that might help you.
Gripping the Ball
Grip the ball lightly, primarily with the finger tips. You want to grip the ball lightly enough that it would be easy for someone to slap it out of your hands. This is not how you normally grip the ball in a game. The free throw is a shot that you have a lot of time to prepare for and think about so being loose and relaxed is key.
Practice your ritual so that you don’t have to think about it. Keep it consistent and make adjustments that are related to results.
A consistent ritual that you are comfortable with and that is effective for you is the goal here. Keep working at it.
This has been Al Heystek, inventor of the "Nothin' But Net" FREE THROW TRAINER™
Al Heystek and Andy Atwood
Heystek & Atwood, LLC
Inventors of the Patent Pending "Nothin' But Net" FREE THROW TRAINER™
www.FREETHROWTRAINER.com