Become a GREAT free throw shooter

Free throws are an important aspect to the game of basketball. It takes extreme focus and a great body memory ( from LOADS OF PRACTICE) to have a great free throw shot.

It's amazing to me that the free throw seems to be one of the easiest shots, yet is one of the hardest shots to make for many basketball players of ALL levels. EVEN THE NBA AND WNBA! Just think about it, you are there, all alone, the pressure is on, everyone is watching you, lined up on the sides of you, fans in front of you, fans on the side, fans behind you, and the ref hands you the ball, your face is dripping with sweat, you are breathing hard from that last foul the opposing player landed on you and suddenly you zone in, hear your heart beat and remember the B.E.E.F.F. Remember you have 10 seconds to shoot the ball, so take your time and relax.

• Balance- Maintain a good balance. Locate the black dot on the floor, it's on every court in the world to indicate the middle of the basket. Place your shooting foot ( right foot for right hand shooters and left foot for left hand shooters) centered on the do. Keep your feet shoulder width apart. Get a good rhythm together, every ball player has their own rhythm, find yours. Repeat in your head,"bounce ... bounce..." and clear out all the noise and distractions on the court. 

• Elbow- Your elbow should be lined up with your shooting foot, remember  ( right foot for right hand shooters and left foot for left hand shooters) and make an L right under the ball. Spread your figers and have some space in between the ball and the palm of your hand. Your finger tips should be comfortably on the ball as well. 

• Eyes- Fix your eyes on the back of the rim, you should be looking through the net. Shoot towards the back of the rim.

• Focus- The crowd is going wild, your hearing the boos and the screams from the fans, the coaching staff on both teams yelling our directives and so forth. But this is your time alone with the basket. Focus on all the shooting drills you did in practice and on your own time. Nothing should enter your head except. Balance, "Bounce...Bounce..." Elbow, Eyes, Focus and follow through. 

• Follow through- Once you have completed the above and taken your relaxed, controlled free throw you should end with your hand looking like a duck bill and slightly leaning forward. 

Here is the full breakdown

1. Step up to the free throw line.
2. Pay attention where you put your shooting hand leg. That means, if you are right-handed, line up your right foot exactly even with the basket right on the line. Vice-versa for left handers. This will improve your free throw dramatically.
3. Set your feet shoulder width apart.
4. Point both feet forward, squared to the basket. Your toes should point in the direction of the basket.
5. Bend your knees slightly.
6. Place ball in your shooting hand.
7. Don't use your Non-dominant hand to help shoot. Keep it straight! That hand is to guide and hold the ball in place.
8. Place the opposite hand on the side of ball for balance.
9. Aim for the back of the rim.
10. In one fluid motion, extend and bend legs and shoot with your finger pads. Snap your wrist to put movement on the ball.
11. Follow through the shot. Your dominant hand should stay up once the ball leaves your hand. Your non dominant hand should be down by your side

Here is an awesome video on proper free throw shooting. 

Expert: DW Walker
Contact: www.trainingwithdw.com
Bio: DW Walker, an alumna of Manhattanville College, spent her collegiate career as a varsity basketball and softball player while student training in both the sports medicine and strength and conditioning
Filmmaker: David Pakman

The 6TH WO(MAN)

Too many players in the Junior High, High Shcool and Collegiate level are concerned with Starting a game. Sure it shows that you have been selected by your coach as a star player, or someone who can get things going while others await the game. But there always, always , always must be a player off the bench who can continue the momentum on the court. That person is usually coined the Sixth (Wo)Man.

The Sixth Man is the key player to many coaches strategies as the star players, or starters will need a rest for a few minutes. The Sixth man is the player who takes on the challenge, has no issues coming off the bench, stays focused on the game so that when its their turn, there is no great difference between the star players and the bench players.

If you find yourself coming off the bench and able to average 15 to 20 minutes per game then you should take pride in the fact that your coaching staff and team has trusted you to take the wheel and keep the ball rolling! Dont be upset, be proud that you have been selected to take on such an important role inn this beautiful game of basketball. Remember, Everyone on the team is important, not just the scorers. Everyone!

Defense

Defense is a critical element in the game of basketball. Without it, your opponent is sure to score easy baskets. The saying goes "Offense wins games, Defense wins championships." If you don't understand this now, this is something you need to add to your repertoire like yesterday!

Defense is a team as well as an individual effort. For individual efforts you want to be vocal, steadily moving, keep your head on a swivel ( moving back and forth) , point your "guns", fingers should be indicating where the ball is and where your player is if your off the ball, and on the ball you want to have a direct contact with the players waist.  This is because no matter how many shot fakes, pass fakes etc, you will be able to indicate where your opponents next move is.

Coming soon : DEFENSIVE VIDEO DRILLS.

Fun Drills to practice alone of with your team to improve your defensive skills.

How to get your Coaches Attention

Coaches have to deal with so many different types of young ladies on each team they coach every year. There are players who are good, but lazy , players who are hard working but lack skills, and some players who have natural talents and work hard at improving their game. Coaches tend to pay more attention to players who are coach-able! This simply means you can take direction and follow direction without any lip! Dont get me wrong, coaches do pay close attention to all their players, but there are a few players whose name will be called a little more often than others, especially during a game.

Coaches love players who are eager to learn new skills, take on challenges, pay attention, and have a hunger for playing the game. If you are too afraid to take your game to the next level coaches can sense this and will question your ability to move on to the next level. If you would rather talk about the next hot movie coming out or who's dating who, your most likely not going to get much playing time let alone positive attention from your coach.

If it's your dream or desire to play the game of basketball, do well, and possibly make it a career, you must be focused and work hard. There are sp many different types of coaches out there, but they all want generally the same things; A team that can work well together, players that are coachable, and one day a winning basketball career. If your b-ball dreams arent somewhere within this pile then you might be headed in the wrong direction. Theres always an opportunity to just play in recreation teams and so forth, but if you dont have a desire to play hard and be the best you can be, there is another girl out there dying to take your spot. Remember there are thousands of girls just like you and if you arent special and make positive marks on the court then you can be replaced just like that! Remember only 5 players need to be in the court... Will it be you??