Becoming a Good Free Throw Shooter
First, understand how important free-throw shooting is. At least 3-4 games per year in a 20 game schedule will be determined by free-throw shooting. All the close games, the ones that really count.. the close tournament games and conference championship games can be won or lost on the free throw line.

Team Goals in free throw shooting.
Middle school teams should strive for 60% from the line, and high shool teams should look to 70% as a goal. You won't shoot as well in a game as in practice, so strive for 75% (high school) in practice. Understand that this is a team skill... become a good free throw shooting team. Encourage and work with your teammates on free throws. Take a positive, aggressive attitude in shooting free throws... take the attitude that the opponent made a big mistake in fouling you, and you're gonna' make 'em pay for it! This is much better than worrying about whether or not you will make it.

How to become good free throw shooters... fundamentals, attitude and practice.
In shooting free throws, develop a ritual where you do it the same exact way every time. Position yourself on the line the same way every time. Bounce the ball the same number of times every time, and take a deep breathe before shooting every time. This creates muscle and mind memory, and allows you to be successful more often. Success creates confidence, and confidence creates better, more relaxed shooting.

Fundamentals:
1. Line up with your right toes just to the left of center so that your right arm and ball are lined up with the basket. Place the left foot back just a little. Shoulders should be square to the basket.

2. Put your weight forward on your toes, but keep your back straight... don't lean forward. Keeping your back straight will keep you from steping over the line. Bend a little at the knees. Your legs will provide the power.

3. Focus on the basket... don't look at the ball

4. Shoot with your right hand (right-handed players), and just use the left hand to help balance the ball. Release the ball from your fingertips to get good backspin (rotation) on the ball.

5. Take the deep breathe, and shoot. Use your legs for power and come up on your toes as you release the ball. If your back is straight, you won't cross the line or lunge forward. If you need more power, it's OK to jump a little on your release.

6. Follow-through... Keep looking at the basket and hold your shooting hand in the "gooseneck", follow-through position until the ball goes thru the net.

Attitude: Make 'em pay attitude. Think and say to yourself "net" before each shot... to focus on the ball going thru the net. Be confident... this comes from success, and hours of practice! Don't let a missed free throw ruin your confidence. If you miss one, just quickly analyze the miss and correct it. For example, if your shot was long, next one use less leg power. Too short, use more leg power. Off line, reposition yourself on the line. You won't make them all, so expect to miss a few, and don't let it bother you when it happens. The most important free throw is the next one, not the last one!

Practice: Shoot free throws every practice, with the team, or on your own. There is nothing wrong with coming to practice 10 minutes early, or staying 10 minutes late, to shoot extra free throws. Each two hour team practice should allow 10 minutes for free throws. Shoot free throws in the off-season, in the summer. College players may shoot 2000-5000 free throws each summer! High school players should be able to shoot 1000 free throws each summer. Shoot 25 shots every day for 5 days of each week. In eight weeks, you will have shot 1000 free throws... but be sure your technique is correct, using the fundamentals above, and that the line is 15 feet from the backboard. For your own fun, keep track each day of how many you made, and keep your totals. Keep track of each week's stats, and see if you are getting better by the end of the 1000 shots. If you are not improving, there could be a flaw in your fundamentals, and you need to ask for help.