Could you train Joe Average to be a top free throw shooter? How long?

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Wow, I stand officially, completely, and 100 % corrected.

I was clearly quite wrong.

I stand by the idea that Nash (or nearly every other NBA player) could not be a 99% + free throw shooter in non-game situations...but it's clear that someone is.

I also still doubt that shooting underhand would be the best method. Perhaps if there were two great shooters, one who shoots underhand, and one who shoots conventionally, the underhand shooter would perhaps have an advantage due to the physics of the ball's path.

I think though, that a normal person (especially one who plays a college sport) would have a lot of basketball experience already (even if it's not organized basketball) and starting from the muscle memory already learned would probably be the most effective method.

Although I was so spectacularly wrong with my last post, maybe everyone should just disregard this one...

Stak

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I might've came off a bit harsh last night, because you are very right about parts of using the underhanded technique. An underhanded shot is the most effective shot, especially for shooting free throws, and for awhile it was the norm before it became phased out. The reason for this is that the 'normal' shot is not very far behind, and it became apparent that practicing two almost totally different techniques was a time waster when the same form and technique (with very slight variations) could be used for any shot from anywhere in any situation.

So, you make a good point in that if the random guy has had 'any' significant experience shooting a basketball it is much easier to go from there and tweak his shot to the correct form than to teach him a totally new technique.

p.s. This same concept is partially why the two handed set shot became phased out as well.

[icisicqd]

If you look at Jim Furick (spelling) golf swing or ichiro's batting techinque it's easy for me to conclude that the most important aspect of a foul shot is the repetion of the same moving parts each and every time to develop consist muscle memory. Shooting the same way each and everytime is way more important then so called proper technique in my humble opinion. Rythem is crucial when making a repeated motion- that's how you develop feel ie. knowing it's good as soon as it leaves your finger tips. Muscle memory is how you get in the zone not proper technique. Bill Cartwright could beat the average Joe with his technique.

[GoRedBirds]

I, or just about any physically able, semi-athletic, coordinated person, would be able to do this in a month. If I were to devote myself to one specific shot for 10 hours a day for 30 days I could easily beat the average NBA player who shoots from every position on the court and must alter his shot based on position. My muscle memory would be much more ingrained (from that single position) than the NBA player's who uses slightly different motions for shooting the ball every day (based on distance from rim). FWIW I'd use underhand . . . if it's touching the rim, I want it to touch it at the slowest possible speed.

[Chump Change]

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I, or just about any physically able, semi-athletic, coordinated person, would be able to do this in a month. If I were to devote myself to one specific shot for 10 hours a day for 30 days I could easily beat the average NBA player who shoots from every position on the court and must alter his shot based on position. My muscle memory would be much more ingrained (from that single position) than the NBA player's who uses slightly different motions for shooting the ball every day (based on distance from rim). FWIW I'd use underhand . . . if it's touching the rim, I want it to touch it at the slowest possible speed.

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[gutte169]

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First of all there is noone that is a 99 % free throw shooter in non-game situations. Steve Nash (who shoots 90 per cent ish in games) certainly couldn't sustain 99%...there is no one that can.

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You are very very wrong.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Amberry

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2+2 has a lot of good poker brains...not so much with the basketball brains.

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I agree.

Edit:
Oops, didn't read to the end of the thread. Good to see someone else is involved with basketball enough to correct some of the absurdity here. The dude from above hit like 3K in a row, and he also has a record of like 400 in a row in less than an hour.