One of the all-time secrets in the soft drink industry is the Coca-Cola recipe. It probably sold billions of bottles and cans of Coca-Cola because of this recipe and later because of that appealing taste. The ingredients may not be very healthy, but the flavor is sizzling. What does this have to do with basketball and free throws? Well, we all know for a fact that it’s NO secret that simple free throw shooting ability is mediocre at best. In fact, this mediocrity reaches epidemic proportions.

There are many reasons for this mediocrity of the masses. One of the main reasons is that when the game was created, they shot a basketball that had sections of leather and hand-sewn seams. Imagine catching and shooting that ball with different, uneven sensations in your palm and fingers.

Not having to take into account the irregularities of the ball is a great advantage. Imagine what the percentages would be if our pros today had to shoot with those old-fashioned basketballs. We still shoot considerably poorly (70% is bad in my book) with modern, high-tech basketballs.

Regardless, below is a list of physical faulty shooting actions that can lead to numerous shooting issues that continue to plague the world. The key to shooting well is to minimize any extra movement that compromises correct scientific shooting principles or natural laws, such as gravity or Newton’s law that “For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.”

I find it hard to believe that a simple move like a free kick could have so many possible problems. The way to diagnose problems is to study the final result of the shot. How to use forensic science to track down a killer. Was the shot short, long, off center, too far left or just inside right, too flat, or even too high?

An errant shot is like a crime in progress and under immediate investigation we go back and look for the culprit, who could be one of the next killers responsible for the fatal shot.

1. Is the arc of the ball on my shot too flat? (He always shoots ‘up’ and then ‘into’ the basket).

2. Does my shot have a lateral twist or rotation? (Usually the fault of the guiding hands).

3. Is my shot spinning too fast (fingers snap too fast), too slow, or not spinning at all? (usually the thumb of the lead hand is to blame).

4. Do I see the ball in flight after I release it? (It should because it helps to study rotation and you can see the whole image better).

5. Do I look at the rim throughout the shot? (I lose the whole picture and also I don’t know where the ball is going to bounce if I miss. It’s good to read your bounce.)

6. Why does my ball bounce so far on a missed shot? (Ball arc is too flat)

7. What causes my shot to go too far to the right or to the left? (Too far to the right, usually the last 3 fingers do the shooting. Too far to the left, the elbow is out and follows through the wrist at an angle. A definitive scientific breakdown.)

8. Does my ‘shot pocket’ start too far from the center of my face? (The ideal ‘shot pocket’ should be 2″ above the forehead and between the eyes).

9. Is my original ‘shot pocket’ tummy, chin or face area? (This is a result of age and lack of strength).

10. Do I ‘pause’ just before I release the ball on my jump shot? (Should).

11. Will I jump, stop and shoot or just shoot while jumping? (Being able to jump, pause, and shoot with the correct timing requires physical strength to do so. Many youngsters, usually under the age of 12, lack this necessary strength.)

12. Is my tracking too flat or too high? (Lock between 45 and 50 degrees)

13. On follow up, do I snap my wrist back like a shotgun kick? (Lock and exit). 14. Do my fingers point to the ground after tracking? Beginning of the hand in the cookie jar. (Bent knuckles signify excess movement and
causes errors).

15. Does my shooting arm move inward toward the center line of my body? (Never allow any lateral movement of any part of the firing mechanism.)

16. Do my fingers open before, during and after the injection? (The fingers never meet. (They are natural enemies only during shooting and defense)

17. My index finger is not aligned with the center of the ball?) Form 90 degrees with seams)

18. Is my elbow joint directly below the center of the ball in the shot pocket? Millions don’t do this due to physical restrictions, muscle size, etc. (You can start wide, but the elbow must go under the center of the ball before the release. If
you don’t have a flying elbow).

19. Do I lock my elbow on the follow through and leave it there until the ball hits the rim? (At least from the FT line).

20. Am I aware of which finger touches the ball last? (Must be index).

21. Do both of my hands touch the ball during the actual pitch? (Only one hand).

22. Does the ball sit in the palm of my hand as I prepare to shoot? (NO palm, just the fingertips and one on the thumb).

23. Is the ‘guide’ hand above or below the ball before the release? (Must be sideways or 90 degrees to shoot thumb.)

24. Do I bend my knees and then take the ball to the shooting pocket? (Get the ball into the shooting pocket, then bend your knees for better timing.)

25. Do I carry the ball above or behind my head? (It should be in the center of the forehead about 2″ above the eyes).

26. On my follow up again, does my little finger lead the way of all the fingers pointing to the ground? (No fingers are bent at the knuckles. They all point to the edge except the thumb.)

27. Shot too fast? (Add time with blink increments.)

28. During the life cycle of the shot, am I thinking about making the basket? (You should always think about your weakest point in your shooting mechanism and focus on that so you don’t break down. Never, ever think about making the basket,
ever).

29. On follow up, does my shooting hand form a ‘ball after shot’ that looks like an armadillo? The hand should be wide so that you can gauge responsibility for misbehaving fingers.)

30. Do I move my hand over the ball as I catch it, looking for a comfortable feeling? (Learn how to catch the ball from a pass or dribble where you don’t have to move your hand at all. Your shooting hand and lead hand should be at 90 degrees to each other and ready to catch and shoot every time.)