Making Your Best Free Throw

A free-throw routine is your best asset at the line when the pressure is on and it’s a have-to-make situation. The following are steps in a positive free-throw routine. I’ll explain each in more detail:

• Take a deep breath—release the last play, it’s over, let it go
  
• Get your alignment—get settled and “grounded” on the line
  
• Bounce or twirl the ball—get a feel for the ball
  
• See it, feel it, or hear it go in—get a positive picture, image, or thought
  
• Tell yourself that it’s going it—be confident
  
• Focus on a specific target—a spot on the rim of the basket
  
• Just do it—react to the target

The starting point in a good foul shot routine is to release the last play and get the monkey of the back. Put the last play behind you because you don’t want to lose energy on what just happened. Take a deep breath and center yourself on the foul line. The mind should be clear and ready to focus on the target.

Settle in and get your alignment as you always do. Bounce or twirl or hold the ball in a way that feels good to you (or do what you usually do here). Feel the weight of the ball and center yourself on the line.

Next, get a good mental picture of the ball’s trajectory and see it go in, or just feel the ball go in the hole. The key here is to create a positive picture or feeling in your mind to boost confidence. See it, hear it, feel it, or think about it going in, and know it’s going in. If you get a bad picture or thought here, STOP and restart your routine from the beginning.

Next, use your inner voice (what we call self-talk) to pump yourself up and feel confident, such as “I’ve made this shot thousands of time before” or “I know this is going in!” Now focus on a specific spot on the rim where you want the ball to enter. Look at the front of the rim or the back of the rim—your preference here.

The most important phase is to just react to the target. Look at the target and trust yourself now. You don’t want to think about the mechanics of your stroke. Just trust what you see and let it go! You are an athlete—perform like an athlete—from instinct.

If at any time your mind wanders to a negative result or to the past, STOP and refocus on the process I just described. Keep your mind looked into this routine. Make it your routine. Be consistent with the routine—a consistent routine leads to consistent performance. Do the same thing every time!

I have identified steps in a routine, but your routine is just one long step to help you focus on execution and be ready to make a good shot. This is the only shot in basketball in which you have time on your side. You don’t have to go until you are confident, focused, and ready to go.

Remember, each shot is a new shot that has the same chance of being made. Nothing you have done in the past matters now. So find a way to believe in yourself, be confident, and KNOW that you can do it!