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Underhanded free throw

PhattyJ4UK

PhattyJ4UK

All-American
Nov 7, 2008
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It was a louisville player so the easy thing to do would be to bash the guy...but it makes so much sense for big guys who struggle with big hands/coordination to use this approach..

..really wish more big guys would put their pride aside and turn in to 60%+ free throw shooters.

Sorry if discussed
 
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To quote Tin Cup "What do you think you look like shooting chili peppers up Lee Janzen's ass?"

Better to look a little weird than to stink.
 
PhattyJ4UK said:
It was a louisville player so the easy thing to do would be to bash the guy...but it makes so much sense for big guys who struggle with big hands/coordination to use this approach..

..really wish more big guys would put their pride aside and turn in to 60%+ free throw shooters.

Sorry if discussed
Click to expand...

It's always been called "Granny Style" since I can remember and back in the day alot of players shot them that way. I guess whatever works is OK,but a bit out dated.
 
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Bluest Member said:
It's always been called "Granny Style" since I can remember and back in the day alot of players shot them that way. I guess whatever works is OK,but a bit out dated.
Click to expand...

Definitely outdated, but for the Shaq's of the world, would negate the huge hindrance their hands play in their shot
 
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Yep. I've said it for years now. It's nice to see a big guy finally attempt it. It helps them get the right trajectory on the ball and then it just becomes about repetition.
 
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My high school coach used it as a motivational tool. At the beginning of the year if you could hit seven out of ten any way you wanted you were exempt .
If not you shot them the granny way. For those not exempt At any time during practice you could call time out and ask to shoot free throws your way. If you made seven out of ten you were then exempt. If you failed everybody ran extra laps.

Our team averaged over 85 per cent from the free throw line. Nobody shot them the granny way . Very effective motivational tool. Most of us shot over a hundred free throws a day during the summer to make sure we were exempt at the first practice .

BTW when you shot your free throws your teammates were screaming at you and the subs were behind the basket jumping up and down and waving to distract you. Why college coaches don't do what my high school coach did amazes me . So simple yet so effective .
 
Deli owl said:
How can you make it to college and not shoot a free throw?
Click to expand...
Shaq like hands make it almost impossible to conquer the free throw challenge. Also, not all "bigs" shoot outside of 5 feet, mainly dunks or put backs.
95% of your top free throw shooters, shoot the exact same way. Cut their head off and replace it with another and you can not tell the difference. Coaches in high school dont waste their "precious time on free throws, so they leave it up to the individual. So when the individual practices on his own time, he most likely making matters worse. It is all about muscle repetition, but proper form while doing it. Kinda like golf when you hear someone say, "I play 3 times a week, but my score keeps going up", hahaha
 
Bluest Member said:
It's always been called "Granny Style" since I can remember and back in the day alot of players shot them that way. I guess whatever works is OK,but a bit out dated.
Click to expand...
The infamous Goose Tatum shot free throws like that. I don't remember what his percentage was but he was good. He could hit shots from almost anywhere under handed.
 
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No...learn how to shoot. I'm surprised Pitino lets him shoot the granny. Learn to shoot. It's one more reason for their fan base to be embarrassed.
 


Rick Barry would have been rejected by Billy Gillespie.

Underhand has its place. I see nothing wrong with it.

Number 1 on that video is shocking. I also do not know why more guys do not try Nelson's form.
 
Last edited:
oldsports_ said:
Shaq like hands make it almost impossible to conquer the free throw challenge. Also, not all "bigs" shoot outside of 5 feet, mainly dunks or put backs.
95% of your top free throw shooters, shoot the exact same way. Cut their head off and replace it with another and you can not tell the difference. Coaches in high school dont waste their "precious time on free throws, so they leave it up to the individual. So when the individual practices on his own time, he most likely making matters worse. It is all about muscle repetition, but proper form while doing it. Kinda like golf when you hear someone say, "I play 3 times a week, but my score keeps going up", hahaha
Click to expand...
You can give me Shaq, Wilt, D. Jordan, and the ul clown and I'll give you 20 bigs per name you come up with that can hit them. Actually Shaq broke his elbow when he was young and can't bend his arm back enough.
 
Deli owl said:
You can give me Shaq, Wilt, D. Jordan, and the ul clown and I'll give you 20 bigs per name you come up with that can hit them. Actually Shaq broke his elbow when he was young and can't bend his arm back enough.
Click to expand...
My friend, Wilt and Rick Barry are 2 of the all time greatest. That pretty much settles that it for this Old Geezer. Whatever works.
 
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He had Andre Riddick shooting granny free throws for a short time. I think it was a last ditch effort, his percentage was something like 18% at the time
 
Cheeannahohowuu Onawkwarduhh is all the way up to 54% from the line.
He shot 47% last year using the standard method.
Very little improvement, IMO.
 
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UK_Is_Good said:
Improving 7 percentage points is pretty significant.
Click to expand...

Onuaku had 30 FT attempts last year (14 made)
For reference, Karl Anthony Towns had 134 and Dakari had 144 attempts.

For the sake of argument, lets suppose Onuaku attempts 100 this year.

35 games = 2.86 free throws attempted per game
Standard method: 47% of 2.86 attempts = 1.34 made per game
Underhanded: 54% of 2.86 attempts = 1.54 made per game

Not much improvement, IMO...
 
People would consider that hazing or cruel in this politically correct world we live in now
 
loucatfan said:
My high school coach used it as a motivational tool. At the beginning of the year if you could hit seven out of ten any way you wanted you were exempt .
If not you shot them the granny way. For those not exempt At any time during practice you could call time out and ask to shoot free throws your way. If you made seven out of ten you were then exempt. If you failed everybody ran extra laps.

Our team averaged over 85 per cent from the free throw line. Nobody shot them the granny way . Very effective motivational tool. Most of us shot over a hundred free throws a day during the summer to make sure we were exempt at the first practice .

BTW when you shot your free throws your teammates were screaming at you and the subs were behind the basket jumping up and down and waving to distract you. Why college coaches don't do what my high school coach did amazes me . So simple yet so effective .
Click to expand...
We did pushups in between misses and heckled each other. The other stuff you guys did sounds effective. Wish we'd had the Internet back in the day.
 
I want to hate on it because it was a Louisville player, but points are points. If he hits more foul shots that way, he should keep shooting like that and take the extra points.
 
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On-On-UK said:
Onuaku had 30 FT attempts last year (14 made)
For reference, Karl Anthony Towns had 134 and Dakari had 144 attempts.

For the sake of argument, lets suppose Onuaku attempts 100 this year.

35 games = 2.86 free throws attempted per game
Standard method: 47% of 2.86 attempts = 1.34 made per game
Underhanded: 54% of 2.86 attempts = 1.54 made per game

Not much improvement, IMO...
Click to expand...

That's still several points added over the course of the year. If you play enough tight games, that can be worth a game somewhere. He also hasn't been doing it long, so theoretically he could continue to improve. He's also doubled his free throw rate this season. If that continues to rise as he becomes an upper classman, it'll make more of an impact.

Some guys may improve more though if they gave it a shot. If it makes you better, why not try it? Who cares how it looks? If it doesn't work, you can go back to the old way.
 
They should kick you out if you underhand a free throw. The kid is just wrong like that program he plays for.
 
PhattyJ4UK said:
It was a louisville player so the easy thing to do would be to bash the guy...but it makes so much sense for big guys who struggle with big hands/coordination to use this approach..

..really wish more big guys would put their pride aside and turn in to 60%+ free throw shooters.

Sorry if discussed
Click to expand...
Exactly. Results should matter more than looks. The best thing about the "granny" foul shot is the backspin. Much like a good chip shot in golf, the ball bites on the rim.
 
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I recently bet a friend that I could shoot better granny style than he could 'normal'.

We were both allowed two warmup shots. He stepped up and hit 7 out of 10. I hit 7.

Next we tried shooting while sitting on the ground at the free throw line. I think I hit 7. There's a lot to be said for having proper arch and rotation, regardless of positioning and ability.
 
loucatfan said:
Our team averaged over 85 per cent from the free throw line.
Click to expand...

NCAA BEST SINCE 2000: Weber State, 81% 2012
NBA BEST FT% ALL TIME: Boston, 83.2% - 1989-90

Your High school team averaged 2% better then the all time record in the NBA? I tip my hat
 
loucatfan said:
My high school coach used it as a motivational tool. At the beginning of the year if you could hit seven out of ten any way you wanted you were exempt .
If not you shot them the granny way. For those not exempt At any time during practice you could call time out and ask to shoot free throws your way. If you made seven out of ten you were then exempt. If you failed everybody ran extra laps.

Our team averaged over 85 per cent from the free throw line. Nobody shot them the granny way . Very effective motivational tool. Most of us shot over a hundred free throws a day during the summer to make sure we were exempt at the first practice .

BTW when you shot your free throws your teammates were screaming at you and the subs were behind the basket jumping up and down and waving to distract you. Why college coaches don't do what my high school coach did amazes me . So simple yet so effective .
Click to expand...


I call BS, at least on the last part. Why would teammates scream and jump and wave to distract you.....when a poor result means extra laps for them? Hmmmmm
 
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