Learning from the Pros in the NBA

Its all about your feet

It is commonly acknowledged as one of the more exciting players in the NBA is LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers. One of the things that is keeping him from fulfilling his All-World potential is his erratic free throw shooting. In some games, he just keeps clanking one free throw after another at critical times. As a result, he is leaving a lot of points on the court.

Look at his form. What do you see. You see a young fellow standing there like he is shooting tiny basketballs in those arcade games. Clank. Clank. Clank. That is not All-World.

Ditto with Shaq. He actually "puts" the ball like a shot put. There is no unified rhythmic body motion at all in his free throws.

Like many sport skills, free throw shooting starts with the feet. It is a nice flowing total body movement from the ground up - - Body balance with proper placement of the feet; Knees bent slightly; Eyes on the target. Then the shot begins with an extension or straightening of the knees. The body or trunk straightens. The arms extend. The shooting-hand wrist extends in a smooth motion. Everything moves toward the goal.

LeBron will reach his full potential when he learns to shoot free throws.

TIP: Want to improve your free throw shooting. Close your eyes and shoot. This will help you feel your total body movement. Can you make five in a row, 10 in a row. If not, you need to work on your total body rhythm.