Draining free throws at the charity stripe, with a whole gym of spectators and teammates watching, can seem like the most difficult shot in basketball. But whether you're in middle school or in Division 1 Basketball, whether you're a point guard or a center, you'll need to know how to shoot basketball free throws to get your team the W.

Close games are often decided at the free throw line, but it's not just the potential one or two points up for grabs that matter. It's the confidence in your step and in your game, the innate knowledge that you can knock down the free throws, when necessary, that really wins games. With practice and repetition, you can become automatic at the line, and the defense will pick up on that sense of cool confidence. Every time you drive into the lane, or pull up for a jumper, the opposing team will think twice about playing you close or giving you a hard foul down the stretch. But that will only come with patience and focus. And, as you can see on TV, not even million-dollar basketball athletes can knock down all their free throws. To succeed in this aspect of the game, and become a high percentage shooter like Steve Nash or Chauncey Billups, you will need more than proper technique and training. There's no one way to shoot a free throw, after all. There is, however, a way to practice and improve your shot over and over again so that you build the mental toughness and self-belief you need to shoot your highest percentage.http://www.youth-basketball-tips.com/free-throw.html

1. The first thing to keep in mind is that a free throw is unlike any other shot in the game. You have up to ten seconds to take a shot 15 feet from the rim, where nobody else is guarding you. This means there is basically no time pressure and absolutely no defensive pressure involved.
2. Having said that, the seeming ease with which you have to work with in a free throw is what makes it a tough shot. Nobody complains too much when you miss a contested shot or a layup, or even a wide-open layup. But when it comes to missed free throws, there is a lot more mental stress and fear involved, since it's much easier to criticize a giveaway shot than an in-game shot. As a result players become afraid and tentative at the line.
3. So the absolute first thing to understand when it comes to free throws is that it is all basically in the head and in the mind. NBA athletes shoot free throws literally a hundred different ways, with different rituals and strokes. The important thing to do is to develop a technique and stick with it, practicing over and over again to reduce the mental difficulty of a "free" shot.http://www.youth-basketball-tips.com/free-throw.html

1. Since there is no time pressure or defensive presence, it is essential to set yourself up in a fixed shooting stance that gives you the most accurate shot. The stance must also minimize movement and make every free throw stroke as identical to the last as possible. Consistency is key.http://www.youth-basketball-tips.com/free-throw.html
2. The most standard free throw stance and technique is a posture where your body is facing square up to the basket. Assuming you are right handed, place your legs with your right leg slightly forward and your left leg slightly back. Imagine a line connecting your two feet; this line should be at a 30 degree angle with the free throw line. If you are left handed do the opposite.
3. Hold the ball in your dominant hand, with the ball on your finger tips. Place your non-dominant hand, usually your left, on the side of the basketball. This is to give it support.http://www.youth-basketball-tips.com/free-throw.html
4. Bend your knees without moving your arms. While you are holding this position, you are in a free throw shooting stance. It is important to take a good look at the net and the basket at this time so you can visualize yourself shooting the ball through it prior to the actual release.
5. Many players have a certain ritual they do before going into their stance; some bounce the ball a few times, while others, like Steve Nash, pretend to shoot an imaginary free throw before asking for the ball. These rituals help calm the nerves and get the body prepared to do the shot. If you have a ritual, it's important to solidify it so that you do the exact same thing every time you head to the line. Regardless, you'll want to take a deep breath before bending your knees prior to the release.

1. Now that you've set a shooting stance, you are in an optimal position to use the power of your legs and arc the ball into the basket. First, hold your semi-squat position for a second or so to stabilize all the parts of your body. How low you go into your squat is up to the player, just try and moderate it so that you have a set distance. Keep your eyes on the net.
2. You should have taken a deep breath just prior to bending your knees. When you are ready, calmly exhale, and at the same time extend your knees from the bending position so that they are nearly straight; in other words, almost in a hyper-extending position.
3. As soon as you have emerged from the semi-squat position, and you feel it in your knees that they are about to hyper-extend, propel your dominant hand forward with the ball. The precise technique at this point should emulate the shot and the jumper that you have developed in your ordinary game, and is unique to each player. Work with a shooting coach if you have issues with your stroke or release technique.
4. Flick your wrist gently as the ball leaves. Imagine the "hand in the cookie jar" as the shot goes.

1. The way you shoot a free throw is irrelevant without practice. Free throw proficiency will only come after dedication and commitment to repetition. Practice shooting 10 to 12 free throws in a row, keeping note of how many you make each time, and striving to improve it with each set of shots. Try and make every shot the same as the last; remove inconsistency in your stroke.http://www.dickbshootingcamp.com/free_throw_practice.php
2. Do your sets of 10-12 in pairs. After shooting two, step away from the line, walk around, and then step up to the line again. The process of free throw shooting begins right after the whistle is blown, and walking to the line is the first part. Try and make every aspect of it embedded in your muscle memory.http://www.dickbshootingcamp.com/free_throw_practice.php
3. If you have friends or teammates with you in the gym or the court, get them to talk loudly or yell or jeer while you practice your shots. Also, if you have a sound system, blast it. This is all to simulate real game conditions where, depending on the court, you might have hundreds to thousands of people watching and making noise, intentionally or unintentionally distracting you.
4. If you're able to, rotate around the baskets in the gym so that you get a feel for different baskets. After two or three 10-12 shot sets, move to a different basket if you can. Make everything else in your technique the same.
5. Competitiveness if key; either compete with yourself in your sets, trying to make 12 out of 12 or 10 out of 10, or compete with a friend or teammate to see who can get the higher percentage.http://www.dickbshootingcamp.com/free_throw_practice.php<ref>
6. Run laps or suicides occasionally to break up your rhythm and make you shoot free throws in a tired state. Don't just stand around and shoot free throws all day; that isn't anything like a real game scenario. Break it up with running or scrimmages.
7. As Michael Jordan says in his video, you should optimally be able to make free throws with your eyes closed. Try shooting a few with your eyes closed to see if your technique holds up. Remember, ideally, you should have made everything so consistent and constant in your free throw shooting that as soon as you step to the line it all becomes automatic. The purpose of the drill is not to actually make them with your eyes closed but to build your confidence in your rituals and your stroke.<ref>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hlibcjZXrA