In just the first few days of Girl-Sanity High School Basketball, how many games have been decided by either made or missed free throws?
How can someone that practices endlessly at the free throw line miss when it counts at the end of the game? How can someone that doesn't practice or not even shoot a high percentage make their free throws when it counts at the end of the game?
Is it mental.... is it nerves...... is it luck.....
Maybe its not that simple.
In these times, with all the shooting specialists available, training guides, training equipment etc., it seems free throw percentages are getting worse.
NBA great, Rick Barry shot the free throw Underhanded (Granny Style) and ranks 3rd all time in shooting percentage with .900 mark. Compare that to Superman Dwight Howard's .600 career percentage. If Superman's free throw percentage averaged .900 like Rick Barry, his career scoring average would jump from 18.3 to 21 points a game.
Maybe because of our DNA, we are all wired different. Let's face it, we all react different when we are put in pressure situations. I remember back in school how some kids dreaded going to the front of the class to make a presentation. Some of these very same kids were top in academics for the class and very well versed and prepared. But as soon as they got in front of the class, all their circuits would shut down. Then you would have some kids that would go up like they were naturals even though they were not well prepared.
So whatever the science behind it, whatever theory you might want to agree with, whatever proper mechanics you believe in, Free Throws matter!
So when the game is over and it is pretty close in the scoreboard, you might want to talk about the referees or coaching. You might be in cloud 9 because your team won or simply devastated because the season just came to an end. The last thing in your mind might be Free Throws.
But I would bet that .900 % of the time (Rick Barry's Free Throw %}, the game was decided by either made or missed free throws and not by any Underhanded trick (Rick Barry's Free Throw shooting method)!
So with the Girl High School playoffs in full swing, how many more wins or loses are going to be decided and come down to the Simple but Complex.......FREE THROW!