Author Topic: Science behind the perfect free-throw: 'Granny style' underarm shots...  (Read 4469 times)

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Offline stb

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Offline Androslav

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I shot them underhanded with a couple of friends just a week ago. It is incredible how much easier it is and I am not a knockdown shooter. My friends each made 4 in a row, on their first try! Naturally, we came to some simple conclusions;

- you have a better balance, as you are aligned, squared up perfectly toward the board
- you use less force enabling a softer touch, favoring missed shots going back in.
- when I was a kid, my father taught me a general idea to use both hands to get better results. It applies here as well.
- Even if you overshot it, the attempt has a fair chance to bounce in from the backboard.
- both hands enable a better backspin

After those tries, we really couldn't figure it out, why some of the worse lumberjacks (DJ, Drummond, Robertson) don't use this overall better technique. If just one guy tried it he wouldn't be worse at it, he would show the willingness to improve his critical flaw to the fanbase, and it is so retro that it would be ultra cool to many.
I think that a guy like DJ could even get some severely uncontested 3pt attempts when aligned in perfect 90 degrees (only possible then) toward the basket. I bet that he would bank in some.

Historically the whole underhanded shot narrative reminds me of concrete.
We forgot how to use it from 400 BC to 1600 AD. http://www.auburn.edu/academic/architecture/bsc/classes/bsc314/timeline/timeline.htmat
At one point we abandoned the better technique, basketball or construction wise.
I haven't read your link yet since I wanted to have a clear empiric perspective on the shot. Now I will do it :)
« Last Edit: April 26, 2017, 09:55:20 AM by Androslav »
"The joy of the balling under the rims."

Offline Androslav

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Good piece. TP.
It should be called the smart shot, and not the granny shot. Maybe then guys will use and get out of the 1st round.
"The joy of the balling under the rims."

Offline Fan from VT

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I shot them underhanded with a couple of friends just a week ago. It is incredible how much easier it is and I am not a knockdown shooter. My friends each made 4 in a row, on their first try! Naturally, we came to some simple conclusions;

- you have a better balance, as you are aligned, squared up perfectly toward the board
- you use less force enabling a softer touch, favoring missed shots going back in.
- when I was a kid, my father taught me a general idea to use both hands to get better results. It applies here as well.
- Even if you overshot it, the attempt has a fair chance to bounce in from the backboard.
- both hands enable a better backspin

After those tries, we really couldn't figure it out, why some of the worse lumberjacks (DJ, Drummond, Robertson) don't use this overall better technique. If just one guy tried it he wouldn't be worse at it, he would show the willingness to improve his critical flaw to the fanbase, and it is so retro that it would be ultra cool to many.
I think that a guy like DJ could even get some severely uncontested 3pt attempts when aligned in perfect 90 degrees (only possible then) toward the basket. I bet that he would bank in some.

Historically the whole underhanded shot narrative reminds me of concrete.
We forgot how to use it from 400 BC to 1600 AD. http://www.auburn.edu/academic/architecture/bsc/classes/bsc314/timeline/timeline.htmat
At one point we abandoned the better technique, basketball or construction wise.
I haven't read your link yet since I wanted to have a clear empiric perspective on the shot. Now I will do it :)

It is amazing in an era of heavy stats and massive contracts that "not looking like a sissy" is still a motivating factor. If Deandre Jordan is currently worth his current contract, what is "Deandre Jordan + 75-80% FT shooting" worth?

Offline BitterJim

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I shot them underhanded with a couple of friends just a week ago. It is incredible how much easier it is and I am not a knockdown shooter. My friends each made 4 in a row, on their first try! Naturally, we came to some simple conclusions;

- you have a better balance, as you are aligned, squared up perfectly toward the board
- you use less force enabling a softer touch, favoring missed shots going back in.
- when I was a kid, my father taught me a general idea to use both hands to get better results. It applies here as well.
- Even if you overshot it, the attempt has a fair chance to bounce in from the backboard.
- both hands enable a better backspin

After those tries, we really couldn't figure it out, why some of the worse lumberjacks (DJ, Drummond, Robertson) don't use this overall better technique. If just one guy tried it he wouldn't be worse at it, he would show the willingness to improve his critical flaw to the fanbase, and it is so retro that it would be ultra cool to many.
I think that a guy like DJ could even get some severely uncontested 3pt attempts when aligned in perfect 90 degrees (only possible then) toward the basket. I bet that he would bank in some.

Historically the whole underhanded shot narrative reminds me of concrete.
We forgot how to use it from 400 BC to 1600 AD. http://www.auburn.edu/academic/architecture/bsc/classes/bsc314/timeline/timeline.htmat
At one point we abandoned the better technique, basketball or construction wise.
I haven't read your link yet since I wanted to have a clear empiric perspective on the shot. Now I will do it :)

He's certainly not a big name player, but Chinanu Onuaku on the Rockets (undrafted rookie) has been shooting them underhanded this year (I think he did his last year in college, too, and it brought him from abysmal to merely not good).  He's shot them in a couple of games this year, too:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIFn3Jz-ihA

Hopefully a bigger name like Drummond will try it and make it a bit more acceptable
I'm bitter.

Offline Fan from VT

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I shot them underhanded with a couple of friends just a week ago. It is incredible how much easier it is and I am not a knockdown shooter. My friends each made 4 in a row, on their first try! Naturally, we came to some simple conclusions;

- you have a better balance, as you are aligned, squared up perfectly toward the board
- you use less force enabling a softer touch, favoring missed shots going back in.
- when I was a kid, my father taught me a general idea to use both hands to get better results. It applies here as well.
- Even if you overshot it, the attempt has a fair chance to bounce in from the backboard.
- both hands enable a better backspin

After those tries, we really couldn't figure it out, why some of the worse lumberjacks (DJ, Drummond, Robertson) don't use this overall better technique. If just one guy tried it he wouldn't be worse at it, he would show the willingness to improve his critical flaw to the fanbase, and it is so retro that it would be ultra cool to many.
I think that a guy like DJ could even get some severely uncontested 3pt attempts when aligned in perfect 90 degrees (only possible then) toward the basket. I bet that he would bank in some.

Historically the whole underhanded shot narrative reminds me of concrete.
We forgot how to use it from 400 BC to 1600 AD. http://www.auburn.edu/academic/architecture/bsc/classes/bsc314/timeline/timeline.htmat
At one point we abandoned the better technique, basketball or construction wise.
I haven't read your link yet since I wanted to have a clear empiric perspective on the shot. Now I will do it :)

He's certainly not a big name player, but Chinanu Onuaku on the Rockets (undrafted rookie) has been shooting them underhanded this year (I think he did his last year in college, too, and it brought him from abysmal to merely not good).  He's shot them in a couple of games this year, too:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIFn3Jz-ihA

Hopefully a bigger name like Drummond will try it and make it a bit more acceptable

I'd call it "the money shot" rather than "granny shot"

Offline Androslav

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@BitterJim
I saw that Onuaku FT a few weeks back and it made me smile.
@Fan from VT
Well DJ and Drummond already earn the max so it wouldnt benefit them moneywise atm. Maybe it would on their next ones. However I am certain they wouldn't be played off the floor. That itself is worth a lot. Possibly a playoff round or 2 with better seeding as well.
"The joy of the balling under the rims."

Offline Androslav

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Still no underhanded FT shooters in the NBA. Not even Simmons.
Bricker layers and lumberjacks worldwide:
I am very disappointed!
"The joy of the balling under the rims."

Offline Emmette Bryant

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http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-4446976/The-science-perfect-free-throw.html

Nice video of Red in there as well.

Hah I remember watching that video when it first played during the 70's.

Offline saltlover

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Still no underhanded FT shooters in the NBA. Not even Simmons.
Bricker layers and lumberjacks worldwide:
I am very disappointed!

I think it will take a couple of guys on the same team to go in together on it.  Jaylen and Semi should both take it up over the summer.