Here’s how to improve your free throws

The basketball greats make the game look easy, but you know better. You may never get into the NBA, but you can still have a great time on the playground, in the gym, or on a concrete slab with a hoop.

The free throw is one of the most basic skills to improve or master. Though they aren’t shot in pickup ball, they are often your ticket onto the court when there are more than ten players or an odd number of players. Two teams are usually selected with free throws, and the number of players has to be even.

Of course, the free throw is even more important if you play on your company team.

One NBA pro quoted in Men’s Fitness says free throws are all about rhythm. Jeff Hornacek, who retired with a free-throw shooting record of 95 percent, should know.

What do you put into your pre-shot routine? It’s up to you. Hornacek scratched his cheek three times as part of his foul-shooting prep. He says no matter what you do, it has got to be the same every time to get yourself in rhythm. Use the routine to establish mental focus.

Other than that, keep it simple. Place your feet shoulder-width apart right behind the foul line. Bend your knees slightly and dribble the ball a couple of times to get a set rhythm. Rise and shoot the ball so it begins to arc right above the line. Remember to follow through and keep your shooting hand in the air to emphasize the arc of the ball. The ball should always roll off the fingertips, not the palms.

Hornacek says the follow-through is important because you are guiding the ball over the rim.