Free Throw Shooting Drills

By

James Foglio

James Foglio Sports Editor

James is a Basketball Insiders contributor. He earned his bachelor's degree in English and Creative Writing at Southern New Hampshire University. James enjoys watching sports and helping gamblers win money.

All posts by James Foglio

Sports Editor

Updated 03 Apr 2024

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Free throw shooting, also known as foul shots, are unopposed attempts to score points from behind the free throw line in the game of basketball. Free throws are typically awarded to a player after being fouled by an opponent in the process of shooting the ball. 

However, free throws can also be awarded when a team enters the penalty situation and/or if a technical foul occurs. Basketball games can come down to whether or not players on a given team made a fair number of free throws. 

Why Is Free Throw Shooting Important?

Players receive one point per successful free throw attempt. Fouls that occur within the act of shooting in the paint and/or along the baseline are worth two free throw attempts. Any fouls beyond the 3-point arc will award the player with three free throw attempts. 

Free throws can determine the outcome of a contest. This applies especially for one-possession games. Being able to make foul shots is what separates NBA Hall of Famers from average role players. 

Point guards, shooting guards, small forwards, and power forwards are expected to make their free throws. Based on the Basketball-Reference database, centers are less likely to average 85% or better shooting at the line. 

Do Free Throw Drills Improve Shooting During Games?

Practice makes perfect, right? That old saying applies here. Free throw drills are imperative for players improving their accuracy at the line. The Steve Nash, 1-and-1, and one-handed free throw drills are commonly used by coaches. 

Not only will practicing free throws improve a player’s focus on these basic, uncontested shots, but it can help him handle pressure at the line as well. 

Let’s get this out of the way right now. Making free throws late in the fourth quarter of close games with fans either cheering you on or rooting against you is nerve-wracking. It’s no different from being that kicker who has to make a last-second field goal in a football game.

Free throw drills are critical in order to help players prepare for any level of basketball game — pee wee, high school, college, and the NBA. Learning to do it early in your playing career will give you an advantage over any other player who steps out onto the court.  

Steve Nash Free Throw Drill

NBA Hall of Famer Steve Nash retired as one of the most accurate free throw shooters in league history, shooting 90.4% at the line across his 18-year career. His technique remains unrivaled. Stephen Curry (91%) is the only exception. 

In the Steve Nash free throw drill, the shooter is required to make as many free throws as possible in a minute. A rebounder stands underneath the basket to pass the ball back to the shooter after each successful shot. 

This drill is used by various NCAA and NBA teams to help players establish consistent rhythms. In 2011, UConn’s then-assistant coach Glenn Miller used Nash’s free throw drill to help improve the men’s basketball team’s shooting.“

Nash put 60 seconds on the clock and just tried to make as many free throws as he could. I’d never seen that before,” Miller said about Nash treating free throw shooting like it was a Pop-A-Shot game.

Miller set the mark at 17 free throws in a minute for the Huskies. If the shooter fell short, he would have to run sprints. 

Individual Free Throw Shooting Drills

Coaches can use individual free throw shooting drills to help beginners and struggling players get a feel for a specific shooting technique before a team practice. 

Five drills a coach or player can use include the 1-and-1, Plus 2, Minus 2, Swish, Shoot 10, and Make 10 Shots Without Missing 2 in a Row. 

1-and-1

The 1-and-1 drill requires a player to make both free throw attempts. If the shooter misses the first attempt, he has to run a lap before a second attempt will be awarded. 

Likewise, if he misses the second shot, another lap is run. Each player has to make a set number of free throws, such as 10.

Plus 2, Minus 2

Plus 2, Minus 2 can be used as either an individual or team drill. Each player is required to make two sets of free throws. A miss results in -1 point. 

If a player reaches -2, he has to perform five push-ups. If a player makes two straight free throws, he avoids punishment.  

Swish

For this drill, a player not only has to make the basket, but the shot cannot touch the rim. It can only be a swish. This drill might work best on guards. 

The goal is to make 10 swishes. Each swish will reward the player with 1 point. Every made basket that is not a swish is worth 0 points. Every miss results in -1 point.

Shoot 10

Next, the Shoot 10 drill involves a player making 10 free throws. The player is required to shoot at least 80% from the line, or hit eight of 10. 

If he fails to make eight shots, he has to do 10 push-ups or run laps.  

Make 10 Shots Without Missing 2 in a Row

This drill is pretty self-explanatory. The player has to make 10 free throws without missing two straight. A player cannot miss two shots in a row. 

Otherwise, he will have to redo the set. There is no time limit, though coaches can use a 1-minute timer. 

Team Free Throw Drills

Team free throw drills are more ideal for coaches. Having teammates practice together, creating distractions, and raising the stakes will help each player improve. 

When one player in a pair fails, the duo is penalized. Three drills that can be used include In-A-Row, Shooter-Rebounder-Runner, and Team Competition. 

In-A-Row

First off, the In-A-Row drill involves a coach splitting his players up into groups of three by each basket. Each trio is required to make a set number of free throws in a row before the time expires. 

For example, making eight in a row in 50 seconds could be the goal. If the trio falls short, the group has to run suicides. 

Shooter-Rebounder-Runner

Furthermore, the Shooter-Rebounder-Runner drill helps condition players to prevent fatigue by the end of the fourth quarter or overtime of games. Break the players up into groups of three by each basket — one shooter, one rebounder, and one runner. 

For one minute or a specific number of made free throws, the shooter shoots free throws, the rebounder rebounds the ball for the shooter, and the runner runs laps. 

When the time is up, the runner becomes the shooter, the rebounder becomes the runner, and the shooter becomes the rebounder. 

Team Competition

It is recommended for players to perform the Team Competition drill at the end of a practice. This strategy is meant to help simulate game fatigue. 

Split the team up with one half on one basket and the rest on the other. Inform the players that the score is tied 90-all. 

Have the players line up in a row behind the free throw line. The first player in each line will attempt the first free throw of a 1-and-1. Each made free throw counts as a single point. 

If the player makes the first one, he can attempt the second. If he misses, the next person has to make it. The first team to 100 is the winner. 

A best-two-games-out-of-three setup could be used to determine the winning group. 

Best NBA Free Throw Shooters of All-Time

Stephen Curry (90.9%) and Steve Nash (90.4%) have the highest career free throw shooting percentages in NBA history. Curry and Damian Lillard are the only active players in the top 10. 

Although not one center made the list, Peja Stokakovic is the only forward in league history with a top-10 free throw shooting percentage. The rest are guards.