SYDNEY – Australian national U-19 boys coach Damian Cotter is a stickler for making sure every player in his team converts free throws consistently. Whenever any of his players steps to the line, he wants an automatic stroke, something that’s developed from hours of practice through muscle memory. In the gym, he trains his players to take foul shots after an exhausting workout to test their capacity to shoot under physical duress. He puts pressure on a player to hit the free throw because a miss will mean laps for the entire team and nobody likes a goat’s role.
You can’t overemphasize the importance of making free throws. At the 2002 Asian Games in Busan, Olsen Racela missed two free throws which if converted, would’ve sent the Philippines to the basketball finals for a guaranteed silver. The Philippines was up, 68-66, but Racela failed to knock down the foul shots and Lee Sang Min hit a triple at the buzzer to win it for South Korea. Five years later, Jimmy Alapag also missed two free throws with 8.4 seconds left and China on top, 75-74, in the Manila Invitationals. The Philippines led, 74-70, with 2:13 left and didn’t score the rest of the way as China won, 77-74.
Last Saturday, free throws made the difference in FEU’s 83-79 overtime win over La Salle in the UAAP. The Archers could’ve iced it in regulation but Almond Vosotros bungled two free throws down the stretch to open up the window for the Tams to score and force an extension. In all, La Salle missed 13 free throws and lost by four. Jeron Teng flubbed eight of his 11 foul shots.
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At the New South Wales Institute of Sport (NSWIS), Cotter makes mental and physical conditioning a priority before working on developing ball skills on the court. “Get stronger, shoot better†is his motto. He tests the physical capacity of every basketball scholar in NSWIS to determine how much his body can take in terms of endurance and rigorous training. He assigns a sports psychologist to ensure a healthy mental balance which is key to resisting pressure and coping with game stress.
Then, Cotter takes to the court to analyze stroke and technique using two cameras to film a player’s release. NSWIS has a research and technology unit that is able to break down film by frame to show if there are flaws that need to be addressed in shooting free throws. Finally, Cotter has a six-point, three-minute series for every player to do in improving his free throw percentage.
Each of the six drills is for three minutes. In between each drill, a player takes 10 free throws. The entire workout should take no longer than 35 minutes. In every drill, a player must keep score with the free throws added to the total tally.
The first drill is called the three-minute makes where you take as many close-to-the-basket shots, alternating from one side to the other. The rule is you can’t shoot the same shot twice in a row. You can hit a bank shot from the left then shift to the right for another bank shot and continue the sequence for three non-stop minutes. After three minutes, you shoot 10 free throws. If you score 100 points, Cotter says he’ll be satisfied.
The second drill is called the three-minute layups. You start by dribbling from outside the three-point arc and make a layup then rebound, dribble outside to put a foot beyond the three-point arc, make a cross-over through the legs or behind-the-back and take a one-dribble layup. You repeat this sequence for three minutes then take 10 free throws. A good score is 28 points.
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The third drill is called the three-minute pull-ups. You take two hard dribbles away from the basket and unleash a pull-up jumper then rebound and repeat, varying your pivot foot. After three minutes, you take 10 free throws. A good score is 35 points.
The fourth drill is called the three-minute threes. You make as many three-pointers as possible inside three minutes. You must rebound your own shot. After three minutes, you take 10 free throws. A good score is 18 points.
The fifth drill is called the three-minute transition threes. You shoot a three, rebound and dribble to the other end of the court and take another three. You repeat this sequence for three minutes then go to the line for 10 foul shots. A good score is 15 points.
Finally, the sixth drill is called the Boomer Run. By the way, players on the Australian national basketball team are called the Boomers. You run as many lengths of the court as possible within three minutes. A good score is 27 to 32 with one point per length. After three minutes, you take 10 free throws. Cotter says if your total score is at least 250, you’re par for the course.