3 Ways to Shoot more Foul Shots
When I was growing up I was very much a ball hog and it still bothers me today. I wasn’t a very well rounded player but I could shoot and score the ball pretty easily. One of the things I was very good at was getting my man in foul trouble and getting to the foul line. As I got older and became a point guard my mentality as a player changed but the ability to get to the foul line never left me. Here’s a couple points that can be used immediately to get you to the line more often.
1. Be Multidimensional. If you are a one dimensional player it makes it that much easier to guard you. I could shoot so a man had to guard me close. When he guarded me close I could go by him.
2. Learn to initiate contact. Dwyane Wade is amazing at this. I know he is a pro but when he drives he actually creates the contact with the defensive player. He is able to see when the defender is out of position and take advantage of it. This isn’t saying to jump into a guy all the time. Good players understand positioning and if you are driving and have a player on your hip then he has to try to do something to get in a better spot. Once he makes an aggressive defensive move then go right into him and get the foul call. If you are driving on the defender, stop quickly and pump fake. Once he jumps in the air go right into him and get the foul call. One thing that smaller players are better at than bigger players is avoiding getting their shots blocked. You rarely see Chris Paul get blocked but you always see him at the line. When CP3 drives to the hoop he is great at jumping into the shot blockers chest to take away his momentum and create space for the shot. Scottie Reynolds did it in the Elite 8 to beat Pitt. He drove the length of the court and jumped right into the chest of the defense and it created space for himself to get the shot off. Could they have called a foul? Sure, but no ref is going to call that with 2 seconds left. You can learn a lot watching the little guys when they drive.
3. JUMP STOP: I’ve said this a thousand times but learn to jump stop when you drive to or around the basket. When you jump stop you gain control of your body and you are able to take the ball up strong. Players that take the ball up strong get the benefit when it comes to foul calls. If you drive to the hoop and jump off one leg and flip the ball at the basket you won’t get calls. If you drive, jump stop, collect yourself and go up strong you will get fouled and it will get called.
Try these and let me know how they work out for you.
