Mason's Free Throws

[Kewlswim]

Hi,

In college currently nobody, as far as I know, shoots free-throws ala Rick Barry but Mr. Barry is still alive and says he would like to teach the technique to others. Would it make any sense to have him (or someone else who knows the technique) teach Mason how to shoot free-throws underhanded (what we referred to as kids as Granny-style)?

GO DUKE!

[cbnaylor]

I think Mason has come a long way and has really improved. Give him a little bit of credit. As far as technique, I wonder if Shaq would be free to give lessons with the one hander.

[DevilWearsPrada]

I was in Charlotte, and seeing missed Free throws from everyone was painful! Free Throws used to be almost given!

I have confidence that Free Throws will not be missed from this day on, for the next 2 weeks.

Lets Go Duke!!

[dukelifer]

I noticed but am not sure that Dwight Howard has started to shoot free throws like someone shoots in the portable arcade games- with mostly wrist. Mason should be able to get better. It is interesting that someone taught Hansbrough how to shoot free throws when he was a kid and he generally made more free throws than FGs over his college career. As a result, he was not afraid to get to the line. Big guys who can hit free throws are VERY valuable. All you need to do is find something that works and practice, practice, practice. I cannot understand why big guys don't get this.

[SCMatt33]

I think the most painful thing watching Mason is that his form looks ok (just ok, though) when he's making them. He just has absolutely no consistency. If you ask me, it's mostly mental with him. I have no idea how to fix it, but every time I see him, I feel like it CAN be fixed without something ridiculously drastic.

[Utley]

I think the most painful thing watching Mason is that his form looks ok (just ok, though) when he's making them. He just has absolutely no consistency. If you ask me, it's mostly mental with him. I have no idea how to fix it, but every time I see him, I feel like it CAN be fixed without something ridiculously drastic.

I agree - my sense is that in warm-ups he's pretty good. No stats to back this up but it seems he hits the second if he hits the first, but if he misses the first - eesh.

[ThePublisher]

He changed his stroke a little while back and has done much better since. If memory serves he was shooting 42% during about the first half of the season and has since actually been able to hit BOTH freethrows on a few occations.

He'll get there. And then he'll take his game to the next level. He gets fouled very easily with his size and skills.

[Buckeye Devil]

The team as a whole did not look real great over the weekend.

[Verga3]

This is not the time of year to give any thought to technique and prior results. This is the time of year to see your shot go in....period. Leave Mason alone as he comfortably buries the free throws that bring us another National Championship.

[Newton_14]

In fairness, Mason has improved with his free throws over the last month. He looks more confident and has had a better success rate. He only had the one opportunity in the Michigan game and that was in the first half where as a team we were bad at the line (other than Kyrie). Heck Kyle missed 3 of his first 4 against Michigan. We left soooo many points at the line in that game. But that is another story.

I feel much better about Mason at the line now than mid-year. Hopefully he builds on it and keeps improving.

[El_Diablo]

Maybe he should just take off from the free throw line and dunk it in. It's not a lane violation if the ball goes in before he hits the ground, right?

[OZZIE4DUKE]

Nate addressed this at the Blue Devil Club last month for both Plumlees. Both brothers have improved their motion, or stroke, getting the ball on their finger tips and off their palm, which has helped tremendously. Further improvement will have to be made over the summer when rebuilding the swing, er stroke, can be done over many weeks of instruction and thousands of repetitions.

[House G]

In fairness, Mason has improved with his free throws over the last month. He looks more confident and has had a better success rate. He only had the one opportunity in the Michigan game and that was in the first half where as a team we were bad at the line (other than Kyrie). Heck Kyle missed 3 of his first 4 against Michigan. We left soooo many points at the line in that game. But that is another story.

I feel much better about Mason at the line now than mid-year. Hopefully he builds on it and keeps improving.

I agree that he appears more capable than earlier in the year but I'm not sure he can be on the court if the game is tight at the end for fear of a hack-a-plumlee strategy.

[Newton_14]

Nate addressed this at the Blue Devil Club last month for both Plumlees. Both brothers have improved their motion, or stroke, getting the ball on their finger tips and off their palm, which has helped tremendously. Further improvement will have to be made over the summer when rebuilding the swing, er stroke, can be done over many weeks of instruction and thousands of repetitions.

Good info Oz, thanks for sharing that. Miles has the better stroke of the two brothers and has always shot the ball more efficiently than Mason from the line, as well as the mid-range jumper. Would love to see Miles improve though. I still feel Miles has great potential as a college player, and it just seems he loses focus at times, and lacks confidence at times. I am not sure he realizes how good he could be.

Mason has a bigger upside and at times lately it feels like he is close to "breaking out" and becoming the superstar most believe he can be.

If those 2 guys ever put it all together at the same time and play to that potential, Duke will take the step to "dominant". Especially with all the other talent in the stable this year and next.

[Newton_14]

I agree that he appears more capable than earlier in the year but I'm not sure he can be on the court if the game is tight at the end for fear of a hack-a-plumlee strategy.

Oh I agree with you 100% there. Even with the improvement, K cannot take that chance, especially in the tourney. I noticed on Sunday that Roy took Henson out for the exact same reason late in the Washington game, and Henson has made more improvement at the line than Mason.

K will sub Mason out late if the game is close and likely go offense/defense subsitutions with him.

[Kewlswim]

Hi,

I was thinking of this change (or something) during the summer. For tomorrow and the rest of the season, Mason or any other player should almost assuredly abstain from thinking about any major changes. I figured this was interesting to discuss before getting to tomorrow's game.

GO DUKE!

[Ima Facultiwyfe]

Maybe he should just take off from the free throw line and dunk it in. It's not a lane violation if the ball goes in before he hits the ground, right?

Seriously, can somebody answer this? I've wondered that for a long time.
Love, Ima

[Saratoga2]

I noticed but am not sure that Dwight Howard has started to shoot free throws like someone shoots in the portable arcade games- with mostly wrist. Mason should be able to get better. It is interesting that someone taught Hansbrough how to shoot free throws when he was a kid and he generally made more free throws than FGs over his college career. As a result, he was not afraid to get to the line. Big guys who can hit free throws are VERY valuable. All you need to do is find something that works and practice, practice, practice. I cannot understand why big guys don't get this.

We have a big guy on the team who can hit his free throws. It shouldn't be a mystery. Mason can and should learn to be better at this aspect of his game.

[mgtr]

Seriously, can somebody answer this? I've wondered that for a long time.
Love, Ima

I believe that during the Chamberlain/Russell era, the rule became that you could not cross over the foul stripe until the ball has hit the rim. Even in the air.

[UrinalCake]

I recall a few years back someone suggested to Shaq that he shoot underhanded, and he responded something like "I'd rather shoot a negative percentage than shoot like that." Great line.

The thing about free throws is that you can practice all day and night but it's not the same as being in a game situation, when you only get one or two shots at a time, you're fatigued, and you've got all the psychological pressure. Being able to hit 90 out of 100 doesn't matter when you only get to take two at a time. Certainly your form needs to be developed and muscle memory built up, but I believe free throws to be mostly mental. There's a reason Duke and UNC shoot really poorly when they play each other.

As a side question - is it legal to take a straight up jump shot as your free throw? When I see guys shooting under 50% I often wonder if they'd be better off doing this, as at least it's a motion they're more familiar with.