7 Things I Learned In Pursuit of the 80% Free-Throw Average
Basketball has always been a passion of mine and really only until recently, by soccer, has it ever been rivaled. As I approach ending my 43rd year on this planet and beginning my 44th I have come to grips with the fact that the days are numbered where I will be able to shoot a basketball, or a soccer ball. It’s a sobering thought, and one that has me looking for ways to extend the amount of time I might be able to do those two things.
I am also a University of Kentucky alum and fan. I have been troubled by a couple of things I have seen in college basketball as of late. One is the lack of attention given to shooting mechanics. I can’t believe that some of these kids get D-I scholarships and yet can’t shoot 80% from the free-throw line or hit a 15 foot jump-shot. I have grown weary of Calipari’s poor free-throw shooting teams. Maybe he’ll even read this if I tag him in it.
So, in an effort of showing that it is possible to become a good foul shooter I have devoted 30 minutes a day to shooting 100 free-throws. I actually make it out about four days a week. If I miss less than 30 and hit number 100 then I keep shooting until I miss. At first I realized I was not nearly as good as I remembered. I shot less than 60% the first day. As the days have worn on I have also made some changes and tried to put those into my routine and now I am better than 70%.
Seven things I have learned include:
1. Taking a deep breath and blowing it out before taking the shot helps focus and relax and leads to greater success.
2. Focusing on the rim takes practice.
3. Hand placement and arm position are the two biggest reasons I miss. If they are wrong I tend to assist with my left, non-shooting, hand. That elbow needs to be tucked under the ball.
4. Maybe it’s because I am getting older, but I cannot stay crouched. I need to go down into my stance while I take a deep breath and blow it out, and then shoot. Otherwise I either lose focus or short arm the shot.
5. Arc and rotation really are important if you aren’t dead center every time. Both lead to a soft landing shot that has the chance to go in on the bounce.
6. My free-throw success translates into jump-shot success, but I’m convinced the reverse isn’t true from a mechanics perspective. Working on catching and shooting and dribbling into a jump shot need to be practiced in order to get feet placement and ball placement right, but mechanically I think the free-throw work is where kids need to do the work.
7. Routine is key. Doing the same thing every time creates muscle memory and psychological focus so that when the crowd is going nuts our God-designed and humanly trained biology does the right thing.
A Frustrating Journey
“17 When Pharaoh released the people, God did not lead them by the way to the land of the Philistines, although that was nearby, for God said, “Lest the people change their minds and return to Egypt when they experience war.” 18 So God brought the people around by the way of the desert to the Red Sea, and the Israelites went up from the land of Egypt prepared for battle.” Exodus 13:17-18
Often in this life, and maybe often isn’t the reality but always, we get frustrated by the way…by the journey we are on in this life. God has called us to something great and we know that it is true, but the realization of the promise of God may take a lifetime. Like Simeon and Anna the day Jesus was presented in the Temple as a babe they had waited a lifetime to see the promised Messiah, and so we too must be reminded that God’s ways and God’s days are not like ours.
The shortest distance between two points is a straight line. So, while it may have been more efficient to go to the Promised Land by heading due East it was not the best route to take. God knew that this fledgling nation needed to gain some confidence in God and their leadership before going into battle, and so they took a longer and more physically and emotionally demanding route. In the end we get the story of the parting of the Red Sea and the destruction of Pharaoh once and for all because of this detour. With this in perspective you can imagine why the Israelites were frustrated with the fact that God was leading them to certain death. Here they were pinned against the Red Sea by the Egyptian army when they could have taken the shorter route through the land of the Philistines and been almost home by now. But God’s ways and God’s days are not like ours and in the end from our perspective we see what God saw.
Now if we can just take time to remind ourselves of this truth when we are in the midst of our frustrating journey to our Promised Lands. God fulfills His promises at the right time and in the right way. So, our prayers might need to be more “God prepare me for the journey, ” instead of “God, can you hurry this up?”
O Ye of Little Faith
There are a few times in the Bible where Jesus seems exasperated with those around him. In Matthew 8:26 Jesus seems to be disturbed by the fact that he isn’t getting much rest because the disciples, who are in the same boat, are freaking out over the storm in which they find themselves. I don’t know how many times I have read that and thought, “What is wrong with those guys?”
Often people mistakenly think that ministers, elders, and the spiritually elite are somehow immune to the issues of “little faith.” Often ministers make that mistake in evaluating themselves too. Ministers should be ministers not because of their faith, but because they are obedient to a calling. Which means the only reason I am in ministry is because God chose me and I’m being obedient to that. We may be able to cover our tracks pretty well because we seem to have it together when others are suffering. However, when the suffering becomes our own we stand in just as much need or greater need of increased faith.
Recently, I got to be one of those people I have visited in a hospital waiting room. At first I was ok, but as the hours slipped by I fell deeper and deeper into a state of anxiety almost to the point of tears as I began to anticipate what may become of someone I loved and who I can least afford to lose if I am to survive this life. No amount of prayer or scripture seemed to stem the tide of my unraveling. Outside I think I was holding it together, but inside I was not a picture of faith, trust, or did I look like someone who was fully devoted to Jesus. It was a humbling experience and one that identified once again that I’m just like those guys in the boat.
But here is the good news. I am more like the man in Mark 9:24 than I like to admit, but it is my admission that hopefully leads to Christ’s action on both my part and the part of the one I love. O Ye of Little Faith may be more of a badge of honor in that case than a scarlet letter.