No excuse for missing so many free throws

[Sweetest OU Girl]

All it takes is the right kind of practice. The girls have been horrible at it all year.

To put a quick stop to it, you set aside the last 10 minutes of practice - EVERY DAY - for free throw work. Each player is required to hit a set number of free throws consecutively before they can go to the locker room and dinner.

Start at 10 straight, then a week later it goes to 15, the following week it is 20, from then on 25. It does two things:
1. Forces significant practice.
2. Creates lots of pressure. On the last 4 or 5 you feel desperate to not miss. Great practice for game time pressure.

I learned that from a well known golfer. Many of them work on putting that way. I eventually required 100 straight 5 foot putts from myself - or total darkness. After doing that a few days, I became absolutely perfect at anything under 10 feet on the course. It was weird - those 10 foot putts became totally automatic - but I had been told it would work that way - and it did. It simply takes enormous discipline.

 

[MisterF]

I hope coach reads this. She probably never has the girls work on FT under pressure at practice!:facepalm:facepalm:facepalm:facepalm haha just giving you a hard time. I bet they do those type drills often. Hopefully this FT thing will improve.

 

[BigT14]

My high school coach would make us stand on the baseline at the end of practice and run a down and back eveytime someone missed. We had to do this till everyone made a free throw. This was jv and varsity so were talking 20 girls.

 

[SoonerinNC]

I'm sure that after reading this Sherri will have the ladies start working on free shots.

Some would have the team in punishment mode all of the time.

I think fatigue had something to do with it. Campbell-Olds played 40 minutes. Gabbi 41. Maddie hardly at all but in some foul trouble. Who wasn't. Gabbi definitely needed more rest with the pressure they had on her most of the game.

 

[womenssports]

The thing is this was not their worst free-throw shooting game. Shot 33 percent in the game against USF. I don't know enough to know what the problem is but am wondering if they need a specialist to come in and look at each players free throws, on film and in practice, and then work with them individually. We know Sharane has been a great free throw shooter in the past. So does she need to regain the form? the concentration? the confidence? the same for all the players.

We also appear to foul a lot more than we are fouled, at least against tough competition....we need to learn how to draw fouls and to stop making so many.

I wouldn't want them in punishment mode. I am more a let's figure out what is wrong, what's going on with each individual. I would expect them to respond to something besides punishment. They are young adults and I do not like using punishment, nor reinforcing that method of behavior and response. Hopefully, it will get better. Have to believe the free throw shooting will.

Illinois is going to be another tough match-up tonight. Let's hope they pull this one and in a clean, efficient manner.

 

[Sweetest OU Girl]

Some would have the team in punishment mode all of the time.

It is not punishment to work hard at something that is hurting your chances to excel. Very few coaches - including Sherri - baby their players. However it is clear that whatever method is being used to improve FT shooting is not working at this point.

When I used this method to improve both my FT shooting and my putting I NEVER considered it punishment. Once I saw how effective it was I looked forward to it. It admittedly takes significant self-discipline - and most of all it requires a serious desire to improve.

Great FT shooters are often made - not born. How many of you saw the Guinness Record holder in consecutive free throws at the all college tournament a few years ago? He was amazing.

 

[gwydion]

They lost games last year due to free throw shooting. And it's going to happen again this year, especially in conference. It seems to me it's not a priority with Sherry cause they don't get better.

 

[SoonerNorm]

They lost games last year due to free throw shooting. And it's going to happen again this year, especially in conference. It seems to me it's not a priority with Sherry cause they don't get better.

Same with turnovers.

 

[sybarite]

People. Think a bit before conjecture. I think it is very likely that Sherri doesn't like turnovers or missing free throws. You work with the mental aspects of the players that you have. She pulled Gioya last night for turnovers. She would have pulled Gabi, but Gabi is the future.

 

[gwydion]

I have no doubt Sherri doesn't like the missed free throws, but that is correctable. So either our girls are just bad at it and can't improve or Sherri and staff does nothing to see that they do improve.

 

[badger]

It amazes me how a team fairly good at threes can be bad at free throws. I get that there's an expectation to make about a third of threes and about 100 percent of frees, but shouldn't uncontested closer shots go in a bit easier?

But, on the other hand, we shoot a lot because we get fouled a lot. There is value in that whether we make the shots or not...I guess???

 

[sybarite]

When I watch really good free throw shooters like Plum, there is a confidence or certainty about their motion. They have the stroke.

I think Sharane and Morgan had it, and lost it. Sharane now looks a little uncertain. Treece actually looks more assured than anyone else, like she just expects it to go in.

I am most surprised at Gabbi. I would never have thought an established point guard would be so inept. Her stroke is uncertain, and she bricks a free throw worse than Courtney at this time. But, she is making some mistakes right now. She was throwing the ball all over the court to the opposition. Then, she cleaned up her act a lot against the pressure of Illinois, which was known for defense. I expect her to learn to shoot free throws.

Vivi looked bad. Then, she made four of seven to help us win a game. Until then, she was something like 0 for 7.

The actual numbers:
Edwards 100% 4-4
Treece 85.7% 6-7
Nicole 72.7% 8-11
Sharane 64.7% 22-34
Kaylon 60% 12-20
Peyton 58.8% 10-17
Carter 50% 5-10
Maddie 40% 2-5
Derica 33.3% 1-3
Vionese 26.7% 4-15
LaNesia 25.0% 1-4
Whitney 0.0% 0-0
Gabbi 00.0% 0-7

We had our Illinois win based on a 26.7% free throw shooter hitting four of seven in OT. Well, one was in regulation.