So CooL SoCooL Rick Barry Teaches Free Throws 2005

[SAMRAM29]

Too bad no one wants to try the underhand technique these days. Another shot that needs to be taught is Kareem Addul Jabbar's "Sky Hook."

[poshko41]

The master. There is no excuse for not at least giving this method a try.

[socoolbob]

@poshko41 Turns out there are LOTS of "Excuses"

[ELrabadi]

What's rick's Facebook name I can't find him/ what team did he cheer for growing up?

[socoolbob]

@ELrabadi

Search for Rick Barry on Facebook ... Pick the one with his picture.

[ELrabadi]

Did ricks son shoot like that in the nba

[socoolbob]

@ELrabadi

None of Rick Barry's sons shot like that in the pros.

I believe Brent shot like that in College and then switched.

People looking for yet another reason NOT to shoot the shot

this way say that he quit because he could shoot better the other way.

Brent Barry does have a Facebook

So does Rick ... although, as yet, he and I are not Facebook Friends

[Kbaca]

@socoolbob Brent definitely shot his FTs underhand at Oregon State. I used to go to the games and I thought it was cool that he was not afraid to do things differently. When he switched styles, I was actually kind of disappointed. 

[ELrabadi]

Does my whole palm have to be on it

[socoolbob]

@ELrabadi You are wise to ASK

I would describe the answer as Yes considering that the palm of the hand

is the center. I have also had a habit of saying that this shot will teach itself as you practice over and over.

You are right to notice that Rick's hand is "over the top: of the basketball ... that his follow through "appears" unusual because the hands stay in that position.

He also emphasizes "relaxing' or what I call feeling it like a shot and he emphasizes the follow through.

[socoolbob]

@ELrabadi

Teaching the shot, especially to new folks, I like to emphasize the A to B position.

You always start in the same place and the total athletic nature of "the move" is from Position A to Position B.

As you practice the shot it becomes automatic because it's the only shot you shoot this way and it's always from the same place to the same place.

Practice, Practice, Practice is the ONLY thing required to perfect this shot.

[deanw0rmer]

Shaq could have been the greatest of all time if he wasn't so damn lazy.

[Civsuccess2]

LOL...If Shaq really cares about his team, he would be in shape every season.

Well, looks at his weight now.

[dtippy]

i miss rick on knbr

[highnrising]

This is great!

Not only did it work for Barry, but that free throw motion is something that has made him world famous for all these decades among people who aren't necessarily huge basketball fans.

[baronvg]

This was an absolutely fascinating video. Thanks for uploading it.

[bailinnumberguy]

Most players won't shoot underhanded because it looks goofy, but watching Barry, it seems to be a superior, more repeatable, natural motion...

[BostonSportsGuy567]

wow this comment and the 2 comments after are all fake. perfect punctuation? generic names? come on Bob your better than that.

[socoolbob]

NOT TRUE ...

SWISH !!!

[jet0l19]

is that black guy the guy from air bud

[socoolbob]

"black guy" I think you mean is Clifford Ray

Do a google search and you will find Clifford was the center on the Championship Warriors Team with Rick. He also has an EXCELLENT reputation as BIG MAN Coach .. Rick Likes Him A LOT !!!

Clifford is a very cool guy !!!

[jet0l19]

ah ok, yea i have seen him on the celtics bench during the playoffs now that you mention it. I was mistaking him for actor Bill Cobbs, plays Arthur Chaney in Air Bud, they look very similar in the face.

[RICK24BARRY]

chicago bulls 1971... great underrated player... hello there rick barry

[RICK24BARRY]

i meant to say rick barry fan channel

[Koolv32]

Shaq has done ok. For me I think about the 2000 western Shaq on purpose and he kept making them.

[Koolv32]

Rick has a huge ego

[socoolbob]

Which can be a HUGE Good Thing ô¿~

[syecapsys]

I agree 100% with Rick.

What's funny is that if Shaq shot his free throws under handed and became successful doing it, it would've made him more loved and more money. He has a fun personality and this would've added to his allure with the people and would've made him even more marketable.

Now instead being talked about for being a good under handed free throw shooter, Shaqs is known as one of the worst free throw shooters ever, he let his team down when the game is and was on the line.

[itsareligionofpeace]

But, Rick Barry is the only NBA player since the 1960s to shoot underhanded.

I believe RIck Barry got one center on his Golden State warrior team to do the underhand free throw, that's it.

No one else, ever has done it and no one is going to be a breakthrough fall back to a 1940s White style of basketball.

I don't think Shaq would ever be 70 percent using underhand.

If he was trained since high school to shoot FT this way, sure.

He's too old to change.

[socoolbob]

That NOBODY has ever even tried it is what is so INCREDIBLE to ME. If you tried I believe in a short period of time YOU would be shooting 80 percent.

It's the SIMPLEST MOVE on the PLANET

Hands from position A to position B

George Johnson at one time a 40 percent free throw shooter one year he made 80+ percent underhand.

NOBODY else t has ever TRIED IT.

Shaq COULD BE 75 Percent !!!

Don't need a lot of "training" to learn to lift your arms from A to B.

He's too something to change!!!

[itsareligionofpeace]

Yes, George Johnson was the other player I remember who tried it. I tried some underhand free throws when I was 5'ft 2 - I wasn't much good, but perhaps I didn't have the right technique, training.

Plus, I'm a good free throw shooter > 70 percent.

For guards, people below 6'4 regular freethrows are ok, more like regular shots. Giants like Wilt and Shaq can't hit free throws, Yes, this underhand style would work better 4them, they aren't going to try anything new once they are pros.

[deanw0rmer]

Barry tells it like it is lol. A lot of people dont like that especially in the NBA.

[JVas93311]

lol

[krazygreen]

Spurs Hacked a Shaq all day and look how that ended up. If that fat, lazy, overrated, underacheiving bum would train for once in his career, he might actually accomplish much more in his career then he currently has. His FT shooting and surgery on company time and backstabbing has gotten old

[cryogenics66]

lol but he's still a champion, what u got. He has four rings. Some people are stupid. Rick Barry has one. Taking Kobe a long time to win that fourth ring though... Some people give nobody credit for doing it their own way. Anyway, he's lazy champion lol and still a top center in the league even now.

[JTriumf]

4 championships, a season MVP award, 3 Finals MVP awards, multiple all-star appearances, multiple all-NBA first team selections, Olympic gold...yeah, he's definitely a fat, lazy, overrated, underachieving bum somehow.

[5p3nc3]

Its is a really gd way of hitting a high percentage shot. youve just gotta establish a set rhythm to your shot that you do every time you shoot, just like Rick said. Personally i look at the floor, bounce it 3 times to my right side, bend my knees, then look at the rim and shoot as i straighten my legs. i didnt use to have a routine. now i do ive found my free throw % has risen, from around 40% to 80%...another big factor is confidence!

[mcgiver02]

GREAT tutorial for young players

[rob2011r]

Highest Free Throw Percentage: 95.81% by Calvin Murphy, 1980-81 (206 made in 215 attempts). Take that Rick lol

[mugupo10]

95% for 1 season is nothing for rick he average 90% life time and some were 97% a jazz player has 99 % free thrown.

[mkballer]

It is a great way to shoot, but I could never see Shaq doing this. Simply because of his street cred. I mean you must admit it doesn't really look 'cool' to shoot like that. He would get a lot of laughs at him.

[socoolbob]

That's funny. I was sure it looked SoCooL ... Dot Com, of course ô¿~

[RSXSmoke]

shaq dont have street cred, buddy

[SolidSnakeRules]

I don't have any sort of routine and I shoot at least 80%. by the way I am 6'2" and 16 years old.

[socoolbob]

Establishing a successful routine is critical for all good shooters. I think the most important thing most of the basketball world ignores is, for me, that making a free throw underhand is SO EASY. Most people who make pronouncements on it have never tried to shoot the shot, with ANY consistency, and, it would appear, never will. Today, I shot free throws for the first time in at least three months. I have not forgotten how to lift my arms. I made ten out of ten or better four separate times.

[axemexa1]

And how did you make better than ten out of ten?

[socoolbob]

Practice ô¿~

[blacksabfan]

So true when he talks about having a routine. Mine was lining myself up with my right foot to the pin and dribbling the ball four times and then shooting. Worked for me, and I think that's the most important thing he talks about in the video.

[socoolbob]

A part of his career occurred before 3 pointers.

Rick was and is a fine outside shooter "overhand" although he definitely "could" shoot "underhand" from a variety of positions and distances.

[peprika129]

did he shoot like 3 pointers like that?

[krazygreen]

lol@little cock at 7:40 mark.

[CwalkingSUCKS]

im 15 and i get about 8 or 9 shots in out of 10 but to be onest, mostly i get 6 or 7 out of 10. atleast im better then shaq :D

[socoolbob]

You're Welcome ... Thanks for saying so !!!

[byu1984]

These vids are great thanks for putting them up socoolbob

[socoolbob]

Great Question! One description of proper shooting technique includes "The complete inner surface of the hands should be in contact with the ball." positioning the ball on the fingertips before the execution of the shot positions it "too far" up the hand, positioningg the ball in the palm of the hand is "too low" on the hand. A position in between is the proper position. The ball rolling off the fingertips is how one develops the proper "feel" for the shot. Consult with the Masters!

[yvjohns]

Oh I see, that makes sense indeed. Thanks for the quick and enlightening response!

[yvjohns]

A question for the specialists:

What is Rick referring to when he comments on Shaqs free throw shooting: "first of all he gets it up in his fingertips, which is the worst thing you can do" (1:25) Presumably my English is not good enough to understand what exactly he means with "gets it up", since as far as I understand it the ball should be on the fingertips and not on the palm while shooting, so he must be referring to something else I guess?

Thanks in advance for any comments.