Basketball's Easiest Shot, The Free Throw, Can Also Be It's Most Vexing

Shooting a free throw seems so easy. The shooter stands at the line, no hand in his face, no one chasing from behind, just him and the basket. Heck, a guy named Fred Newman once hit 88 in row blindfolded. It's far more complicated under the bright lights. There's fatigue, particularly in the closing minutes, that makes muscles weak and concentration poor. Some players have a hard time finding a rhythm, the stagnancy of standing at the line tougher than shooting in the flow of the game. It's not easy shooting when opposing fans are waving and jumping up and down, either, not to mention the pressure of having all eyes on you, particularly with the game on the line.

"Shooting's difficult. It's more difficult than people realize,'' said Bob Fisher, a shooting coach from Centralia, Kan. "Everybody makes the comment, 'These guys should be able to make that shot. They're just standing there and should be able to make that shot.' Well, it's not that easy.''

Just ask Texas. The 15th-ranked Longhorns have been befuddled at the free-throw line all season, particularly over the past month, when they've lost five of eight in a precipitous drop from the top of the polls. Texas shot 10 of 27 from the line in a nine-point loss to Oklahoma, missed 12 in an overtime loss to Baylor and went 9 for 22 in a 71-62 loss to Kansas State. On the season, the Longhorns are shooting 61 percent, 323rd in the nation.

Read More: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/basketball/ncaa/wires/02/18/2060.a...