Free throws continue to determine many basketball games, but the teaching of how to shoot free throws has remained largely the same for decades.

In high school, he was averaging 22 points a game, but he dreaded going to the free throw line. It always crossed my mind that I could hit a 20-foot shot with someone in my face, but miss an uncontested 15-foot foul shot. It wasn’t until I was done playing basketball that I found the answers as to why this was so.

In short, when shooting from the field, I used instinct. But when I went to the free throw line, I thought about technique. You see, my instinct as a player was much better than my technique. And what did I do at the free throw line? I thought of the “correct” technique. In my case, good free-kick technique didn’t match my instinctive shooting style…so I tied on a pretzel down the line and missed a lot of key free-kicks.

My unique story is that I stumbled upon my “instinctive free kick style” the very day after my last NCAA college game. How? Well, although I didn’t get it at the time, it was because that day I wasn’t “trying to get it right” anymore (shoulders squared, knees bent, etc., etc.). And what happened? I relaxed and my instinctive free kick showed for the first time. From that moment I was mortal from the line.

Here’s how to get in touch with your instinctive free kick BEFORE the end of his race:

Tip #1: Watch the game tapes and see what quirks you have in your jump shot. This is immediate advice on how you may need to adjust your free kick.

Tip #2: Find a move that puts you in your comfort zone. Mine was tilted back and to the left. This threw me off balance, but freed up my shooting right hand to do what I used to do… shoot while off balance (I leaned to the left when shooting from the field). When I finally shot this way from the line, it felt like butter.

Tip #3: If you feel really off balance on the line, get your eyes checked by a behavioral optometrist. I had Convergence Insufficiency (CI) which greatly affected my free throw. I had no idea CI was wreaking havoc on my ability to shoot free throws. My lean to the left was my natural compensation for this problem.

Tip #4: When in front of a large crowd, imagine yourself in your most comfortable practice spot. I once thought about being in my backyard and successfully hitting 2 free throws to win a game (unfortunately I forgot to use this visualization again).

Tip #5: Practice instinctive free kick shooting, not correct free kick technique. If you are already a good player, you know how to shoot. The key is to find your ONE MOVE that makes everything else fall into place. You’ll know it when you find it, so FIND IT! Once you find your enabling move, just think about it… and let the shot happen on its own.

Teaching how to shoot free throws instinctively is key to preventing many players from “drowning” on the line. Most shooting coaches and doctors teach technique when the true answer lies at the subconscious or instinctive level of the individual player. Unleash that instinct and the player will thank you and remember for life.