Fred Bowen's "The Score" column,
April 27, 2001, Washington Post

An Underhanded Approach to Free Throws

Free throw percentages in professional basketball are like the grades you get in school. If a pro hits 90 percent of his or her free throws (also called foul shots), that is excellent -- an A. If a pro hits 80 percent, that's still very good -- a B. Around 70 percent is average -- a C.

Shaquille O'Neal, the all-star center of the Los Angeles Lakers and Most Valuable Player of the National Basketball Association, makes only about 50 percent of his free throws. That is a big, red F.

At more than 7 feet tall and 300-plus pounds, Shaq is the most unstoppable player on the planet. He can score with players draped all over him, rebound with the best of them, and is a terrific passer for a big man. Shaq has a big Superman "S" tattooed on his forearm and sometimes it really seems that he is the Man of Steel.

But put him on the free throw line, just 15 feet from the basket with nobody guarding him, and Shaq is no better than your average middle school hoopster.

Maybe worse.

It's not that Shaq isn't trying. Everybody says that Shaq works very hard at his free throw shooting. He has probably shot tens of thousands of practice free throws during his NBA career. And he still makes only 50 percent.

Shaq hasn't tried one thing (at least not in games) that might just help him with his free throw shooting. Maybe, just maybe, Shaq should try shooting free throws . . . underhand.

That's right, underhand. He should dip at the knees, and then lift the ball from about waist-high and lob it toward the basket. It may look crazy, but believe it or not, one of the greatest free throw shooters in the history of the NBA shot free throws underhand.

Rick Barry was an eight-time NBA all-star for the Golden State Warriors. He played pro ball from 1965 to 1979. During all those years, Barry shot his free throws underhand and hit 90 percent of them.

So maybe Shaq should give the underhand shot a try. Sure he might look a little silly: a big strong Superman kind of guy shooting free throws like a little kid. But it isn't how your shot looks that counts, it is whether the shot goes in. And if Shaq and the Lakers are going to beat out the San Antonio Spurs, Sacramento Kings and Philadelphia 76ers for the NBA title again this year, more of Shaq's free throws are going to have to go in.

FRED BOWEN is the author of sports novels for kids. His novel "On the Line" is about a junior high student who experiments with underhanded free throws.

© 2001 The Washington Post Company