Free throw technical analysis and its relationship with success in Under-12 basketball players

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the free throw technique and successful free throw technique both prior to ball release and at ball release moments in under-12 basketball, using a court-applied test. The participants were 102 players from eight male under-12 officially federated basketball teams. We used a point/ideographic/multidimensional observational design to analyse the recordings of 612 free throws. The test consisted of performing one, two or three free throws. One participant performed the free throws and the other passed the ball to him. The roles were exchanged until the two participants performed all the free throw options. As a result, the participants did not execute the free throw using the technique proposed by the literature. This difference was because jumping free throws shoots, with low style, feet at the same distance, and moderate forward displacement of the centre of mass predominated. The free throw technique was in general more regular than that of the successful free throws. Players used an unregulated technique, without meeting the criteria that activate success in the free throw. This technique resulted attempting successful free throws at 4 m from the basket, which is 2.60 m high, with a 485-g ball. Taking into account the characteristics of the participants of the present work in terms of age, strength, maturity, height, weight, and body mass index, coaches and the competition managers should assess what should be improved in under-12 basketball to allow players to increase free throw success.