He had to have if not the highest FT percentages in NBA history, then pretty darn close.It never effected his regular shot's as he was a scoring machine. Why haven't we really seen prominent players use this form.? On a side note, as I got older and my knees gave me problems, a buddy of mine and I would kill time shooting Foul shots as a game. We'd each shoot 10 each, rebounding for each other until we got to 100. The both of us always would try the underhand style a couple of times during another set of 100. It was easier for us old farts to get the rebounds from the underhand shots as the backspin always stayed around the rim. Both of us would hit around 85% on the conventional shots and believe it or not close to 90% on the Rick Barry underhand shots. My buddy moved to Florida so I haven't screwed around with this for years,but I tell you what, it was good enough a style for Wilt the Stilt to go to it, as every thing else failed him at the line. We need to try friggin something,lol.
Rick Barry's underhand FT's!!!!!
- Thread starter ruready4somefootball_rivals
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How about instead of practicing a new friggin dunk, they screw around with this at the end of practice???
I agree with this. Whether you shoot them underhanded or bank them in, makes no difference if you shoot a high percentage from the charity stripe. If Myles has an easier time focusing on the box behind the rim, then he should stay with that.
In the late 50's I think several NBA players shot free throws underhanded. I think George Yardley who I think led the league in scoring one year did it also. Wilt shot over 70 % in his early career shooting underhand. I don't know why he switched to overhand later where he struggled to hit 50 %. Maybe a few of our guys should try underhand.With others I think it was in their head. Last year Harper shot pretty well but he was only 4-11 the other night.
Too much pride in today’s game. I just think a lot more practice and attention to them is needed. We win by 20 if they hit fts bc the score would alter how Bryant would of played.
we simply can’t make the jump if this continues I will give them the benefit of the doubt with it being game 1. They should smoke Niagara or I will start getting worried.
we simply can’t make the jump if this continues I will give them the benefit of the doubt with it being game 1. They should smoke Niagara or I will start getting worried.
There is a great podcast called Revisionist History. One of the episodes is called "The big man can't shoot" and it is all about under handed foul shots including how Wilt tried it for one year, improved, and then went back to normal style. Also it has a great interview with Barry (who is a real @ss by the way). Take a listen.
Barry didn't win an ABA title with the Nets. He left before they won in 1974 and 1976 with Dr. J.
Forgot about the Oakland Oaks championship although it was before my time anyway. Recommend “Loose Balls” by Terry Pluto for all the great ABA stories though.
Trying to find the clip where Shaq O'Neil says he'd rather shoot zero than use the under handed " Granny " shot,lol
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I think shooting FTs for a high percentage pretty much comes down to muscle memory regardless of which way you shoot. Just takes practice, lots of it.
I was a big Warriors fan when I lived in Berkeley in the mid-1970s. Yes, Rick Barry was just great shooting fts underhanded, and yes, he was a great jump shooter. Heavens knows that the Warriors would have been even more successful if the three-point shot were then recognized.
Decades ago, the Wall Street Journal ran a long story about the underhanded free throw. The story said it was an example of an approach that clearly worked, but that others would not adopt because it looked weird, or effete, or something. There are, the story said, other examples of this in the business world. B
Barry was not the first to shoot free throws underhanded. When I was a kid, there was a book by Red Auerbach for kids about playing basketball. The book praised the underhanded free throw and its pioneer, Bunny Leavitt, who at the age of 70 could beat anyone at a free throw competition. But again, it looks weird. I don't even see female players use the technique; I guess they want to seem macho too.
Decades ago, the Wall Street Journal ran a long story about the underhanded free throw. The story said it was an example of an approach that clearly worked, but that others would not adopt because it looked weird, or effete, or something. There are, the story said, other examples of this in the business world. B
Barry was not the first to shoot free throws underhanded. When I was a kid, there was a book by Red Auerbach for kids about playing basketball. The book praised the underhanded free throw and its pioneer, Bunny Leavitt, who at the age of 70 could beat anyone at a free throw competition. But again, it looks weird. I don't even see female players use the technique; I guess they want to seem macho too.
He got big man George Johnson of the Warriors to shoot them underhanded also. I don’t remember any other converts that he had.
At the time of his retirement in 1980 his 90 percent free throw percentage ranked first in NBA history.
How is Rick Barry one of the most underrated basketball players in basketball history?
He's in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the College Basketball Hall of Fame. Barry was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in History by the NBA in 1996.
I think thousands of former players would love to be that underrated.
I would agree with you wholeheartedly if you had written that Barry is one of the most underappreciated players by the casual basketball fan.
Underrated? LOL no.
Under appreciated = Underrated. Should probably be ranked even higher than Top 50. LOL
Not sure other than Lebron that has a player has carried teams to championships with the least supporting cast. MJ had Scotty. Magic had Kareem or Kareem had Magic, Worthy, Bird had McHale and Parrish, etc, Frazier and Reed. Maybe Isiah was close.
Name should come up much more than he does. That's underrated even when still one of the all time greats. Not that difficult a concept.
Not sure other than Lebron that has a player has carried teams to championships with the least supporting cast. MJ had Scotty. Magic had Kareem or Kareem had Magic, Worthy, Bird had McHale and Parrish, etc, Frazier and Reed. Maybe Isiah was close.
Name should come up much more than he does. That's underrated even when still one of the all time greats. Not that difficult a concept.
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He was not the sweetest cookie in the bakery but it's not about nice guys or mean guys That man could play.
The 1974-1975 Warriors -- the team that won the championship -- was a very cohesive group and had set rotations that worked very well. Each player knew his role and played within it. Probably the second best player on the team was Jamal (formerly Keith) Wilkes. Cliff Ray as center was an excellent defender. Despite the rap on Barry as a prima donna, he fitted in as well. He was an excellent player and should be more highly regarded than he is.
Totally disagree. Players can be under appreciated by causal fans who don't follow the sport to closely. An underrated Hall of Famer?
Lebron had Dwayne Wade (a 13-time all-star) and Chris Bosh (an 11-time all-star). In Cleveland he had Kyrie (6-time all-star) and Kevin Love (5-time all-star). Those guys aren't chopped liver. Two of them might be HOFers.
It's been almost 40 years since Barry retired (that probably has something to do with why his name doesn't come up more often. I've also heard that he's kind of a dick. Canyon still seems close with his dad, but IIRC Jon, Brent and Drew were/are estranged from him.
Until he died earlier this year John Havlicek's name didn't come up very often. Doesn't mean he's underrated. Not that difficult of a concept.
"Havilcek stole the ball!" -- Johnny Most. Well, actually he didn't (he knocked the ball high in the air), but it had the same result.
Yes, I've heard Barry is not the nicest person around, but he was mostly able to keep it in check while with Golden State in 1974-1975 and 1975-1976. You may recall he was with the Virginia Squires of the ABA, and got out by saying "I don't want my children to grow up with southern accents."
Golden State games were simulcast on radio and TV. It was great listening to Bill King (also the Raiders' announcer) describe the games. He made pro basketball sound better than it was.
Don't forget about Scooter, his eldest son who was part of a Kansas championship team and also made the league. Scooter, Jon, Brent and Drew are the children of Rick Barry's first wife Pam. I heard them say they had little to no relationship with their father who didn't try to have a relationship with them until they were already on their way as players. I've heard them give credit to Pam for teaching them the right way to play. Canyon has a different mother and apparently has had Rick involved his life. Almost everyone agrees that Rick is not the greatest human being but I heard it was a criticism he absorbed and why he made the effort with his youngest child.
I've been advocating this for years now, including to our coaches. As you say you get softer play off & around the rim.
Dolph Schayes shot them underhanded. Close to 90% success rate. Just a great, great hooper. Yes & I believe Yardley did as well.
In Phil Jackson's book "The Last Season" he says that shaq practiced underhand all offseason and was making his free throws at a high clip. Once the season came around he refused to do it because of embarrassment. I probably imagine that Wilt changed because of this too. And we are in 2019 now...
Then I would say that they are pretty dumb. Not sure why anyone would be embarrassed by shooting underhand.
Roselle Park Rick Barry stepped on my chest going for a loose ball at the RAC when Nets played there. Had 2 sets of front row seats 2 directly at mid court where I got stepped on and 2 next to the biggest horses *** SUPERFAN who liked to scream at Jake O'Donnel every minute of every game