How JP’s mom helped develop elite free-throw shooting form originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
Ask Warriors guard Jordan Poole if he has always been a good free throw shooter, and the “yes” flows from him easily. Just like his pretty shooting form.
“Compliments to my mother,” Poole told NBC Sports Bay Area in the latest episode of the “Dubs Talk” podcast. “She told me at a very, very, young age, how am I missing free throws when there’s no one guarding me?”
His mother, Monet, asked the question with a consequence built in. If Jordan missed any free-throw attempts when he was shooting at home, he’d have to do 10 or 15 push-ups.
“I was very skinny at the time, so obviously, we’re not trying to do many push-ups,” Poole said.
In the 2021-22 championship season for the Warriors, Poole led the NBA with the best free-throw shooting percentage — 92.5 percent — barely edging teammate Steph Curry, who came in second at 92.3 percent.
Curry has been the NBA’s best free-throw shooter four times, but he was delighted to pass the crown to Poole as the youngest player to ever lead the league in free-throw percentage.
Poole told NBC Sports Bay Area he only tinkered once with his routine at the free-throw line, dropping the number of dribbles when he arrived to the NBA. When Poole talks about his free-throw form, he closes his eyes and pantomimes the motion.
“There’s a nail in middle [of the line], go, spin the ball, my right foot touches the nail, even myself out, spin, one dribble, spin, shoot.”
The motion has become like clockwork. Poole does not take the full 10 seconds to fire off a free-throw attempt, unlike Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, one of the more notorious free-throw shooters who owns a 62.7 percent clip from the charity strip this season.
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“He’s way bigger! They have bigger hands,” Poole said, defending Antetokounmpo on the difference between a guard on the free-throw line versus a larger forward. “The way they have to shoot the ball, they have to feel for the ball. He’s really, essentially a big man.
“You need 10 seconds, bro? Take all 10 seconds. Who am I to tell you? They’re free!”
Earlier this month, Antetokounmpo had two free-throw violations in three games. If he ever needs help, maybe Monet can collect more push-ups.
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