34. Underhanded free throws, AKA Granny Style. The angle and arc of the ball’s release/path make it more accurate but it hasn’t caught on because it- you guessed it- looks stupid.
Madhusudhan Venkadesan, who led the work at Yale University, said: “Our mathematical analysis shows that if the thrower is capable of controlling the release angle and speed well, the underarm throw is slightly better for a basketball free throw.”
However, it remains to be seen whether science will prove more persuasive than professional advocates of the underarm style.
The retired NBA player Rick Barry, a pioneer of the underarm free throw, was one of the most effective shooters of all time and when he retired in 1980 his 90% free throw record ranked first in NBA history. But he struggled to convince his teammates due to the inescapable fact that shooting underarm “makes you look like a sissy,” Barry said.
