Free-Throw Practice That Does Not Transfer to Games
A 14-year-old basketball player makes about 70% of free throws in practice but only 38% in games. In practice the coach gives six technical cues before every shot ('bend knees, elbow in, follow through, flick wrist, aim high, hold it'). The player often stops mid-shot to check her elbow. She practises 30 minutes extra after school, mostly repeating 50 shots from the same spot while the coach corrects each one. In games she rushes, avoids the ball late in close games, and says she can hear people watching her. The team posts a public ranking of free-throw percentages each week. She has good basic technique, no injury, and wants to play at a higher level next season. The coach wants a four-week plan to improve game free-throw shooting without making her more anxious.
1. Explain why her practice percentage is higher than her game percentage, using skill acquisition and attentional concepts.
Read the worked answer
Her practice is blocked and predictable: the same spot, the same distance and repeated shots, with the coach correcting each attempt. That builds a stable movement in a low-pressure setting but does not test the decision-making and variability of a game.
The six verbal cues overload working memory and encourage an internal focus on body parts such as the elbow. Under game pressure she becomes more self-conscious, which increases explicit control of a skill that should be automatic. This is a classic route to choking: attention turns to the audience and to her own technique, and timing deteriorates. The public ranking adds an ego-oriented climate, so mistakes feel like a threat to status. The result is rushing and avoidance rather than a smooth routine.
2. Design a 20-minute free-throw practice session that is more likely to transfer to games.
Read the worked answer
Warm-up (3 min): easy dribbling and 5 close-range shots, no technical cues.
Variable practice (8 min): 2 shots from each of five different spots, including after a sprint and after a miss. Use one external cue only, such as 'shoot over the front rim' or 'hold the follow-through until the ball hits the net'. Give feedback after sets, not after every shot.
Pressure set (6 min): 2 shots with a teammate watching and a consequence, such as the team doing five push-ups if she misses both. Progress to louder distraction only when she is calm.
Routine and review (3 min): practise the same pre-shot routine - bounce, breath, target - and record process goals, not just makes. The reasoning is that variable practice, an external focus and gradual pressure build adaptability and reduce self-focus.
3. Recommend three changes to the coach's behaviour or team structure to reduce anxiety and improve learning climate.
Read the worked answer
- Cut the cues to one external cue per session. Six instructions overload her; one cue such as 'front rim' keeps attention on the target rather than the elbow.
- Make feedback private and process-focused. Replace public ranking with personal bests, effort and routine quality. A mastery climate lowers threat and supports learning.
- Rehearse pressure in small steps. Start with one teammate watching, then a small group, then a game-like consequence. Give her a consistent routine and breathing pause before each shot.
These changes work because they reduce working-memory load, shift attention outward and lower the perceived cost of mistakes, which should improve transfer to games.