Nothing but net - physics of BK free throws

I still maintain that if Physics were taught to me with examples from sports rather than space travel and planets, I would have been infinitely more interested. Billions and billions of times more motivated to learn. Probably would have gotten an A rather than the C or D it seems like I struggled to get.

Lesson learned, seek and ye shall find. The Internet helps of course.

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Study: Nothing but net - physics of basketball free throws 08-November-2009 | Sport IQ | North Carolina State University | Link Two North Carolina State University engineers have figured out the best way to shoot a free throw. Here are their recommendations to improve free-throw shooting: 1. Back spin: the ball should make three complete backspinning revolutions before reaching the hoop. Back spin deadens the ball when it bounces off the rim or backboard, giving the ball a better chance of settling through the net. 2. Where to aim: Aim for the back of the rim, leaving about 2 inches between the ball and the back of the rim. Aiming for the center of the basket decreases the probabilities of a successful shot by almost 3%. 3. High arc: Launch the ball at 52 degrees to the horizontal. At the highest point in its arc to the basket, the ball should be less than 2 inches below the top of the backboard. 4. High release: Release the ball as high above the ground as possible, without adversely affecting the consistency of the shot; release the ball so it follows the imaginary line joining the player and the basket; and release the ball with a smooth body motion to get a consistent release speed.