Let’s talk about pride. Specifically, the kind of pride that makes a 7-foot millionaire professional athlete look at a 52% free-throw average and say, "Yeah, I’m good with that," rather than tucking their ego between their knees and tossing a ball underhanded.
If you’re a recreational bettor, you’ve felt the sting. You’ve got the Over on a star’s points, or a -4.5 spread that’s coming down to the final minute. Then, the "Hack-a-Shaq" (or Hack-a-Giannis, or Hack-a-Gobert) starts. You watch a grown man clank two "bricks" off the back iron because he’s too cool to shoot like Rick Barry.
It’s time we give the "Granny Shot" its due. Because in the world of sports betting, aesthetic is for losers; efficiency is for those of us cashing tickets.
The 90% Legend of the "Miami Greyhound"
Rick Barry wasn't just a Hall of Famer; he was a walking, talking efficiency machine. He retired with a career free-throw percentage of 90.0% (combining the NBA and ABA). To put that in perspective:
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Stephen Curry: ~91% (The modern GOAT)
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Rick Barry: 90% (Using a method that looks like he’s tossing a laundry basket)
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Shaquille O'Neal: 52.7% (Using a method that looks "cool" but costs championships)
Barry didn't start underhanded because he wanted to be different. He did it because his father told him, "Son, they can't make fun of you if you make them." And he did. He led the league in free-throw percentage seven times.
The Science of the "Soft" Ball
Why does the underhand shot work? It’s not magic; it’s physics.
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The Arc: An underhand release naturally creates a higher, softer arc. A ball dropping into the rim at a steeper angle has a much larger "target area" than a flat, line-drive overhand shot.
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The Backspin: The mechanics of the underhand toss create a consistent, heavy backspin. If the ball hits the rim, that spin "deadens" it, causing it to crawl into the hoop rather than boing into the third row.
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The Muscle Memory: Overhand shots involve the wrist, elbow, and shoulder—three points of failure. The underhand shot is a pendulum. It’s simpler, more repeatable, and less prone to "nerves" when the parlay is on the line.
The Betting Angle: Spotting the "Ego Tax"
When you’re handicapping a game, you need to account for the Ego Tax. This is the hidden cost of a team relying on a big man who refuses to adapt.
Imagine a modern "Hack-a-Player" situation. If a team is down by 4 with two minutes left, they are going to put the worst free-throw shooter on the line. If that shooter is hovering around 50%, they are effectively yielding 1.0 point per possession. If they shot like Barry, they’d yield 1.8 points.
Pro Tip: When betting "In-Play" totals or spreads, look at the FT% of the players on the floor in the "clutch." If a team’s primary rim protector is a sub-60% shooter, the "Under" becomes a dangerous bet in the final four minutes because the fouling game will artificially inflate the score—or, conversely, the "Over" dies because they can’t make the freebies.
Real Life: Wilt’s 100-Point Lesson
The ultimate proof? Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game. The "Big Dipper" was a notoriously bad free-throw shooter (51% career). However, during the 1961-62 season, he briefly switched to the underhand "granny" style. In his 100-point game, he went 28-of-32 from the charity stripe. That’s 87.5%.
Wilt later admitted he stopped doing it because he "felt like a sissy." He chose to be a "manly" 50% shooter rather than an "unmanly" 90% shooter. As bettors, we should thank Wilt for the lesson: Pride is the enemy of the payout.
