Title
Free Throw Training Aid
Document Type
Student Presentation
Presentation Date
4-15-2013
Faculty Sponsor
Sarah Haight
Abstract
Many basketball games have been lost by only a few points, where simply making higher percentages of free throws could have changed the outcomes. To address this, our sponsor would like a device designed to improve basketball players’ free throw abilities. To increase free throw performance, the device will 1) reduce the time between successive free throw shots and 2) promote a higher arc on the players’ shots. The device will increase the frequency of attempted free throws by catching and returning the ball to the shooter on both made and missed shots. This will reduce the shooter’s wasted time of retrieving the ball him or herself, which makes for a more efficient practice session. Also, since flat arced shots are associated with being lower percentage shots, the device will incorporate a height adjustable arc-bar that the player must shoot over in order to promote a higher trajectory. The targeted customers are basketball teams that play on a regulation, 10 foot high rim. This results in a wide array of potential customers, including junior high school, high school, collegiate, and professional teams. As such, the device should convey a professional appearance. In designing the device, one person should quickly and easily be able to set up and takedown the device with no tools; it should collapse to fit through a door. It should also be stable enough to not tip over when hit by a basketball. The device is intended for indoor use, so weather concerns are not an issue.