Worcester Telegram & Gazette (MA)
Copyright 2008 Worcester Telegram & Gazette Corp.
March 31, 2008
Section: SPORTS
Bill Doyle
Modified Form, Consistent Routine, and Increased Concentration are Keys
Paul Pierce improved his free-throw shooting this season because he got tired of hearing that he should be making more of them.
His biggest critic, as usual, was his mom.
"She always talks about my 3-point shot and my free throws," Pierce said. "I got to give it up to her. She always asks about how my 3s are going. I make or miss them, mom."
Pierce is getting to the line a lot less this season with Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen sharing the offensive load, but he's shooting a career-high 84.3 percent. He shot 77.2 percent and 79.6 percent the last two years to dip his career percentage under 80 percent to 79.1.
"In my mind, I knew I was a better free-throw shooter," Pierce said. "I knew it was all about the concentration and doing the same things every time."
Recovering last summer from a stress reaction in his foot and an elbow injury, Pierce couldn't do much except shoot free throws for awhile. So he changed his mechanics by squatting slightly at the foul line with his left leg behind his right leg.
"I'm more consistent with it," Pierce said. "When I went in droughts before, I would change the way I would shoot the free throw, how many number of bounces, how many times I would spin it or how many times I would count. Now I pretty much keep it the same no matter if I'm missing them or making them."
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