I have never understood why some professional players are terrible at shooting from the foul line. Free throws are behind layups as the second easiest points to score in basketball. No defenders, same distance every time. What people ignore is shooting free throws after a hard basketball workout.
I find that many players will shoot free throws in a casual shoot around, but the key is to shoot free throws every now and then during a proper workout session, when you are playing at a high intensity. If you’re not puffing and sweating, your percentage should be fine. Physical and mental fatigue make things a whole lot harder. Unless you get fouled just as you’re coming off the bench and your team is in the bonus, there’s no way you’ll be shooting free throws without being tired.
The easy solution is to shoot two free throws in between each workout that you do. Working hard at a shooting workout for 5 mins? Shoot two free throws afterwards. Defensive workout for 2 mins? Shoot two free throws afterwards. Two is the ideal number because that’s what you’ll shoot 95% of the time in a game.
Some comments on technique:
The usual shooting form basics apply to free throw shooting. The only other thing to think about is your routine. Your brain recognises something that you’ve done thousands of times before, so the more similar it is each time the better. This is what’s known as muscle memory. With repetition we can ensure our movements are consistent, which creates consistent shots. Let your brain have the easiest time remembering the process by doing the same routine. Mine is very simple: two bounces, quick look at the ring, shoot. I personally like looking at the ring for less than a second before I shoot, since I find that I ‘overthink’ things if I stare at it. Others like to stare at it from the moment the ball is handed to them. Find out what works for you!