Why hasn't the under hand freethrow shot ever caught on?

Because it looks gay

I read a story where...obviously Rick Berry touted it as far more accurate...I forgot the reasons but it's so much softer of a shot so you can miss but if you hit the rim not atrociously - it can bounce in.

But he said...(paraphrasing) that it's an additional skill you have to learn apart from normal shooting and players are:

1) Lazy
2) Think it's going to mess with their shot

quote:

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Because it looks gay

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Malcolm Gladwell did a podcast about it, and basically, that's the answer

lets say shaq learned how to shoot underhand and hit 75% vs his career 52.7% (rick barry's was 90% or so)

He'd move from 28596 points to 31100 points roughly 300 points less than wilt

Its not because it looks gay.

Shaq looked far more gay trying to shoot regular free throws. Being embarrassed is looking gay to NBA players.

Almost like a baseball player they are worried it messes with their shot and more difficult...is a specific skill to master apart from their regular game and most players want to concentrate only on their game and not this weird skill.

It's something they've never done. It's scary and weird and takes time to master. You have to invest in it...NBA players aren't willing to do it.

No one ever forces them to do it. Even Shaq. So it's seen as not accepted.

But coaches allowed Shaq to get hacked and for him to look like a clown at the free throw line. What could have been if he had gotten real FT instruction. Obviously he was a lost cause in the normal method and people joked about him...he should have done Barry/Wilt. That's a failure on his teams.