The psychology behind slapping hands after free th

Originally answered on Apr. 19th, 2015This question originally appeared on - the knowledge sharing network where compelling questions are answered by people with unique insights. Caron Butler Jersey You can follow Quora on , , and .More from Quora: by , lifelong Golden Joe Dumars Jersey State Warriors fan:Making free throws in the NBA is more aboutpsychology(confidence, dealing with pre sure, not over-thinking it) andconsistency(muscle memory, routine, repetition) than it is about ability.All NBA players have Ben Wallace Jersey the ability--even horrendous free throw shooters like Shaq and Dwight Howard can shoot free throws at a high Tobias Harris Jersey percentage in practice.Slapping hands after every foul shot helps with both the psychology and the consistency.It subtly signals that your teammates support you no matter the outcome, so there isn't an added social pre sure on top of the pre sure of in- Isiah Thomas Jersey game consequences.It also helps to establish your routine and muscle memory to have your body go through the same motions every time.This is similar to how players have a consistent pre-free-throw ritual (e.g. the Kevin Durant shimmy) Allen Iverson Jersey , or batters in baseball have a pre-pitch ritual.Helping Kentavious Caldwell-Pope Jersey each other off the floor has similar psychological benefits.It builds team camaraderie and helps with morale.You'll notice that players almost never help opposing players off the ground, even if they're friends in real life.One other minor point is thatwhen you get off Grant Long Jersey the floor by yourself, you end up engaging your triceps more, which can affect your shooting.Try shooting 10 free Henry Ellenson Jersey throws, doing a bunch of push-ups, and then shooting 10 more freethrows.You'll notice that your distance Tracy McGrady Jersey calibration is all off on the second set.By contrast, you use your biceps when someone else helps you up, which doesn't really affect your shooting.More from Quora: