Effects of Time Constraints and Goal Setting on Basketball Shooting

In sport, numerous high-pressure situations require athletes to perform motor tasks under temporally constrained circumstances. The present study investigated the effects of time constraints on anxiety, attention, performance, and mechanics of basketball free-throw shooting. Additionally, the potential benefits of goal setting were examined in relation to performance in time-constrained situations. Forty undergraduates (n = 10 elite basketball players, n = 15 experienced, n = 15 inexperienced) attempted free throws in timed, untimed, and goal-oriented conditions. In the timed condition, participants attempted to make as many field goals as possible in 30 s. In the untimed condition, participants attempted the same number of field goals as they did in the timed trial but without a time constraint. In the goal-oriented condition, participants attempted to surpass their highest number of successful field goals while once again under a 30-s time constraint. Participants in the timed condition had the worst field goal percentage (M = 45.20%, SD = 21.96%), while the untimed (M = 55.76%, SD = 21.12%, p < 0.05, d = 0.49) and goal-oriented conditions (M = 55.79%, SD = 22.92%, p < 0.05, d = 0.47) had similar field goal percentages. In addition, joint consistency in the elbow and knee increased during the untimed condition compared to both timed and goal-oriented conditions. Results indicate that a goal-oriented focus may prevent performance declines present in time-constrained situations.

Muscle activation time and free-throw effectiveness in basketball

This study attempts to analyze the relationship between free-throw efficiency and the time of arm muscle activation in players from 3 basketball teams with different levels of experience was investigated. During the experiment each player made 20 free throws during which the activation time of his right and left biceps and triceps brachii muscles were measured with the use of surface electromyography and high-speed cameras. Significant differences in muscle activation time (t) during a free throw were found between the groups of basketball players (p = 0.038) (novices: t = 0.664 ± 0.225 s, intermediate-level players: t = 1.15 ± 0.146 s, experts: t = 1.01 ± 0.388 s). In the right triceps brachii muscle in expert basketball players the coefficient of variation (CV) amounted to 44.60% at 81% efficiency, and in novices to 27.12% at 53% efficiency. The time of arm muscle activation during a free throw and its fluctuations vary along with the training experience of basketball players. In all studied groups of players, the variability of muscle activation time in accurate free throws is greater than in inaccurate free throws. Free-throw speed is irrelevant for free-throw efficiency.

Effect of caffeine ingestion on free-throw performance in college basketball players

Background

It is currently unclear whether pre-exercise caffeine ingestion can improve free-throw shooting performance, a vital skill in basketball. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of caffeine on free-throw shooting performance in college-aged basketball players.

Methods

Twelve males (23.1 ± 1.9 years; 180.1 ± 8.8 cm; 77.1 ± 12.4 kg) and six females (22.0 ± 1.3 years; 169.4 ± 8.9 cm; 67.0 ± 11.1 kg) who competed at the college level ingested 6 mg per kg of body mass of (a) caffeine or (b) maltodextrin (placebo) on two separate occasions in a random order. After 60 min, they performed five sets of a match-simulated basketball protocol comprising six sideline-to-sideline sprints on a standard basketball court followed by two free-throws after each set. The number of successful shots was counted. Heart rate and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) after each sprint set were also recorded.

Results

Caffeine ingestion did not improve overall free-throw success (caffeine = 6.1 ± 1.7 vs. placebo = 5.5 ± 2.0; p = 0.34) compared with placebo across all five sets. There was no change in shooting accuracy across sprint sets in either trial despite significant increases in both heart rate and RPE. Caffeine increased heart rate (p = 0.02) but had no effect on RPE (p = 0.57) across five sets compared with placebo.

Conclusions

Ingestion of 6 mg of caffeine per kg of body mass did not improve basketball free-throw performance. Free-throw performance did not deteriorate with increasing number of sprint sets.