Lawson Lines Up Differently At The Line

by Ben Warnick, Assistant Athletics Director

BROCKTON, Mass. ---- When it comes to shooting a free throw, everyone has their own technique, but Massasoit women's basketball player Fredi Lawson takes a much different approach than the usual foul shooter.

Some players will bounce the ball a few times, maybe spin the ball in their hands, even go behind their back. Despite all the different foul shooting routines, a very high percentage do have a few similarities:

1. The shooter wants the ball to go in, obviously.
2. The shot is taken from the middle of the free throw line.

That's where Lawson differs from the norm at the charity stripe. The 5-foot-7 sophomore shoots at the very far left corner if facing the basketball of the foul line for a diagonal angle...a much different location from the typical free throw attempt.

"Diagonal is a better angle for me. I can shoot from anywhere on the free throw line, but the left corner is where I am the most comfortable," Lawson said.

When she was around 15 years old while playing AAU Lawson made the change to the unorthdox location on free throw attempts.

Lawson's current coach at Massasoit, Mark Brathwaite, has never seen such an extreme location for free throws.

"I've seen shooters be off to the side by a foot or be a step back from the line, but nothing like the way Fredi shoots," Brathwaite said. "At first I wasn't so sure about her technique, but when she started mak- ing them I was fine with her different style."