True Shooting %
A single shooting efficiency number that treats 3s, 2s, and free throws as what they actually produce — points per scoring attempt.
Credit: John Hollinger (popularized); widely used
Why it exists
Field goal percentage has one serious flaw: it treats every made shot as equal. A player who makes half his mid-range twos and a player who makes 38% of his threes both look efficient by raw field goal percentage, but the three-point shooter is generating nearly 1.14 points per attempt while the mid-range shooter is producing exactly 1.00. The made percentage is the same shape; the actual output is not.
True Shooting percentage fixes this by asking a simpler question: of all the points this player could have generated from their scoring attempts — shots and free throws alike — how many did they actually produce? Expressed as a percentage relative to a standard two-point shot, it puts guards who live at the free throw line and big men who score efficiently around the rim on the same scale. It is not a perfect efficiency measure, but it is far more honest than field goal percentage.
Formula
TS% = Points / (2 × (FGA + 0.44 × FTA))
The denominator is the key. Free throw attempts are weighted at 0.44 rather than 0.5 because not every trip to the line involves two free throws — and-ones, technical fouls, and three-shot fouls all affect the relationship between free throw attempts and actual shooting possessions. The 0.44 factor is an empirically derived approximation that converts free throw volume into a rough equivalent of field goal attempts. Dividing points by this adjusted attempt count gives you a rate that can be compared across players with wildly different usage patterns.
Worked example
Take two players. Player A scores 20 points on 15 field goal attempts (8 made) with 4 free throw attempts (3 made). Player B scores 20 points on 12 field goal attempts (7 made) with 10 free throw attempts (9 made). Raw field goal percentage favors Player B (58% vs. 53%). But their True Shooting numbers tell a richer story.
Player A: 20 / (2 × (15 + 0.44 × 4)) = 20 / (2 × 16.76) = 20 / 33.52 ≈ 59.7%
Player B: 20 / (2 × (12 + 0.44 × 10)) = 20 / (2 × 16.4) = 20 / 32.8 ≈ 61.0%
Player B is actually more efficient despite the lower field goal percentage, because getting to the line efficiently is worth something — and the TS% formula captures it.
How to read it
League-average True Shooting percentage typically hovers around 56-58% in any given season. Values above 60% indicate a player who is generating points at an elite rate relative to their attempts, while values below 52% are a drag on any offense that runs significant volume through them.
| TS% | What it typically means |
|---|---|
| Less than 50% | Well below average; a net negative if the player has high volume |
| 50 – 54% | Below average; tolerable only with low usage |
| 54 – 58% | League average range; solid, unspectacular |
| 58 – 63% | Efficient; a real asset on offense |
| More than 63% | Elite; among the best in the league at converting attempts |
Limitations
The 0.44 free throw weighting is an approximation, not a precise constant — it varies slightly by era and by player tendencies (players who draw technical fouls or play styles with many and-one opportunities will see the approximation behave somewhat differently). It is close enough to be useful but not precise enough to distinguish players separated by a fraction of a percentage point.
True Shooting also doesn't account for shot quality or shot creation. A player who creates his own difficult pull-up jumpers at 55% TS% may be doing something harder and more valuable than a spot-up shooter at 58% who only catches and shoots in space. The number captures the outcome, not the degree of difficulty.