Home › Sports › Basketball Shooting % Calculator
Basketball Shooting Percentage Calculator
Shooting percentage is makes divided by attempts — but the headline numbers hide a lot. Effective field goal percentage (eFG%) credits threes, and true shooting percentage (TS%) folds in free throws, so they tell you more about scoring efficiency than raw FG% alone. Enter your makes and attempts, or work out how many shots in a row you need to hit a target.
NBA league averages are roughly FG 47%, 3P 36%, FT 78% — use them as a yardstick, not a verdict.
Percentages are rounded to one decimal place, the standard in box scores. eFG% and TS% are estimates of scoring efficiency, not official league statistics for an individual game — they assume every field goal attempt is worth either 2 or 3 points and use the standard 0.44 free-throw possession factor.
How it works
Field goal % = field goals made ÷ field goal attempts × 100. Three-point % and free throw % work the same way on their own makes and attempts. Effective FG% adjusts for the extra point on threes: eFG% = (field goals made + 0.5 × threes made) ÷ field goal attempts × 100. True shooting % measures points per scoring attempt: TS% = points ÷ (2 × (field goal attempts + 0.44 × free throw attempts)) × 100 — the 0.44 factor estimates how many free throw trips end a possession. Shots to reach a target: if you have made M of A and want T%, the consecutive makes needed are (T × A − M) ÷ (1 − T), rounded up. Worked example 1: 8 of 20 from the field = 8 ÷ 20 = 40.0%; 3 of 8 from three = 37.5%; 6 of 8 at the line = 75.0%. Worked example 2: those numbers score 2 × (8 − 3) + 3 × 3 + 6 = 25 points, eFG% = (8 + 0.5 × 3) ÷ 20 = 47.5%, TS% = 25 ÷ (2 × (20 + 0.44 × 8)) = 25 ÷ 47.04 = 53.1%. Worked example 3: at 40 of 100 (40.0%), reaching 50% takes (0.50 × 100 − 40) ÷ 0.50 = 20 consecutive makes. Worked example 4: at 40 of 100, you can miss 0 in a row and stay at or above 50% — you are already below it.
Frequently asked questions
How is basketball shooting percentage calculated?
Makes divided by attempts, times 100. If you make 8 of 20 shots, your field goal percentage is 8 ÷ 20 = 40.0%. The same formula gives three-point percentage (threes made ÷ threes attempted) and free throw percentage (free throws made ÷ free throws attempted). Box scores round to one decimal place.
What is effective field goal percentage (eFG%)?
eFG% credits three-pointers for being worth more: (field goals made + 0.5 × threes made) ÷ field goal attempts. A player who shoots 8 of 20 with 3 threes has an eFG% of 47.5%, not 40% — because those 3 threes produced 9 points, as much as 4.5 two-pointers. It is the fairest single number for comparing shooters who take different mixes of twos and threes.
What is true shooting percentage (TS%)?
TS% measures points per scoring attempt, including free throws: points ÷ (2 × (field goal attempts + 0.44 × free throw attempts)). The 0.44 factor estimates the share of free throw trips that end a possession (and-ones and technicals do not). A TS% above 60% is elite in the NBA; the league average sits near 58%.
What is a good shooting percentage in basketball?
In the NBA, league averages are roughly 47% from the field, 36% from three and 78% at the line. A good high-school shooter is around 40% from the field and 30% from three; college players run a little higher. For free throws, 70% is solid at any level and 80%+ is strong. Judge yourself against your own past numbers first — percentages over a handful of shots swing wildly.
How many shots in a row do I need to raise my percentage?
It depends on how far below the target you are and how many shots you have already taken. From 40 of 100 (40%), reaching 50% takes 20 consecutive makes; from 400 of 1,000 (also 40%), it takes 200 — the bigger your sample, the harder a percentage is to move. That is why early-season percentages are noisy and late-season ones are stable.