How It Works
Our engine processes your inputs using verified datasets and logic models to provide real-time results.
Efficiency Tips
Ensure data accuracy for the most reliable interpretation.
Compare results across different scenarios to find the optimal path.
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Using standardized tools reduces manual error by up to 95% in complex calculations.
Related Expert Tools
More precision tools in the same niche.
Game Score Calculator
The Game Score Calculator works out John Hollinger's single-game basketball performance rating from a full box score: points, field goals, free throws, rebounds, steals, assists, blocks, fouls, and turnovers. It supports a full stat-by-stat breakdown showing exactly how much each category added or subtracted from the final score. Use it to rate a single game's performance at a glance or compare it against historic single-game outputs.
Free Throw Calculator
The Free Throw Calculator works out free throw percentage (FT%) from makes and attempts, calculates the probability of hitting a streak of consecutive free throws, and estimates expected makes per 10 attempts. It also compares your FT% against NBA tier benchmarks from Elite (90%+) to Poor (below 60%). Use it to figure out whether your free throw shooting is where it needs to be relative to your level of play.
Points Per Game Calculator
The Points Per Game (PPG) Calculator works out a player's scoring average from total points and games played, then projects the total points that rate would produce over an 82-game NBA season or a 30-game college season. It also compares your PPG against NBA all-time single-season scoring leaders so you can figure out where your rate sits in historical context. Use it to track personal scoring trends, set season targets, or compare players across different numbers of games.
What Is the Basketball Shooting Calculator?
The Basketball Shooting Calculator helps players, coaches, and analysts work out shooting efficiency across four metrics: field goal percentage (FG%), three-point percentage (3P%), effective field goal percentage (eFG%), and true shooting percentage (TS%). Each metric tells a different part of the offensive story, and using all four together helps you build up a far more complete picture of a shooter's output than any single number alone. According to the NBA official statistics glossary, true shooting percentage is the most comprehensive single efficiency measure because it accounts for the added value of three-pointers and free throws, two dimensions that FG% ignores entirely.
Given that basketball has evolved toward three-point-heavy offences, traditional FG% has become increasingly misleading as a standalone measure. A player who shoots 42% on a heavy diet of corner threes is generating more value per possession than one shooting 48% on mid-range twos, yet raw FG% ranks the mid-range shooter higher. In line with the shift to analytics-driven basketball, eFG% and TS% have become the standard measures for evaluating shooting quality in both amateur and professional settings. Carry out the full calculation to figure out where your own shooting stands relative to NBA benchmarks.
Shooting efficiency in basketball is measured by several interconnected statistics. A basketball shooting calculator lets you work out field goal percentage (FG%), three-point percentage (3P%), two-point percentage (2P%), effective field goal percentage (eFG%), and True Shooting percentage (TS%) from a single set of game stats.
Each metric answers a different question about shooting value. FG% counts all field goals equally. eFG% weights three-pointers higher because they are worth more. TS% accounts for free throws too, making it the most comprehensive single shooting efficiency metric available. Advanced analytics platforms like Basketball Reference define all of these metrics consistently.
Shooting Metric Formulas
| Metric | Formula | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| FG% | FGM / FGA | Raw field goal accuracy |
| 2P% | (FGM-3PM) / (FGA-3PA) | Inside/mid-range accuracy |
| 3P% | 3PM / 3PA | Three-point accuracy |
| FT% | FTM / FTA | Free throw accuracy |
| eFG% | (FGM + 0.5 × 3PM) / FGA | FG% adjusted for 3-point value |
| TS% | PTS / (2 × (FGA + 0.44 × FTA)) | Scoring efficiency (all shots) |
Given that three-pointers are worth 50% more than two-pointers, a player shooting 35% from three (eFG = 0.525 equivalent) is more efficient than one shooting 50% on two-point shots (eFG = 0.50). With that in mind, eFG% is the minimum level of analysis needed to fairly compare shooting styles.
Why True Shooting Percentage Matters
True Shooting percentage (TS%) builds up a complete picture by including free throws in the efficiency calculation. The 0.44 factor for free throw attempts accounts for the fact that many free throw trips come in pairs (one trip = 1.88 shot equivalents on average, per research from PLOS ONE basketball research). A player who gets to the free throw line frequently and shoots 80% from there is more efficient than their FG% alone suggests.
On top of that, TS% above 58% is generally considered efficient for an NBA scorer. All-time great single-season TS% performances exceed 65%. As a result, TS% is the best single number to narrow down shooting efficiency when comparing players across different shot diets.
Use our Free Throw Calculator for detailed FT% analysis, and the Points Per Game Calculator to work out scoring volume alongside efficiency. The NBA stats leaders page provides real-time eFG% and TS% rankings for current players.
How Shot Selection Affects These Metrics
A player who scores 20 points on 12/20 FG (60% FG%, 4 threes, no free throws) has: eFG = (12 + 0.5×4)/20 = 70%. That is an elite efficiency. That said, many volume scorers sacrifice efficiency for shot creation. To carry out fair evaluation, always consider both volume (total points) and efficiency (TS% or eFG%) together. A 15 PPG average at 60% TS% is more valuable than 20 PPG at 50% TS% in most team contexts.
Accuracy and Limitations of Shooting Percentage Calculators
Shooting percentage metrics are only as accurate as the box score data entered. Field goal attempts must include every shot attempted (including and-one attempts and shots that draw fouls), and free throw data must separate intentional fouling situations from natural FT opportunities for the numbers to reflect true offensive efficiency. The Basketball Reference statistical glossary defines each metric precisely and is the standard reference for NBA historical comparisons. True shooting percentage is the most complete single-number efficiency measure, but it still does not account for shot difficulty, shot location, or defensive pressure -- two players can have identical TS% while one shoots open corner threes and the other attacks a packed paint. Use these metrics alongside shot-quality data for a complete offensive picture. You can benchmark your shooting efficiency against position-specific standards by cross-referencing with our points per game calculator.
The Most Common Shooting Percentage Mistake
The most common mistake is using raw field goal percentage (FG%) as the primary measure of shooting efficiency while ignoring effective field goal percentage (eFG%) and true shooting percentage (TS%). A player shooting 45% FG on a mix of mid-range twos and long threes is less efficient than a player shooting 43% FG who concentrates on corner threes and draws fouls. The NBA official statistics glossary introduced eFG% specifically because FG% treats a 2-point and a 3-point make as equivalent, which distorts efficiency comparisons. When evaluating a shooter, always lead with TS% and eFG%, and use FG% only as a supplementary data point. Track your free throw line efficiency alongside shooting metrics using our free throw calculator.
Frequently Asked Questions
Muhammad Shahbaz Siddiqui
Founder, TheCalculatorsHub
How checking eFG% instead of FG% showed my mid-range game was costing the team more than I realised
In February 2026 I was playing in a local 5-on-5 league and my coach pulled me aside after a game where I had gone 8 for 18 from the field (44.4% FG%) and told me my shot selection was hurting us. I disagreed initially because 44% felt solid to me. My coach asked me to break down where my 18 attempts came from: 12 were mid-range twos and 6 were corner threes. Of the mid-range shots I made 6 (50%), and of the corner threes I made 2 (33%). I entered those numbers into this calculator expecting to confirm my argument.
The calculator showed my eFG% was 50%, barely average, and my TS% was 49.2%, below average. The problem was not my mid-range FG% (50% on twos looks fine on its own); it was that my 6 mid-range makes were worth 12 points, while my 2 corner threes were worth 6 points. According to the NBA statistics glossary on true shooting percentage, TS% captures the combined point yield of all shot types, and my mix was producing 44 points on 18 attempts (2.44 points per 2 attempts on average), well below the efficient threshold of around 2.6 points per two attempts. The corner threes, despite the lower FG%, were actually the more efficient shot.
The fix was systematic. Over the next three games I tracked my attempts with the calculator after each game and deliberately shifted toward more corner threes and fewer pull-up mid-range attempts. By the fourth game my shot chart had shifted to 8 mid-range and 10 corner-three attempts, my eFG% climbed to 56.3%, and my coach noticed the difference without me saying anything. The calculator gave me an objective view of a problem I could not see in raw makes and misses alone.