Ts True Shooting Calculator
Track your ts% true shooting with our free sports calculator. Get personalized stats, rankings, and performance comparisons.
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Where PTS is total points scored, FGA is field goal attempts, and FTA is free throw attempts. The 0.44 coefficient adjusts for the fact that not all free throw attempts consume a full possession (and-ones, technicals, flagrants). The denominator represents True Shooting Attempts.
Last reviewed: December 2025
Worked Examples
Example 1: High-Efficiency Scorer
Example 2: Volume Scorer with Free Throws
Background & Theory
The Ts% (true Shooting %) applies the following established principles and formulas. Sports statistics and performance metrics represent one of the most data-rich domains of applied mathematics available to the general public. Baseball, in particular, has developed an exceptionally dense vocabulary of calculated metrics. Earned run average (ERA) quantifies a pitcher's effectiveness as (earned runs × 9) / innings pitched, normalising performance to a nine-inning standard regardless of how many complete games were pitched. WHIP, or walks and hits per inning pitched, is computed as (walks + hits) / innings pitched and provides a complementary measure of how frequently a pitcher allows baserunners. Batting average, one of the oldest statistics in the sport, is simply hits / at-bats, though more modern metrics such as on-base percentage and slugging percentage have largely supplanted it as primary performance indicators. The NFL passer rating formula is considerably more complex, combining completion percentage, yards per attempt, touchdown rate, and interception rate into a composite score scaled to a 0–158.3 range. Golf handicap calculation, now governed by the World Handicap System introduced in 2020, uses a Handicap Differential formula applied to the best 8 of a player's most recent 20 score differentials, with adjustments for course rating and slope. The Elo rating system, originally developed by physicist Arpad Elo for chess ranking in the 1960s, has become a widely adopted framework for competitive ranking in sports ranging from football to table tennis. It updates each player's rating after every match based on the margin of expected versus actual result. In endurance sports, pace calculation converts total time to a per-mile or per-kilometre rate, informing training intensity and race strategy. In cycling, power-to-weight ratio (watts per kilogram) is the primary determinant of climbing performance and is central to both professional race analysis and amateur fitness tracking. Fantasy sports scoring systems synthesise multiple individual statistics into aggregate point totals, requiring participants to understand the relative value of different performance categories across sports.
History
The history behind the Ts% (true Shooting %) traces back through the following developments. Organised athletic competition has roots extending to ancient Greece, where the Olympic Games were held at Olympia beginning around 776 BCE. These early games were embedded in religious observance and civic identity, featuring events such as sprinting, wrestling, and the pentathlon. The codification of modern sport rules accelerated dramatically in 19th century Britain, where industrialisation created both the leisure time and the institutional infrastructure for organised competition. The Football Association formalised the rules of association football in 1863, and similar governing bodies for cricket, rugby, tennis, and athletics followed in subsequent decades. Pierre de Coubertin, a French educator inspired by the English model of sport as character-building, campaigned to revive the Olympic Games as a modern international institution. The first modern Summer Olympics were held in Athens in 1896, establishing the template for international multi-sport competition that has continued to the present. FIFA, the international governing body for association football, was founded in Paris in 1904 with seven member nations. The serious statistical analysis of baseball, later termed sabermetrics, was pioneered by writers and analysts including Bill James beginning in the late 1970s. James self-published his Baseball Abstract annuals starting in 1977, introducing rigorous empirical methods to a domain previously dominated by traditional counting statistics and subjective scouting. His work influenced a generation of analysts and front-office executives. The publication of Michael Lewis's Moneyball in 2003, documenting the Oakland Athletics' 2002 season and their use of on-base percentage and other undervalued metrics, brought sports analytics to mainstream attention. The subsequent analytics revolution reshaped hiring practices and game strategy across professional sports leagues. Fantasy sports, which require participants to engage directly with statistical outputs, grew from a hobby practised by a few thousand enthusiasts in the 1980s into a multi-billion dollar industry by the 2010s, with tens of millions of participants across football, baseball, basketball, and other sports.
Frequently Asked Questions
Formula
TS% = PTS / (2 * (FGA + 0.44 * FTA)) * 100
Where PTS is total points scored, FGA is field goal attempts, and FTA is free throw attempts. The 0.44 coefficient adjusts for the fact that not all free throw attempts consume a full possession (and-ones, technicals, flagrants). The denominator represents True Shooting Attempts.
Worked Examples
Example 1: High-Efficiency Scorer
Problem: A player scores 30 points on 10/18 FG (3/6 from three) and 7/8 FT. Calculate TS%.
Solution: True Shooting Attempts = FGA + 0.44 * FTA = 18 + 0.44 * 8 = 18 + 3.52 = 21.52\nTS% = Points / (2 * TSA) = 30 / (2 * 21.52) = 30 / 43.04 = 69.7%\neFG% = (10 + 0.5 * 3) / 18 = 11.5 / 18 = 63.9%\nStandard FG% = 10/18 = 55.6%
Result: TS%: 69.7% - Elite efficiency scorer
Example 2: Volume Scorer with Free Throws
Problem: A player scores 28 points on 8/22 FG (2/8 from three) and 10/12 FT. Calculate TS%.
Solution: True Shooting Attempts = 22 + 0.44 * 12 = 22 + 5.28 = 27.28\nTS% = 28 / (2 * 27.28) = 28 / 54.56 = 51.3%\neFG% = (8 + 0.5 * 2) / 22 = 9 / 22 = 40.9%\nStandard FG% = 8/22 = 36.4%
Result: TS%: 51.3% - Below average efficiency despite high free throw rate
Frequently Asked Questions
What is True Shooting Percentage and why is it important?
True Shooting Percentage (TS%) is an advanced basketball efficiency metric that measures how effectively a player scores by accounting for field goals, three-pointers, and free throws in a single number. Unlike traditional field goal percentage, which ignores the extra value of three-pointers and completely excludes free throw shooting, TS% provides a comprehensive view of scoring efficiency. The formula weights all scoring methods appropriately, recognizing that three-pointers are worth 50% more than two-pointers and that free throws are earned at a lower cost than field goal attempts. This makes TS% the gold standard for comparing scoring efficiency across different playing styles and eras.
How is True Shooting Percentage calculated?
True Shooting Percentage uses the formula: TS% = Points / (2 * True Shooting Attempts), where True Shooting Attempts = FGA + 0.44 * FTA. The 0.44 multiplier for free throw attempts is a key part of the formula because not all free throws cost a possession equally. And-one free throws, technical free throws, and flagrant foul free throws do not use a possession, while standard two-shot and three-shot fouls do. The 0.44 coefficient is an empirically derived average that accounts for this mix of free throw types across the league. A TS% of 50% means the player scores exactly one point per true shooting attempt, which serves as the baseline for evaluation.
What is a good True Shooting Percentage in the NBA?
NBA True Shooting Percentage benchmarks have shifted upward over time as the league has become more efficient. The current league average TS% hovers around 57-58%, up from roughly 52-53% in the early 2000s. A TS% above 60% is considered excellent and typically indicates an All-Star caliber scorer. Elite scorers like Stephen Curry regularly post TS% above 62%. Players reaching 65% or higher are exceptionally rare and usually combine elite three-point shooting with strong free throw rates. Below 52% is generally considered inefficient by modern standards. Context matters though, as high-volume scorers with 58% TS% may be more valuable than low-volume players at 62%.
Can True Shooting Percentage be misleading in certain situations?
True Shooting Percentage can be misleading in several specific scenarios that analysts should be aware of. First, small sample sizes produce unreliable TS% values, so evaluating a player based on one or two games is problematic. Second, TS% does not account for shot creation difficulty. A player who only takes wide-open layups will have a high TS% but may not be generating efficient offense for the team. Third, and-one conversions can inflate TS% because the player gets both a made field goal and a free throw attempt, essentially double-counting some scoring. Fourth, garbage time performance can skew numbers when starters rest and opponents disengage defensively. Finally, TS% treats all points equally regardless of game context or situational importance.
How has league-average True Shooting Percentage changed over time?
League-average True Shooting Percentage has increased significantly over basketball history, reflecting evolving offensive strategies and rule changes. In the 1980s, league average TS% hovered around 52-54%. Through the 1990s and early 2000s, it remained in the 51-53% range as physical defense and isolation-heavy offenses limited efficiency. The introduction of rule changes limiting hand-checking after 2004 pushed TS% upward to 54-55%. The three-point revolution beginning around 2014-2015 accelerated the trend, with teams shooting more threes and fewer long two-pointers. By the 2020s, league average TS% reached 57-58%. This historical context is essential when comparing players across eras, as a 55% TS% in 1998 was above average but would be below average today.
How should coaches use True Shooting Percentage for game planning?
Coaches can leverage True Shooting Percentage data in multiple ways to improve team performance and strategic decision-making. First, TS% can identify which players should receive more shot attempts and which should reduce their volume. If a role player has a higher TS% than a team's primary scorer, it may indicate the need for better shot distribution. Second, coaches can analyze opponent TS% to identify defensive priorities and determine which opposing players to force into difficult shots. Third, tracking TS% by shot zone helps coaches design offensive sets that maximize high-efficiency looks. Fourth, comparing practice TS% with game TS% can reveal players who struggle under pressure. However, coaches should always combine TS% analysis with film study and contextual evaluation.
References
Reviewed by Sher, Sports Science & Nutrition Specialist · Editorial policy