Hot Hands Phenomenon - Winners Keep Winning

If your free throw of a basket goes success, then there are more chances of your succeeding the second time. This is commonly known as hot hand phenomenon.

The long lasting debate: does a “hot hand” phenomenon exist in sports? A study by Yale University proved the existence of the “hot hand” phenomenon.

Researchers at Yale University investigated the common belief among basketball players and fans that players’ probabilities of hitting a free throw are greater following a hit than following a miss on the previous shot.

Researchers used a data set of more than 300,000 free throws to investigate the “hot hand” phenomenon. They analyzed all free throws taken during five regular seasons NBA seasons from 2005 to 2010.

The researchers saw a significant increase in players’ probabilities of hitting the second shot in a two-shot series compared to the first one. They also found that in a set of two consecutive shots, the probability of hitting the second shot is greater following a hit than following a miss on the previous one.

“Our results set the stage for further physiological and psychological investigations of the origin of this phenomenon,” says researcher Yaari. “While the example we studied came from the sporting world, the implications are much more far reaching.”

Read the original study here.