What does true shooting percentage measure?

It measures scoring efficiency by combining field goals and free throws into one stat. The goal is to show how many points you produce relative to your adjusted shooting attempts.

Why is free throw shooting included in TS%?

Because free throws are part of scoring, but field-goal percentage ignores them. Including them gives a more complete efficiency picture, especially for players who draw fouls often.

What does the 0.44 mean in the formula?

It is a standard estimate used to convert free throw attempts into an adjusted shot value. It is a convention used in many basketball stat formulas, not an exact count of every scoring trip.

Is TS% the same as field-goal percentage?

No. Field-goal percentage only looks at made and attempted field goals, while TS% also accounts for free throws. That is why TS% is usually better for comparing scoring efficiency.

Can TS% be above 100%?

In normal basketball stat lines, that would be unusual, but the formula is a ratio and can produce very high values in extreme cases. For everyday use, you should expect a result shown as a percentage that is usually well below that level.

Should I use TS% for one game or a whole season?

You can use it for either, but larger samples are more stable. One game can be noisy, while a season average gives a better view of true efficiency.

What should I check if my result looks wrong?

Make sure you entered points, field goal attempts, and free throw attempts from the same game or period. Also check that you used attempts rather than makes, and that you did not forget to convert the final ratio into a percentage.

True Shooting Percentage Calculator

True shooting percentage, often shortened to TS%, is a basketball efficiency stat that tells you how many points you score relative to your total shooting opportunities. It is useful because it includes free throws, not just field goals, so it gives a fuller picture of scoring efficiency than field-goal percentage by itself.

A calculator for TS% helps you turn points, field goal attempts, and free throw attempts into one easy-to-read result. If you compare players, teams, or game logs, TS% can show who produced more scoring per attempt rather than only who took the most shots.

What true shooting percentage means

True shooting percentage is designed to estimate how efficiently a player scores. A player who scores many points on few shot attempts usually has a strong TS%, while a player who needs many attempts to reach the same point total has a weaker one.

Unlike field-goal percentage, TS% does not ignore free throws. That matters because free throws are a scoring chance that does not appear in the normal shooting percentage formula. TS% tries to put all of those scoring methods on a common scale.

You will usually see TS% in player analysis, box-score breakdowns, fantasy discussions, and matchup comparisons. It is especially useful when one player gets to the line often or when you want to compare scorers with very different shot profiles.

The true shooting formula

The standard formula is:

TS% = Points ÷ (2 × (Field Goal Attempts + 0.44 × Free Throw Attempts))

In words:

take the player’s total points
divide by two times the sum of field goal attempts plus 0.44 times free throw attempts

The constant 0.44 is an estimate used to convert free throw attempts into an approximate number of shooting possessions. It is a convention, not a perfect real-world count of every scoring trip. Different sources may explain the method slightly differently, but this is the most common version.

Because TS% is a ratio, the result is usually shown as a percentage. If the formula gives 0.58, that is read as 58%.

When you would use this calculator

Use TS% when you want a more complete scoring efficiency metric than field-goal percentage. It is helpful when comparing:

players with very different shot selection
guards or bigs who draw different amounts of contact
scoring lines from one game to another
season averages across players with uneven minutes or roles

For example, a player who takes fewer shots but gets many free throws may look inefficient by field-goal percentage alone, yet look much better by TS%. On the other hand, a high-volume scorer who makes difficult shots might still have a strong TS% even if the raw field-goal percentage is modest.

If you are still working with basic shooting stats, a Field Goal Attempt Rate Calculator can help with shot-volume context. For all-around scoring and playmaking comparisons, a Goal Contribution Rate Calculator may be useful in a broader team-sport analysis sense, though it is not a basketball stat.

Worked examples

Below are hypothetical examples. The arithmetic is shown with calculator tokens so you can see the exact method.

Example 1: efficient scoring night

Suppose a player has:

Points: 24
Field goal attempts: 16
Free throw attempts: 6

Apply the formula:

TS% = 24 ÷ (2 × (16 + 0.44 × 6))

First, compute the free throw adjustment:

0.44 × 6 = 2.64

Then compute the attempt base:

16 + 2.64 = 18.64

Then double it:

2 × 18.64 = 37.28

Now divide points by that total:

24 ÷ 37.28 = 0.64

So the player’s TS% is 64.38%.

This is a solid efficiency result because the player scored a lot without needing many total shooting chances.

Example 2: high-volume scorer

Suppose another player has:

Points: 31
Field goal attempts: 27
Free throw attempts: 2

Formula:

TS% = 31 ÷ (2 × (27 + 0.44 × 2))

0.44 × 2 = 0.88

27 + 0.88 = 27.88

2 × 27.88 = 55.76

31 ÷ 55.76 = 0.56

So the TS% is 55.60%.

This kind of line often looks lower than a more balanced scoring game because the player used many attempts to reach the point total.

Example 3: free-throw-heavy scoring

Suppose a player has:

Points: 18
Field goal attempts: 9
Free throw attempts: 10

Formula:

TS% = 18 ÷ (2 × (9 + 0.44 × 10))

0.44 × 10 = 4.4

9 + 4.4 = 13.4

2 × 13.4 = 26.8

18 ÷ 26.8 = 0.67

So the TS% is 67.16%.

This shows why TS% can reward players who get to the line often. Their scoring efficiency may be better than their shooting percentage alone suggests.

How to read the result

TS% is a percentage, so the basic interpretation is straightforward: higher is better. A higher TS% means the player scored more points for each adjusted shooting attempt.

Use it as a comparison tool, not as a stand-alone judgment. A player with a slightly lower TS% might still be more valuable if they create shots for others, defend well, or take difficult attempts late in the shot clock. TS% only measures scoring efficiency, not all-around impact.

It also helps to compare TS% within similar roles. A center who gets many finishes near the rim and free throws should not always be judged the same way as a perimeter scorer taking tougher shots. Context matters more than the number alone.

Common mistakes to avoid

A few errors can make TS% misleading:

Using field goals made instead of attempts. The formula needs attempts, not makes.
Leaving out free throws. TS% is supposed to include them.
Forgetting that it is a ratio. A decimal like 0.60 means 60%.
Comparing tiny sample sizes too confidently. One game can swing a lot.
Treating the 0.44 factor as exact. It is a convention, not a perfect measurement.
Mixing up points and points per game. Use the actual points from the same stat line.

If you are checking other performance stats, the same idea applies: use the right inputs, match the right time period, and make sure the metric is being read in context. For a different kind of efficiency comparison, some users also look at Fantasy Points per Dollar Calculator when evaluating value rather than raw production.

Limits of true shooting percentage

TS% is useful, but it does not tell the whole story. It does not measure passing, turnovers, defense, rebounding, or shot difficulty. Two players can have the same TS% while taking very different kinds of shots.

It also uses an approximation for free throws, so it is best treated as a practical efficiency estimate rather than a perfect physical count of possessions. That makes it excellent for quick comparisons and analysis, but not a full replacement for deeper study.

If you want the most useful read on a player, pair TS% with usage, shot volume, and role. Then you can tell whether a strong percentage came from efficient scoring, low volume, or a combination of both. When you are ready, compare two players from the same team or the same position and see how much the free throw component changes the picture.

Frequently asked questions

What does true shooting percentage measure?: It measures scoring efficiency by combining field goals and free throws into one stat. The goal is to show how many points you produce relative to your adjusted shooting attempts.
Why is free throw shooting included in TS%?: Because free throws are part of scoring, but field-goal percentage ignores them. Including them gives a more complete efficiency picture, especially for players who draw fouls often.
What does the 0.44 mean in the formula?: It is a standard estimate used to convert free throw attempts into an adjusted shot value. It is a convention used in many basketball stat formulas, not an exact count of every scoring trip.
Is TS% the same as field-goal percentage?: No. Field-goal percentage only looks at made and attempted field goals, while TS% also accounts for free throws. That is why TS% is usually better for comparing scoring efficiency.
Can TS% be above 100%?: In normal basketball stat lines, that would be unusual, but the formula is a ratio and can produce very high values in extreme cases. For everyday use, you should expect a result shown as a percentage that is usually well below that level.
Should I use TS% for one game or a whole season?: You can use it for either, but larger samples are more stable. One game can be noisy, while a season average gives a better view of true efficiency.
What should I check if my result looks wrong?: Make sure you entered points, field goal attempts, and free throw attempts from the same game or period. Also check that you used attempts rather than makes, and that you did not forget to convert the final ratio into a percentage.

About this article

Written by Yahav Atia, WSO – the digital agency (wso.co.il) that owns and founded this site, with the help of AI, and passed automated quality checks before publication. Numbers in the worked examples were computed in code, not estimated.