No issues with Christian Standhardinger shooting free throws with his left hand, says Tim Cone

Christian Standhardinger showed up for the 2021 PBA Philippine Cup with a noticeable adjustment in his game.

While PBA fans got accustomed to the 6-foot-8 Fil-German being a right-handed player, the 2019 Best Player of the Conference caught almost everybody by surprise when he started shooting free throws with his left hand.

During Brgy. Ginebra’s first game of the season, Standhardinger canned 2 of 4 freebies for a not so impressive 50% clip as the Gin Kings absorbed a 94-75 beating at the hands of NLEX.

The former ABL player stuck with the process as the Gin Kings faced Blackwater in the succeeding match and similarly finished with a 50% performance from the stripe, 5-out-of-10.

Brgy. Ginebra head coach Tim Cone explained during the post-game presser after the Gin Kings pulled off resounding 96-81 win over the Bossing that Standhardinger is actually a natural lefty.

“It’s an interesting story. He tells us that he was left-handed when he grew up. When he was young, his father at that time forced him to play right-handed. So he plays tennis right-handed, he plays golf right-handed. Anything. He writes right-handed,” explained Cone.

“But he says, he’s a natural left-handed and when I arrived at practice, he was already shooting left-handed shots and during our first practice together.”

When asked if he’s fine with the big man’s decision to use his left hand during free throws, Cone said that he completely supports the move.

“We just decided that if that’s something where he feels comfortable, let him go. Actually his form, and this is something he’ll tell you, his form with his left hand is much better than his right hand.”