Revolutionizing traditional basketball training equipment

Basketball is one of the oldest sports. It's remained unchanged since 1891, and more or less, the same basketball training equipment has been used by coaches and players since that time.

If you are a coach looking to train your players for competitive basketball professionally, you need to innovate the equipment.

In this article, we'll see how you can revolutionize the same old basketball training equipment with the help of modern technology. It is really simple and provides you with limitless possibilities.

Agility Ladder Training on Steroids

The agility ladder, a basketball training aid as old as the sport itself, is great for footwork and coordination training, but it does not have any cognitive training. Making cognitive training(reaction time and decision making) a part of the training is necessary because competitive basketball demands the players to make quick decisions and show exceptional reaction time while maintaining proper footwork.

You can enhance your agility ladder drills by using Blazepod Light Pods. These pods have an 8-color light on top with a tactile surface. You can use them to make reaction time and decision-making a part of the ladder drills. They have several preset programs, but you can also use them to devise your own drills.

In addition, all of the player's stats are recorded in the app, and you can use them to analyze their performance and improvement.

Agility and Footwork Ladder Drills

Every coach knows that the importance of proper footwork in basketball can not be overstated. Adding cognitive training to footwork drills only makes them exceptionally better for the players.

Here's an example drill that utilizes the Blazepod light pods, adding an additional dimension to a regular drill:

Scissor Jumps

This is an advanced drill for professional players that focuses on footwork, reaction time and decision making.

1. Place one Blazepod Light pod in front of each of the ladder boxes and set them to light up at random in different colors.
2. Have the player stand on one side of the agility ladder with one foot in the first box and the other out, facing the side with the light pods.
3. The player has to jump laterally into the next box. Instruct them to change their feet while in the air, landing with the alternative feet in and out of the box.
4. They have to do this while staying low and tapping the pod that lights up in a specific color. Tapping the wrong color will cost them a point, and tapping the right one will earn a point.
5. Set a limit of points that the player has to complete before taking a rest.

At the end of the exercise, check the stats, and see how many times the player tapped the correct color and how long they took between the light coming up and tapping it.

There are many more hybrid drills you can make a part of your regular speed and agility training for basketball players.

Resistance Bands Training that Enhances Cognition

Resistance bands are one of the most commonly used sports and fitness pieces of equipment out there. The addition of Blazepod Light pods makes them more enjoyable and even competitive when employing a reaction time/decision-making workout. While the band needs the player to exert force and train skeletal muscles, adding light pods to the mix ensures they react fast and make decisions even under physical stress, a trait necessary for an amazing basketball game.

Here's a resistance band workout that demonstrates how you can do that.

One Arm Press

This is a resistance band workout for core body strength, reaction time and decision making.

1. Anchor the band behind your body at shoulder height and attach four Blazepod light pods in front of you, at a distance that you can touch them with your arm fully stretched. The pods should be set up to light up in different colors at random.
2. Grab the loose end of the band in your hand, step away from the anchor to create tension in the band and stagger your feet.
3. Keep your torso straight and perform a chest press with one arm, stopping when your elbow is just about to lock up.
4. Your task is to tap a specific colored light pod while performing the chest press. Tapping the wrong color will be a negative point for you.

There are many other ways to use the pods to make your resistance band workout more engaging and multidimensional.

200 IQ Training Cones

Training cones are probably the most used piece of training equipment in basketball training, but they are simple, in their traditional form at least. By placing a Blazepod Light pod on top of the cone, you have an intelligent and interactive cone. This 200 IQ training cone can give commands, monitor stats, and remove the need for an assistant or coach in the drills.

There's no shortage of cones drills out there. Due to the versatility these offer, you can devise a drill for any athlete, from a 10-year-old player to a professional basketball player. Here's an example of what a bunch of Blazepod powered cones can do.

Cone Rapid Fire

This is a fast-paced reaction time and stamina drill for professional basketballers.

1. Set up 8-10 cones, with pods on top of them, 5 meters apart to form a circle, position the player in the center to begin.
2. The pods should be set to light up in random colors and rapid succession.
3. The player needs to tap the pod that lights up in a specific color as fast as possible by shuffling to it.
4. Tapping the correct color earns a point while tapping a wrong color deducts a point.
5. Set a limit of points for the player to achieve before they can rest and go for another round.

Countless intelligent cone drills can be used to enhance reaction time while building stamina and endurance.

Dribble Stick Training Like Never Before

One of the most important skills for any basketball player is dribbling. The dribble stick is great for mastering the art of dribbling, and it can be made better using the pods.

While the player is dribbling the ball with one hand, they can use the other hand to tap the pod. This will improve the athlete's ability of keeping an eye out for other players and be aware of their surroundings while handling the ball. It can also be great for enhancing hand-eye coordination.

Basketball dribbling drills are often better with a dribble stick, but they still only focus on dribbling. Here's how adding pods makes them an all-around drill for several basketball skills.

Lookout Low Dribbles

This drill needs the player to be constantly on the lookout for opponents while perfectly handling the ball.

1. Setup the dribble stick for low dribbles under the knees and place five pods around it, 3-5 yards away.
2. The player needs to dribble the ball as quickly as possible but keep looking out for pods that light up.
3. The goal is to maintain the dribbling while tapping any pod that lights up.

You can later use the data generated by the app to have an accurate measure of the player's alertness and reaction time.

There are a lot of other basketball drills that use Blazepods to take the training to another level. Here are some excellent examples.

The Reaction Ball and Boxing Ball's Demise

The boxing ball and reaction ball are genius inventions that are simple yet highly effective. Sure, you can use them for reaction time training, but do they show you your progression? No!

In the world of competitive sports today, having an accurate picture of your performance is important, and that can be done with the Blazepod light pods. The pods replace traditional reaction time equipment while providing you with the data you need to progress.

Here's an example of a simple exercise for reaction time that can be done with Blazepod Light pods.

Multitask Reaction Time

Thisexercise is for players and athletes who have to maintain fast reaction time while being physically active at the same time.

1. Attach 4-5 light pods to a wall and have the player stand 3-4 feet from it with a tennis ball hand. The pods should be set to light up at random.
2. When the drill starts, the player has to toss the ball on the ground and catch it as fast as possible while looking at the wall.
3. They have to tap any pod that comes up while maintaining the dribble.

The app will give an accurate picture of the reaction time of the player.

There are a lot of other exercises that players can do with Blazepod light pods, see this list of reaction time exercises, for instance.

Conclusion

Basketball has been around for a while now, with most traditional training equipment being the same ever since. Nowadays, coaches need to use equipment that can interact, record stats and make drills multidimensional. Blazepod does that with the genius light pods that can make any piece of basketball training equipment way better. We have discussed some of the examples above, but the possibilities are endless.

If you want to take your training to the next level, take this quiz to learn which kit you'll need from Blazepod to accomplish just that.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a basketball trainer cost?

One-on-one basketball training costs between $50 and $100 for 2-3 75-minute sessions a week.

What do common drills in basketball focus on?

The drills in basketball focus mainly on dribbling skills, footwork, stamina, endurance and hand-eye coordination. Commonly, coaches devise their own drills or use pre-defined ones. The best drills are the ones that focus on more than one skill at a time.

Should I buy a weighted basketball?

If you are training for professional-level basketball, a weighted basketball can be very helpful. It is good for improving passing ability, ball-handling skills and rebounding skills. It will also strengthen your fingers, forearm, and hands.

How do you use a dribble stick?

You set the dribble stick on at the height you want to dribble on and extend one or more of its legs. Then you dribble over, under, or around the stick. If the ball touches the leg, it vibrates back, giving you real-time feedback of any mistake that you make.

How effective are resistance band workouts?

Research indicates that you can gain similar muscle strength from resistance bands as from dumbbells or weight machines. They are equally effective for fitness enthusiasts and professional athletes. The biggest benefit of resistance bands is that they are highly cost-effective as compared to other alternatives.

How to use resistance bands?

The purpose of resistance bands is to oppose the movement of a muscle to improve strength. You can use them in various ways in almost all bodyweight exercises to make them difficult and more challenging for the muscles.

What are training cones used for?

Training cones are used to mark a path or layout of a drill. They are mainly used for speed and agility training. Here are some examples.