What is the Best Online Training Program to Learn Basketball?
Like all other games, basketball is a game that demands a lot from the players, players need the motivation to be the best, but the motivation to the best is not the only thing that will make you the best basketball player you can be. The motivation to the best should push you into getting into training; then the program will make you the best player you can be.
The important part is selecting a good training program that will get you the best possible results because, in the long run, the training program you get into will determine how high you will fly.
The selection of a training program is dependent on several factors such as your level of skill, your weaknesses both physical and mental, and your experience in the court, the instructor’s experience, and other factors that might seem obvious but are rather important.
In this article, you will get a guide on the many products that are in the market that can help you increase your basketball skills so that you turn out to be a legendary player. The decision on what program should be made after keen consideration since selecting a wrong program could be catastrophic.
1. How To Get Better At Basketball For Kids
This program was developed to be used by kids aspiring to be basketball pro athletes in the future. The difference between an ordinary player and a pro player is confidence. By practicing and mastering the basic basketball skills, one can develop confidence, and that is what this program is all about.
The program contains a truckload of safe workouts and drills that will help your kid set a good foundation by learning the basic basketball skills. One thing to note is that training and drills are from the best coaches and players in the world. Also, it has a chart to help the kids keep track of their progress.
The only way your kid is going to shine and become a star in basketball is through practice. If you are a parent who would love to see his/her youngster excel in basketball, you should try using this program.
Pros
- It is highly effective.
- It is presented in a fun way for kids to enjoy.
- A renowned athlete developed it.
Cons
- Not every kid may find it practical.
- It has an age limit.
2. Stephen Curry’s Masterclass
The program was developed by one of the greatest NBA basketball players, Stephen Curry. It is an online training course delivered by Stephen himself, and it consists of seventeen videos each 10-20 minutes long.
The program contains secrets on how to shot, dribble, and score the basketball at an elite level. It also comes with the following; a 54-page workbook shot tracking worksheets, and a chance to ask Stephen any question.
Yes, that is right! You can leave a video question on the website, and then he will respond to it during his working hours. To use the program, you need to sign up on the official site and pay some small fee.
If you want to be a confident ball handler and a shooter, you need to give this training program a try.
Pros
- It covers quite several basketball aspects like dribbling, shooting, and game handling.
- The sign-up fee is cheaper.
- The videos are short; this gives players enough time to practice and perfect skills learned.
Cons
- Not the best choice for beginners.
- Drills and workouts are a bit intensive.
3. Can’t Be Guarded
This is a twelve-week high-intensity scoring training program for players at any level. The best part is, it takes less than 90 minutes to complete the daily workouts.
It is subdivided into the following categories;
Dynamic activation series- drills here are intended to warm up your muscles to prevent injuries.
Ball handling boost series – helps you explore and perfect your ball handling techniques to become explosive.
Priming your stroke – will help you to warm up your jump shots for maximum efficiency.
Elite finishing at the rim – you will learn how to score using the most effective skills.
Mid-range mastery – you will how to perfect shots at the midway in a basketball court.
Long-range sniper series – Her you will learn how to shot from anywhere in the court.
Just to mention a few, by the time you finish the program, you will have drastically improved your scoring abilities; you will be un-guardable.
Pros
- It has a two months money-back guarantee.
- Very compressive.
- It has more than fifty drills to work on.
Cons
- Long completion period.
- It is not the choice for players who want to perfect a specific game aspect.
4. Scoring Academy
Are you tired of being a bench warmer, or do you need to improve your shooting skills and ball-handling skills overnight? Scoring Academy is the program for you. It was developed by Augie Johnston, a well-known pro athlete.
The program contains step by step daily workout, each with a duration of 60-90 minutes of training a day. It emphasizes on ball-handling, shooting, and finishing. It has six levels, some of which include; freshman, sophomore, oversea pro, and NBA.
This program will work best for you if you are great at defense but poor at ball handling.
Pros
- Developed by excellent basketball trainer, Augie Johnston.
- It has a two months money-back guarantee.
- It highly practical and generates results.
Cons
- It is not very detailed.
- Some find the price to be highly-priced.
5. Game Time Handles
This is another excellent basketball training program that was developed by a world-renowned coach Rocky Ullah. He is one of the best dribbles in the world. This program will teach you how to make the defender react on your moves and not you to his.
The included drills also help you work on both hands; you will always have more shooting options while using two hands.
If you are a player who always has a hard time while the opponent is pressing hard on you, Game Time Handles is the best choice. It contains drills to help you better navigate in tight spaces under pressure.
Pros
- Contains new techniques.
- The drills help you to work on both your hands.
- Trains you to work best under tight space and pressure.
Cons
- It is not recommended for beginners.
- It is not a detailed mist program.
6. Shot Mechanics
Shooting is perhaps the most essential skill in basketball, so you need a great program to help you nail this essential skill. Shoot Mechanics is the best program to improve your shooting skills.
The instructor is Coach Collin Castellaw, who has created a lot of good programs over the years.
Pros
- It is specified for shooting, so it saves your time.
- It has a lot of praise from its past users.
- Most of the drills are doable alone, so you don’t need a team for training.
Cons
- It was not designed for beginners thus only favorable for experienced players
- It is narrow as it only covers shooting
7. Fundamentals of Basketball Shooting
This is an excellent training program to help beginners master the basics of good shooting. The Programs course I categorized into, shooting drills and basic shooting techniques. The instructor is Daniel Yoo who gives a great foundation on shooting
Pros
- It creates a good base for beginners in terms of shooting.
- It focuses on the fundamentals
- The drills are simple and easy to follow
Cons
- It may have content that is unnecessary for advanced players.
- Daniel Yoo is not very well known, but the program works.
8. The Champions Mind
This is a program that guides athletes on how to attain their basketball dreams. The writer is DR. Jim Afremow, a sports psychologist that has worked with a lot of athletes in NBA, NHL, and NFL which gives him a wide scope of experience
Pros
- The tips in the program are usable in the court.
- The program also teaches good leadership skills and life skills in general.
- Dr. Afremow is a great psychologist that has helped a lot of athletes.
Cons
- It is not specifically targeted for basketball.
- Some of the techniques may not necessarily work for everyone who uses them.
9. Smarter Basketball Player System
This is a program that will help improve the user’s basketball IQ. It will provide you with the tools and skillset you need to think fast in a game, which would make you an excellent player. The instructor is Coach Daniel who is said to be a genius strategist, so who better to help you out.
Pros
- It will improve your decision-making skills on the court.
- It focuses on both attack and defense strategies to mold an all-round player.
- Coach Daniel is an accomplished coach that has shown amazing results.
Cons
- It will improve your decision-making skills on the court.
- It focuses on both attack and defense strategies to mold an all-round player.
10. Relentless
To be a good player, you have to be mentally tough, which will help you keep your composure even under pressure. This program helps create a winning mindset that will be a motivating factor.
The writer is Tim Grover, who has coached some basketball legends, such as Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan.
Pros
- It helps get players mentally prepared for games
- Tim Grover is a trainer with a great reputation as seen in his legendary students
- The program equips the users with life skills
Cons
- It is a bit repetitive so that it might need a lot of patience.
- It also needs a lot of work, and it may be overwhelming.
Today, there are countless numbers of training programs for all the games played on this planet to help the players get or polish their skills in their respective sports.
Basketball, being one of the most popular and demanding games on the planet, also has many training programs that may make the selection for the best program a bit problematic to a player.
Selecting a training program that doesn’t suit your specific needs can be frustrating and may cause you a lot more trouble than you need to go through to attain your basketball career goals.
This is why you need an excellent guide to select an excellent training program that will be effective and stress-free so that you end up shining without breaking any unnecessary sweat.
With that said, to get good at basketball, you need to learn from the best, as they say, iron sharpens iron. The selection of a training program is sorely dependent on the intended target or trainee, the free time accessible, the skill set already acquired, and other factors that will be explained in this article to get the best-suited program.
Trainer’s experience
If you need someone to train, you should at least have physically participated in the game as a coach or player so that they know what theory is talking about.
If your trainer did play basketball at some point in their life, they would know more about how you would feel at specific points of the match; your mental state in the court, the kind, and level of fitness you need to perform optimally.
They would have more experience in the court, and that experience would put them in a position that allows for good and well-targeted training.
If you get trained by a veteran, you will be in a frame of mind that will make you comfortable in the court. The knowledge also allows the trainer to gauge your potential so as not to make you attempt impossible things that will take too much toll on your body and mind.
Now, if you are trained by an inexperienced person who has never played basketball, you might get misled since he or she will guide you from videos he or she watched or from speculations that he made up himself.
You might get pushed into doing drills that are unnecessary and tiresome for the body and mind, which is unhealthy.
As for mental preparation, you won’t be prepared because your trainer has no idea what it feels like to be in a basketball court.
It would be like being taught how to operate on humans by an engineer who knows nothing about human anatomy. Just make sure that your trainer was once a player (and a good one, so to speak) to get guidance from actual experience.
Areas of specialization
You don’t necessarily have to be a beginner to go looking for training programs, you could already be playing, but you want an upgrade. Now, most training programs cater for beginners so that you get to learn all the basics of the game.
It is probably for the best that you master the necessary skills and rules of the game because I find that it gives you confidence and composure in the basketball court, which will, in the long run, make you a better player.
However, this may not be the case, you could already be a player with some skills, and you need to build on them. If this is the case, you don’t need to start from scratch; you could get a training program that deals with the specific area you need to perfect.
You could get a program that specializes in the position you play so that you can get to know and perfect your game in terms of that specific position.
You could also have a great body for basketball or have amazing athletic abilities, but you lack the skills that will require you to get a program that puts more emphasis on skills than fitness.
It could be that somehow you are skilled but unfit; the training program you select ought to give you more chances of workout and fitness training to get you to peak performance to balance your skills to make you into a LeBron James.
You could get to build on your speed, strength, and stamina so that you can last through a match.
Price
Like most good things in life, you have to buy the training program. They say you can’t put a price on talent, but in this case, you have to. Like cars, you will get a program depending on how deep your pockets are and your intentions for the game.
What I mean by intentions for the game is that if you are planning on playing basketball as a full career, you would probably get a professional program that might be a bit expensive.
In case you want to get skills to play with a friend or to play for fun since basketball is a really fun way to exercise and keep fit then you can get a program that is cheaper and not so professional so that you get well versed with all the basics and some few fancy skills.
Most of the training programs cost around $100, so get a program that doesn’t get you bankrupt but also remember, cheap is expensive. Expensive programs tend to yield better results since more work and experience were put into them, so the money you spend will probably be worth it.
A cheap program might have flaws or maybe too shallow and inadequate not to get enough skills. So, choose very wisely.
Connect with people who went through the program
It is very unlikely that you would be the first to go through the program, there are probably lots of other basketball players who went through the same program and are your source of unbiased information on whether the program works.
So before committing yourself to a training program, it is a very good idea to get into contact with some of the people who used the program to tell you how effective it was. If you are a point guard, you could call a point guard that went through the program and ask about his ball-handling skills to get to know how well the program works.
If possible, you could watch how well a shooting guard that went through the program is at sinking three-pointers so that you know for sure the program works and how you can get an idea of how you might end up after using the program.
You could look for videos of people who went through the program to see what amount of game they have if you find that the players are doing great then you would know that the program works but needless to say, success doesn’t come on a silver plate the program only works if you apply yourself and work hard.
The amount of time you have
As mentioned earlier, basketball is a very well-liked game played by people of all ages and in most countries. It could be played professionally as a career or casual as a hobby to have fun with friends if you have a job.
Now, for a professional player that has a lot of time to train, I would advise that you to get a training program that is full time. By full time, I mean that the program should be able to accommodate all your training time so that you maximize how much skill you gain.
It would not be a bad idea to get a training program that is very detailed and long so that it does not waste some of your training hours. However, if you have a job or have other arrangements, you may have only forty-five minutes or an hour to train, so you should probably get a program that accommodates the short sessions.
This should be a specialization kind of thing where you train on the specific skills or drills you need to polish on which will take less time so that you get to finish your training on time every day and you do not have to push some other events or get late to date because of training.
Weaknesses
Everyone has weaknesses, no one is perfect. I am specifically talking about physical deficiencies such as cardiovascular disorders, knee problems, or other medical issues. If you had an injury that is still problematic, you need to make sure that you use a program that caters to that particular injury so that you can get better.
You should allow time to heal, and the program should not put too much strain on the specific point of a prior injury; this helps you avoid more injury, which may be costly. Today, there is basketball for everyone, and people who are on wheelchairs also play great basketball, proving that disability is not inability.
It is, however, good to look for a program that is well suited to train you in case you are disabled in a way so that you get effective and healthy training. Weaknesses such as being unfit or lacking stamina should also be addressed in whichever program you decide to go with.
The program should have lots of gym time to get you in shape and great performance. The selection of a training program should not be made in haste; it needs deep thought and careful consideration to end up in the best program that works great for you and your basketball career,
Conclusion
There you have it, a review of some of the greatest basketball training programs developed by some of the best coaches, trainers, and pro athletes. You will indeed find plenty of similar programs, but the majority are not effective.
Of the programs we have reviewed, we highly recommend How to Get Better At Basketball for Kids. It helps create a strong foundation in basketball by enabling your kids to master basic skills.
It will help install confidence, and it comes with plenty of drill and workout sheets for your kid to keep track of his/her progress. Although it was developed for kids but does not mean you can’t learn two or three things from it. Don’t wait for any longer order one for your kid today!