To make net gains
For a combination of calorie burn, flexibility, muscular conditioning, hand-eye coordination and high-fiving sociability, it’s hard to beat basketball as a fitness activity. But whether you play in a peewee league, adult division at the YMCA or your neighbor’s driveway, the courts are a competitive world, and you gotta have game. The skill-building items below can help you get it, spurring improvements in shooting, dribbling and vertical leap no matter your age or ability. How you play D is up to you.
-- Roy M. Wallack
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Bigger game
BigBall: Extra large basketball -- 36-inch circumference versus a regular ball’s 29.5 inches -- that trains you to shoot more accurately.
Likes: Requires significantly more accuracy and strength (it weighs more than a regular ball. Initially, my every shot banged the front of the rim -- or was an airball. Switching back to a regulation ball after just 15 minutes, I shot with better trajectory and accuracy. Also, the BigBall added a fun challenge to practice.
Dislikes: Can get stuck in a tight net. We had to carry an extra basketball along to knock the stuck BigBall out of the net.
Price: $39.95; leather $59.95. (800) 586-7872; jumpusa.com.
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Getting some air
Jumpsoles Plyometric Shoe Platforms: Platforms that attach to the soles of your shoes, lift the heel off the ground and theoretically strengthen your calves, improving your leaping ability.
Likes: You instantly feel the added stress on your calves while walking in Jumpsoles, and the stress increases as you do a variety of exercises outlined in a DVD and booklet, including jumping rope, light jogging, skipping, box jumps, squats, lunges and others. Performed twice a week for eight weeks, the exercise regimen purportedly yields increased standing leaps of 5 to 10 inches. I can’t verify that (I only used the platforms for a week), but a stronger, more explosive calf and improved leap would seem quite plausible over time given the significant targeted workout.
Dislikes: None.
Price: $69.95. (800) 586-7872; jumpusa.com.
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It’s all in the feel
Dribble Master Basketball Training Goggles: Goggles with thick plastic on the bottom that block lower field of vision, forcing you to dribble by feel alone.
Likes: Better ball control fast. After some initial frustration, you learn to dribble without looking at the ball, allowing more focus on the game.
Dislikes: None.
Price: $4.95. (770) 442-1977; www.hotglove.com.
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Easy returns
Spalding Back Atcha Basketball Return: Plastic frame, attached to the rim, that returns the ball after it drops through the hoop.
Likes: A time saver. You don’t have to spend so much time chasing after the ball when practicing alone. After a shot, the Back Atcha channels the ball in the direction of the free throw line. Installs in seconds with no tools; just tilt it forward and snap the hooks over the rim.
Dislikes: Only works if you make the shot.
Price: $12.99. (800) SPALDING; available at retailers.
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Irvine-based endurance cyclist and runner Roy M. Wallack is the coauthor of “Bike for Life: How to Ride to 100.” Reach him at roywallack@aol.com