Basketball Training Equipment: The Top 25 List

Basketball Training Equipment: Best Recommendations

Having the right tools makes all the difference. As an athlete, or as a team you want to make sure that you are not only working hard, but that you are working smart and maximizing your gym time. Being able to do that has a lot to do with the equipment that you have at hand. If you want to be able to prepare at an elite level, you need to set yourself up to do so.

With most programs being on a pretty tight budget and a lot of companies out there claiming to have a "miracle product" for sale, we decided to put together our list of the best basketball products on the market.

Hopefully you can look through this list of the best basketball training equipment and find something that will help you. I am sure that we missed a couple of good training tools, so if you have one that you really like and feel it should be on the list, comment it bellow.

Basketball Training Equipment: The Top 25 List

1. Wilson X Connected Smart Basketball (link)

The Wilson X is a smart ball that allows you to track your shots and evaluate different statistics that go along with shooting like; angle of your shot, ball rotation, etc. All of the information is sent to your smartphone so that you can evaluate it. If you are a numbers guy or girl, this is the ball for you.

2. Dribbling Goggles (link)

A lot of younger players struggle to keep their eyes up while dribbling a basketball. However, with dribbling goggles it blocks the players eyes from being able to glance down at the basketball. Start learning to dribble with your eyes up with this great ball handling tool.

3. Ball Hog Gloves (link)

The idea behind ball hog gloves is to make it harder to control the basketball with the gloves on. That way when you get into a game situation and are not wearing the gloves anymore you have more control over the ball. Develop your ball control and touch by using the ball hog gloves.

4. Weighted Basketball Trainer (link)

There are all kinds of different weighted basketball that come in different sizes and weights. This particular weighted basketball trainer weighs 3 pounds and is official size. It is going to help a player work on extending their shooting range and also their hand strength when dribbling.

5. The D Man (link)

If you look at the shooting percentages between shooting a contested shot compared to an uncontested shot, you will first make sure that your team is contesting more shots on defense, but secondly you will see the value of the D Man and learning to shoot over a contested hand. You can use the D Man to work on finishes, shooting, or as a defender to make dribble moves past.

6. Agility Ladder (link)

Footwork in basketball is key, regardless of position. A great way to improve a players footwork is the agility ladder. There are multiple different types of footwork combinations that you can do with an agility ladder to challenge and improve a players footwork. So whether you are a beginner or a pro, agility ladders add a lot of value.

7. Weighted Speed Vest (link)

The weighted speed vest is going to help develop a players explosiveness and speed. The idea behind using a weighted vest is that the player will train with the weights on to make their body push harder. That way when they remove the vest they trick their body to output the same amount of energy, but this time the athlete is lighter, making them more explosive.

8. DribbleUp Smart Basketball With Trainer App (link)

The DribbleUp Smart basketball is similar to the Wilson X Ball, but instead of focusing on shooting it is going to work on ball handling. The smart ball comes with an app that will allow you to track dribble speed, hesitation, pace of a move, and a live interactive dribble speed meter. It also comes with a 30 day guided training program in the app that will allow you to work on your game and know exactly what to do.

9. Jump Rope (link)

A great way to improve footwork and quickness is a jump rope. It is also a great way to warm up before a practice or workout. Whether you are a big man or a guard, jumg rope is a great tool.

10. Training Mask (link)

This mask is a multi-sport training tool, but it can be really good for develog a player's conditioning and endurance. The goal of the mask is simulate a high altitude situation that is going to force the athlete to improve their breathing. That way when the mask is removed, the player will be able to breathe easier and hopefully run harder and longer.

11. The Big Cone (link)

No more having to pull out trash cans or set up chairs, the Big Cone will allow you to easily set up and take down "stationary defenders" for working on ball handling, finishing, and more. The Big Cone also is able to double as a storage unit if needed.

12. Resistance Bands (link)

Going back to the idea of tricking your body to output more effort, resistance bands use the same basic concept. Resistance bands are great for working on making explosive movements that translate over to a game. You can work on being able to blow by an opponent, sliding to cut off an offensive player, and so many more movements that are used within a game.

13. Agility Hurdles (link)

Agility hurdles are great because they force a player to get their feet up off the ground and move quickly. They can either be used for footwork drills or vertical training; both are essential in today's game of basketball.

14. PowerHandz (link)

Similar to the Ball Hog gloves listed above, the goal of the PowerHandz Gloves is to force the ball handler to get out of their comfort zone and really work to develop their handles. These gloves are weighted and come with an anti-friction surface. The weighted gloves aspect will help with develog quicker hands, and the smooth surface on the glosves will help to develop better ball control.

15. Disc Cones (link)

Whether it is working on ball handling, defense, footwork, etc. disc cones are great to have. They help the player understand where they need to go and allow the player to better visualize the movement. Benefits of disc cones over regular cones is that they are easier to transport, store, and for the price you can get a lot more cones.

16. Multipurpose Resistance Bands (link)

Similar to the speed and explosiveness training resistance bands, these multipurpose bands can be used for speed, vertical, etc. but they can also be used to work on flexibility, strength, and more. I would recommend getting one of these bands based just on stretching and improving flexibility.

17. Tennis Balls (link)

Hand eye coordination is a big part of basketball and a great way to improve a players coordination is to include tennis balls into different drills. You can use them in ball handling drills, catching drills, quickness/speed drills, etc.

18. Pro Shot Finger Spacer (link)

This training tool is designed to force players to keep proper finger spacing when shooting and dribbling. I really like this piece of training equipment for shooting though. A lot of times younger players struggle with proper finger positioning on their shooting hand, and this tool will really help with that.

19. Kick Out Ball Return (link)

This is another great product brought by SKLZ and it is going to allow a player to shoot and then have the ball returned to them on the make. If you are not able to consistently have a rebounder when you shoot, this product will help to save you a lot of time and energy running down the ball after you shoot, which will allow for more time and energy spent on actual shooting.

20. Blocking Pad (link)

Great players are able to be physical and handle contact. Whether it is being able to shield off an aggressive defender, boxing out, finishing at the basket, or whatever it might be; players need to learn to play through contact. The blocking pad is a great way to do this while being safe.

21. Solo Assist (link)

Unfortunately you do not always have a passer at your disposal as a player when you are training, and as a coach with 12 plus players in the gym sometimes your only responsibility can't be just passing. The Solo Assist allows for a passer and lets you practice different shots, moves, etc. that require a passer.

22. Dribble Stick (link)

Ball handling has a lot to do with ball control and the Dribble Stick really helps to promote ball control by forcing the player to dribble over or under different height levels. With this basketball training tool you are able to practice quick hand to hand combinations, one hand ball control, and much more.

23. Double Double (link)

This is two basketball training tools in one. The Double Double is first going to allow shooters to work on their shooting by making the rim smaller. If the player can make it in the smaller ring at a high clip then their shooting percentage should go way up without the ring in.

Secondly, it provides a great cap to the rim as well that has different raised grooves on it. This allows for working on rebounding; which is a great tool for coaches to use in practice. Missing on purpose without a cap rarely ends up coming off like a game miss would, the Double Double will help to simulate natural game misses.

24. Control Basketball Set (link)

Getting out of your comfort zone is a must when it comes to improving as a ball handler. The Control Basketball Set is going to provide 3 basketballs that are different sizes and weights. One ball focuses on quickness, another on touch, and the third on building hand and finger strength.

25. Resistance Sprints Parachute (link)

This is not a basketball specific training tool, but it is great for helg improve speed. A resistance band is great for working on sprints as well, but the resistance parachute will allow you to run for a longer distance and really push yourself to go max speed.

The goal is to trick your muscles to work harder than they need to when the parachute is on. When you remove the parachute and do the same sprints, your body will continue to put out that extra energy, but this time you will not have the parachute holding you back.

Basketball Training Equipment Conclusion

As a player or coach, how you spend your time in the gym is valuable. The whole goal of this article is to help provide you with training tools that are going to allow you to maximize your time and effort in the gym. Having the right tools can make all the difference.

If you are looking for some more great basketball related products, checkout our list of the Best Basketball Coaching Books and our list of the Top 25 Basketball Gifts.

Also, please remember to comment any great basketball training equipment that we may have missed below. We are always looking to update this list with any new great training tools that we are able to discover.

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