Basketball is a popular sport on the global stage and it’s especially attractive to younger children who are still developing their interpersonal skills. It’s also one of the most cost effective sports for consumers to play since they only need to purchase a ball and find a basketball hoop to shoot at.
For consumers wanting to take their game to the next level, or for coaches wanting to help improve their team’s playing capabilities, there are some fantastic basketball training equipment options in today’s market for all ages. Keep reading to learn more about what type of equipment is now trending among consumers.
Table of Contents
Why basketball training equipment?
Global market value of basketball training equipment
Trending types of basketball training equipment
Conclusion
Why basketball training equipment?
Basketball training equipment encompasses a wide range of products designed to enhance players’ skills, improve their performance, and help with their training routines. In recent years more of an emphasis has been placed on player development, especially from a young age, which has created more demand for basketball specific training equipment.
Having the right type of equipment in basketball can make all of the difference. Whether the consumer is planning to work on their own game from home or a local basketball court, or a basketball team is looking to improve their overall performance, it’s vital that the right equipment is purchased.
Basketball training equipment that’s suitable for adults isn’t necessarily suitable for younger children due to size differences and capabilities. That’s why the market has seen an influx of a more diverse range of basketball training equipment available to consumers, much the same way that new football technologies have emerged. Basketball equipment is now fully adaptable to the individual.
Global market value of basketball training equipment
Communities around the world have, in recent years, been investing more in local and regional basketball leagues, which in turn has brought in more income to the economy as these regions host basketball tournaments as well. There’s also been an increase in people watching leagues such as the NBA and the World Championships as well as an increase in consumers actively looking to lead a more healthy lifestyle by playing recreational sports such as basketball.
By 2021 the global market value of basketball equipment reached a total of USD 803 million. Between 2022 and 2030 that number is projected to increase at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of at least 4.4% and this increase is largely down to the sport being widely accessible for all consumers since minimal equipment is required to play.
North America, Europe, and Asia have generated the most demand for basketball equipment as a whole and with more goods being readily available through online platforms sales have only begun to increase. The drive in sales of basketball training equipment also largely comes from coaches of younger players who require more training aids to develop their game.
Trending types of basketball training equipment
There’s no denying that basketball is an extremely popular sport around the world since it can be played by all ages, genders, and abilities. And with this popularity comes a lot of unique basketball training equipment options for coaches and players to choose from. The most popular of these include dribbling goggles, the agility ladder, weighted vests, the basketball return system, pop-up big cones, blocking pads, the dribble stick, and basketball court flooring. These will now be looked at in more detail.
Dribbling goggles
Goggles may not be the first thing that comes to mind when someone thinks of playing basketball, but dribbling goggles are really making waves with younger players. For players who are just starting out it can often be a struggle for them to keep their eyes looking forward while bouncing the basketball. The dribbling goggles are here to change that though.
The concept behind the dribbling goggles is simple. The goggles will block out part of the player’s eye line so that they are unable to look down at the ball. This will force them to look forward while they’re dribbling which is important to learn at an early stage so that they can see all of their team’s positioning on court. It’s a very simple piece of basketball training equipment but it’s very effective and is being used more and more.
Agility ladder
The agility ladder is one of the most popular pieces of basketball training equipment on the market. It’s a very simple type of equipment to use and almost every coach will have one on hand to use in training sessions or during warmups for a game. It doesn’t matter what position a player plays in, footwork is vital and the agility ladder really helps to improve footwork and coordination in the long run.
Despite its simplicity there are various types of footwork drills that can be performed using the agility ladder so it’s one piece of basketball training equipment that doesn’t need to be changed to suit different age groups or abilities. In some cases the agility ladder will come as part of an agility training set as well so coaches and players can take advantage of the other equipment for training too. This is also the perfect piece of basketball training equipment to use at home to work on footwork outside of official training sessions.
Weighted vests
Consumers who play basketball at a more serious level are always looking for ways to improve their fitness and playing abilities. The weighted vest is a fantastic piece of basketball training equipment that can also be utilized in other sports such as football and even running. Weighted vests are available in different weight categories and some of the newer models will allow the consumer to adjust the weight using removable weights to better suit their needs.
For basketball purposes, the weighted vest is meant to help improve the speed of the player, especially with their explosiveness off and on the ball. The weight on the body means that the player will have to work harder to achieve the speed they need so that when the vest is eventually removed the body will automatically move faster thanks to the weight previously used – it’s a unique way of tricking the body. The weighted vest is an interesting piece of equipment to use for basketball training and it continues to grow in popularity among the older players.
Basketball return system
The basketball return system is a great piece of training equipment for consumers who spend a lot of time shooting hoops by themselves, either at home or at a local basketball court. Not everyone has people to play basketball with at home so the return system is one of the best at-home pieces of training equipment to own for practicing shots. It can also be used by coaches in training sessions to minimize the need to chase the ball halfway across the court if the ball isn’t rebounded.
The system is easy to install by clipping onto the rim of any standard sized basketball net. It’s designed to help players work on their free throws so that they can stand in the same spot and receive the ball back to them without needing a partner. This basketball return system won’t be very beneficial for other shots such as lay ups though since the ball will return straight back to the free throw line.
Pop-up big cones
A useful piece of basketball training equipment that’s a relatively new addition to the basketball scene is the pop-up big cone. Cones similar to these have been used in contact sports such as American football for years, but now a lighter version has come into the market for sports such as basketball. The pop-up big cones are ideal for man-to-man marking and can be used by individuals as well as team offensive drills in training.
The pop-up big cones are used for predictable training drills and are designed to mimic a defender. The lightweight material makes them very portable and their flexibility means that they won’t cause any harm to younger players if they run into them. Some of these cones can even double as a storage unit if necessary. To make the cones look more interesting there are various designs that can be printed on them too!
Blocking pad
For mature players who need a little more of an intense way of training, the blocking pad is the perfect alternative to the pop-up big cones. Blocking pads are heavily used in the NBA and have become increasingly popular in lower level leagues as well. They’re designed to help train offensive players into becoming more aggressive both on and off of the ball.
The blocking pad is held by the defensive player who is meant to push aggressively against the attacking player. This will help develop their resistance training, their strength training, and force the player to concentrate on their shot while they’re being physically moved around by the defender. It’s the perfect training aid for more advanced players and a lot of coaches are now implementing the blocking pad into their training sessions.
Dribble stick
The dribble stick is another unique piece of basketball training equipment that’s gaining popularity among coaches and players of all levels. This is a stationary piece of equipment, usually made with an aluminum center to make it more stable. The dribble stick will have multiple sticks coming out of the center of it which can be adjusted in height and direction depending on the needs of the player and what they want to focus on the most.
The purpose of the dribble stick is to allow players to work on their dribbling skills by forcing them to dribble over or under the sticks without hitting them. It helps to promote not only ball control but also hand eye coordination and certain dribbling combinations that can be used in games later on. This type of training equipment has evolved over the years but it still continues to be one of the most popular in the world of basketball and is useful for both team training sessions and home use.
Basketball court flooring
Consumers who have a large outdoor space at home will benefit from installing professional basketball court flooring. Rather than playing on an uneven surface or harsh concrete that can have a negative impact on the knees, the interlocking tiles help to add extra safety to the court and help to improve overall performance as well. The type of plastic used in these basketball court tiles is impact resistant so players will be more comfortable and less likely to undergo an injury, and they will hold the color without fading so they are perfect for all weather conditions.
Using this type of tiling is an inexpensive way to provide family members with an outdoor basketball court for years to come. Whether the aim of the court is for practicing purposes or for recreational use and entertainment reasons, it will be a big talking point on the property and bring the game closer to home too.
Conclusion
As consumers start to become more involved in their overall health and wellness, basketball continues to be one of the most played sports around the world. It’s a relatively inexpensive sport to play at the most basic level and many local communities have started to develop teams and leagues to support the growth in popularity of the sport. And with such an increase in interest in basketball comes a lot of basketball training equipment to help aid development.
Although there are a lot of pieces of training equipment for consumers to choose from, the most popular in today’s market continues to be dribbling goggles, the agility ladder, weighted vests, the basketball return system, pop-up big cones, blocking pads, the dribble stick, and basketball court flooring. In the coming years, with the basketball equipment global market value set to increase, there will be more demand placed on modern pieces of training equipment such as tracking apps.
