Choosing the right at-home basketball training solution for you may seem like a tall task. There are many options that range greatly based on price and functionality. But there are a few key features you'll want to pay attention to when choosing the right fit for you and your situation.
Check out the 5 main features we recommend you pay attention to when making a decision on a basketball shooting machine for your home. This will help you narrow down the things you care about and could go without, and ultimately find the best fit for you.
1. Portability and weight
An important thing as a home-user to consider is a product's portability and weight. Would you ever bring this item to a park, want to load it into the car, or want your young child to set this up on their own? Take note of the size and weight of your options.
A training solution like the Dr. Dish iC3 is only 35 lbs and easily fits in the trunk of a car but may require adult assistance to be set up on the rim (due to height of rim and strength of player). You may leave the iC3 on the rim however, you should take it down if it's being used in an outdoor court setting to avoid elements of the weather like rain, snow, wind, hail, etc.
The Dr. Dish Home (and all of our machines) fit through a standard doorway and are compatible with our all-terrain cart to make transportation on uneven ground easy. This is not the same for all automatic shooting machines, so check your space and what you can accommodate.
Check out how easy it is to setup the Dr. Dish Home and iC3 Shot Trainer on your hoop!
2. Number of basketballs used when training
Another thing to pay attention to is the number of basketballs that can be used with the training solution. This is often overlooked, if you are looking to increase the number of reps you can get up in a limited amount of time the number of balls used will impact your training.
Our automatic shooting machines work best with 4-6 basketballs, there is always a ball ready in the chamber to be passed out to you. The iC3 can be used with 1 or 2 balls to get constant reps up.
3. Ball Return speed and distance
Something else to consider is the return speed and pass distance of the basketball. Different products use various methods to return the ball to the shooter which affects the time and distance between passes. When the number of balls is limited the return time will be based off of when the next ball is available.
Passing distance is also important. If you have a rebounder that returns the ball right in front of the rim and you're at the 3-point line you will still be doing some form of rebounding. Our machines use an easy 5-distance passing distance lever to allow for different passing lengths. The iC3 uses a gravity-ramp system and can pass out relatively the same distance.
Our Dr. Dish shooting machines also allow you to choose the return speed (tempo) somewhere between 1-20. A ball is always ready to be passed out, allowing you to customize your training to exactly fit your needs.
Check out this video to see the passing distance adjuster on the Dr. Dish Home
4. Number of locations the training solution passes to and how
Understanding the locations the product can distribute to is an important feature to look into. Many players want to practice shots from a variety of locations around the arch. If being limited to the locations is a deal breaker for you then you'll want to check into this with each product you're considering.
Some products return the ball based on programmed locations, in any order. Imagine being able to customize your favorite drill and not worry about where your pass will come from. With a Dr. Dish Home and membership you can! Other shot trainers use manual rotation, like the iC3 Shot Trainer which can return the ball anywhere within 180 degrees and one location at a time.
5. Stat Tracking Capability
The last feature to look into is a products state-tracking abilities. The Dr. Dish Home and our other shooting machines have software support that tracks a player's made and missed shots, and integrates with pre-programmed drills. Some of our machines not only track this data per session but will showcase your shooting trends over time.
Our player app is frequently updated with new features and drills, getting players excited for their training.
Some people are less concerned with their shooting results and just want to focus on the reps, which is great because you have options like the Dr. Dish iC3 Shot Trainer.
To recap, when it comes to choosing the right at-home basketball training solution for you there are 5 major features to consider:
1. Portability and weight
2. Number of balls compatible with the training solution
3. The speed and distance of the pass return
4. Number of passing locations
5. Stat tracking and app integrations
While this post speaks specifically to features, it goes without saying that price also plays a factor when shopping! The iC3 is the most affordable and portable shot trainer on the market at $499, the Dr. Dish Home which is specifically designed for home-use if offered at $3,495 ($39/month membership separate).
If you're looking for support or have any other questions about the options Dr. Dish offers, give us a call at 888-887-7453 or send us an email at info@drdishbasketball.com
If you're looking for more help, be sure to check out our popular Basketball Shooting Machine Buyers Guide post, which will help you know other things to consider when buying.