Skill acquisition
The science of how players learn, retain and transfer skill.
76 items
A player can reproduce a crossover in an empty gym and still struggle to beat an opponent. The movement and the situation that makes it useful have been practiced separately.
Transforming Basketball approaches skill as the player’s ability to adapt within the game. Practice gives players repeated opportunities to find solutions as defenders, teammates, space and time change.
Articles
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The 10,000-Hour Rule: Practice Quality, Sampling, and Development
For decades, the "10,000-hour rule" has served as the golden standard for achieving expertise in sports and other complex domains.
Rethinking Traditional Basketball Coaching Methods
Imagine walking into a doctor’s office today and receiving a medical treatment that hasn't been updated since the 1970s. You would immediately seek a second opinion.
Why "Repetition Without Repetition" is the Key to Basketball Skill Transfer
To bridge the gap between practice and performance, we have to embrace two core concepts of the Constraints-Led Approach (CLA): Repetition Without Repetition and Functional Variability.
Skill Development: How to Build a Self-Teaching Basketball Environment
We’ve all been there. It’s Tuesday night and you’re exhausted. You find yourself standing on the sideline, barking instructions at your point guard to "pressure the ball" or "kick ahead" for the tenth time.
Understanding Survivorship Bias
Very early in my career as an assistant coach, I remember an instance during a youth training session when the head coach shouted at a player right after he missed…
Ecological Dynamics: The Core Principles Behind The CLA
In the world of sports coaching and skill acquisition, Ecological Dynamics has emerged as a powerful framework for understanding how athletes learn, adapt their movements, and perform on the court.
Why We Need to Stop Coaching Basketball Fundamentals
You may have read our first marquee blog which challenged the very nature of fundamentals.
Skill Acquisition in Basketball: The Science Behind Coaching
This blog explores the principles of skill acquisition research and how they apply to basketball, with a particular emphasis on using the Constraints-Led Approach (CLA).
What External Cues Are Optimal to Develop Better Shooters?
This is a bit of a ‘catch 22’ scenario! While we make use of BRADs extensively at Transforming (original credit to Sefu Bernard), we don’t believe in having a list of external cues that are uniformal to every player.
Why Do we Not Use 1-on-0 at Transforming Basketball?
We frequently get asked about why we refrain from using 1-on-0 drills at Transforming Basketball, and more specifically, why we are so against how it is commonly used.
How to Apply the Theory of Differential Learning in Basketball Shooting
A question we receive frequently at Transforming Basketball is how we develop adaptive shooters. This is where differential learning (DL) forms a key part of our player development framework, existing as a highly useful tool for complementing CLA practice tasks.
Evidence-Based Basketball Coaching: An Introduction
Why Basketball Coaching Needs an Evidence-Based Basketball Coaching Approach? Approaches within the basketball industry are predominantly based upon experiential knowledge and traditions. This is perhaps most notable within coaching.
Podcast
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EP178: Why Perfect form Does Not Exist with Gabriel Millian
14 min
EP168: How to use the CLA to prepare players for game day
13 min
EP164: Gabriel Solé Head S&C Coach for Ourense Baloncesto in Spain's Primera FEB
29 min
EP159: Understanding Non-Linear Pedagogy with Dr. Matt Bowers from the University of Texas
35 min
EP136: Traditional vs CLA Drills
16 min
EP128: Constraints, Curiosity, and Coaching: Ashley Cookson on Leading the Essex Rebels
27 min
EP121: Athlete-Centered Coaching - Building Autonomy, Mastery, and Purpose with Loren Anderson
40 min
EP118: What Basketball Can Learn from Equestrian and Adventure Sports with Marianne Davies
31 min
EP106: Playing with Perception with Derek Panchuk (Part 2)
28 min
EP105: Playing with Perception with Derek Panchuk (Part 1)
26 min
EP95: Developing a Youth Program with Jon Yu & Neil Houghton (Part 2)
24 min
EP94: Developing a Youth Program with Jon Yu & Neil Houghton (Part 1)
27 min
EP93: Wanting to Know the Why with Ari Braun
32 min
EP92: Sean Keating 4v3 3v2
15 min
EP91: Developing Female Hoopers with Kerri Kuzbyt (Part 2)
26 min
EP90: Developing Female Hoopers with Kerri Kuzbyt (Part 1)
29 min
EP89: Neil Houghton One Club Philosophy
41 min
EP87: Why Muscle Memory is Irrelevant
17 min
EP82: What the CLA Is and Isn't (Part 2)
31 min
EP81: What the CLA Is and Isn't (Part 1)
32 min
EP78: By Any Means Basketball with Coleman Ayers
27 min
EP77: Why Players Don't Need Blocked Practice
18 min
EP74: Athlete-Centered Coaching with Jesse Rawlings
53 min
EP73: Thinking Differently in Basketball Athletic Performance with Jamie Smith
39 min
EP72: Transforming U14 Basketball with Will Twigg
28 min
EP70: Applying the CLA from Youth to NBA with Mitch Kirsch
31 min
EP69: What Exactly is Acquired with Alex Lossberg
25 min
EP68: Realising the Potential of the CLA with Liam Jefferson
29 min
EP67: Presenting to UConn's Eco Psych Department
30 min
EP65: The Role of An SAS in Professional Basketball with Tyler Yearby (Pt 2)
25 min
EP64: The Role of An SAS in Professional Basketball with Shawn Myszka (Pt 1)
41 min
EP63: Intentionality in Professional Basketball with George Galanopoulos
50 min
EP62: Exploring a Contemporary Approach with Nabil Murad
29 min
EP60: Playing by the Rules with the CLA with Dr. Alex Lascu
27 min
EP58: Why There is No 'One Size Fits All' with Martin Andrade
28 min
EP54: An Ever Evolving Coach with Jonas de Bruyne
24 min
EP53: How to Overcome Challenges Implementing the CLA
16 min
EP51: How Basketball Coaches Can Implement Clear Principles of Play with Zico Coronel
58 min
EP49: How to Apply the CLA in Multiple Parts of Daily Life with Adam de Groot
31 min
EP45: Why Basketball Fundamentals are Outdated
23 min
EP43: How Alba Berlin's Academy Produces Youth Players like Frans Wagner with Marius Huth
23 min
EP42: Designing Representative Practice Environments with Tom Parry
33 min
EP41: How Sweden are Revolutionizing Player Development with Andrew Pleick and Rikard Aspegren
36 min
EP40: How Research Can Transform Your Practices with Anton Kalen
43 min
EP37: How to Improve ANY Basketball Drill
19 min
EP36: What Basketball Coaches Can Learn from Volleyball with Kasey Crider
40 min
EP35: The Secrets Behind Jeremy Lin's Workouts with Josh Fan
29 min
EP29: Understanding the CLA Terminology with Rob Newson
32 min
EP26: How to Use the CLA with Beginners
17 min
EP25: How to Develop Skilled Basketball Players with Rob Gray
27 min
EP24: Bayer Giants Leverkusen's Secret Weapon: Ecological Dynamics with Felix Engel
27 min
EP23: How to Apply Ecological Dynamics to Strength and Conditioning with Javier Miller-Estrada
32 min
EP18: "Swimming In A Bathtub" How to Make Training Representative of the Game with Alan Dunton
31 min
EP17: What is the London Lions' Approach to Youth Development?
27 min
EP16: What is Ecological Dynamics and How Does It Impact Basketball Coaching?
12 min
EP12: The New MONEYBALL in Basketball? A Practical Guide to Skill Acquisition in Basketball
18 min
EP11: Crafting a Coaching Philosophy: How Theory Shapes Coaching Strategies
12 min
EP10: Developing Great Shooters
34 min
EP7: Why You SHOULDN'T Run Pass and Cut Offense
21 min
EP6: Why Drills DON'T Translate to the Real Game with Adam Omiecinski
38 min
EP5: What is The Constraints-Led Approach (CLA)?
45 min
EP3: The Journey of College Prep Italy's Coaching Team
38 min
EP2: Why Should All Coaches be Using Methods Backed by Science?
33 min
EP1: What is the Future of Basketball Coaching?
33 min