BECOME A DIFFERENCE MAKER

According to Christopher “CT” Thomas, his athletes often hate the drills he makes them do “because it’s work—it’s the real deal.” But he says they all love the results of increased performance and increased self-confidence. “My athletes have no qualms about stepping up and being a difference maker.”

And just what are these hate-them, love-results drills—CT calls them “difference-maker workouts--he has his players doing? They are moves that focus on functional movement and core strength development. The fundamentals of basketball. CT’s goal is to get players to move better and more efficiently, allowing them to play longer and stronger. Or as CT tells it, “They’ll be that much more dominant. That much more awesome.”

Eric Gordon Hoops Phenom

High School basketball star trains with SPARQ Trainer Christopher Thomas

Christopher Thomas Difference-Maker Workout

CT promises that if you go hard on these drills, you’ll learn to move more efficiently, limiting the amount of wear and tear on your bod. Then you’ll be stronger, quicker, and faster than your competition. These—plus a winning attitude--are the necessary tools to raise your level of play and become a difference-maker.

Dynamic Warm-Up

You need to prepare your body to allow it to perform at its best during these drills - or in a game. Before you hit the field or gym to do CT’s drills, you need to do this dynamic warm-up.

Inchworm Stretch

How Come: Promotes dynamic flexibility, works on core stability
Equipment:
Reps: 3 to 5
How-To:
  • Start in standing position. While keeping legs straight, bend over and touch the floor with hands.
  • While keeping feet stationary, proceed to slowly walk hands out until your are in the push up position.
  • While keeping hands stationary and legs straight, walk your feet up tp the heel of your hands
  • Come in/out of the stretch with control, hold each stretch position for 3-5 seconds, then repeat.
Know-how: Perform this drill in a continuous manner to optimize the stretch. Maintain a flat back at all times throughout it. Activate the core by limiting the wiggle at the hips while in motion.

Lateral Skips

How Come: Activates abductors, adductors, glutes, ankles, and hips
Equipment:
Reps: Down and back over 10 yards
How-To:
  • Start with your body facing sideways.
  • Begin by lifting your left foot until your knee is about as high as your waist. Skip with your right foot laterally to your left.
  • Return your left foot to the ground as your right foot leaves the ground. Lift your right foot until your right knee is about as high as your waist.
  • Return your right foot to the ground as your left foot leaves the ground for another repetition.
  • Continue skipping laterally down and back for 10 yards.
Know-how: Do not cross your knees or feet at any time.

Opposite Skips

How Come: Activates groin, glutes, hamstrings, and ankles
Equipment:
Reps: Down and back over 10 yards
How-To:
  • This is a normal skip with the arm opposite the raised knee swinging forward (e.g. left arm swings forward when right knee is raised). Raise your knees high and keep the toe of the raised foot flexed toward the shin.
Know-how: Exaggerate the swinging motion of your arms. Stay on the balls of your feet.

Frankenstein Skips

How Come: Activates groin, glutes, hamstrings, calves, and ankles
Equipment:
Reps: Forward 10 yards and return backward 10 yards
How-To:
  • Take short skips forward in a straight line.
  • Every other skip, swing one foot up and touch it with your opposite hand. Alternate feet.
  • Continue for a distance of 10 yards, then stop and go backward.
Know-how: Keep your arms parallel to the ground. Do not reach down to touch the foot--allow the foot to come up to meet the hand. Keep your chest upright.

Swivel Skips

How Come: Activates groin, glutes, hamstrings, calves, and ankles
Equipment:
Reps: Forward 10 yards and return backward 10 yards
How-To:
  • Similar to a normal skip with your arm opposite the raised knee swinging forward.
  • When raising the knee, swivel it across the front of your body to the outside. Keep the toe of the raised foot flexed toward the shin.
  • Continue for a distance of 10 yards, then stop and go backward.
Know-how: Exaggerate the swinging motion of your arms. Stay on the balls of your feet.

Difference-Maker Basketball Drills

Linear Resistance Sprint

How Come: Improves linear speed, leg drive, and balance
Equipment: Parachute
Reps: 4 reps x 25 yards
How-To:
  • With parachute behind you, begin in an athletic basketball starting position. Explode into a sprint, filling the parachute.
  • Continue sprinting straight ahead, not letting chute sway from side to side.
  • Stay on the balls of your feet-your power pads. Keep churning and punching your knees forward. Drive hard all the way through the 25 yards. Rest, and repeat.
Know-how: Keep your arms working with your feet. They should travel from your back pockets to your shoulders; they should never cross the centerline of your chest.

Pro Shuttle

How Come: Develops lower-body speed and quickness, and strengthens hips and ankles
Equipment: 3 Speed Discs (set up in a straight line, with middle disc 5 yards from each end disc)
Reps: 3 reps in each direction
How-To:
  • Begin in a 3-point stance with your feet straddling the line of the middle cone and one hand on the ground. Hold this starting stance for 3 seconds prior to start.
  • Break either left or right. Touch with your hand the line on which the farthest disc sits. Touch the left line with your left hand and the right line with your right hand. Stay low and accelerate through your pivots. Drive hard.
  • Reverse direction and run to the opposite disc 10 yards away and touch that line with your hand.
  • Reverse direction again and sprint through the imaginary finish line extending from the middle disc.
Know-how: Control your body. Speed isn't everything on this drill. An athlete's ability to get in and out of turns quickly will result in a better time.

Lateral Steps

How Come: Improves fielding form and mechanics
Equipment: Power Band
Reps: 2 2-minute sets with 1-minute rest in between
How-To:
  • Begin with tension on the Power Band. Start in the proper squat form with your chest upright, eyes and toes straight ahead.
  • Take a hard stride laterally (in line with your shoulders) and plant your foot. Follow with your trailing leg by sliding it to your original starting position. Left foot leads going left and right foot leads going right.
  • Continue this lateral step and slide for 5 steps in both directions. Do not stand up out of your squat. Continue for 2 minutes, rest 1 minute, and repeat.
Know-how: Keep maximum tension on the power band at all times.

Icky Shuffle

How Come: Develops movement efficiency, footwork, body coordination and control, and, hip mobility
Equipment: Speed Ladder
Reps: 2 reps down and back
How-To:
  • Stand on the left side of the Speed Ladder in an athletic stance with your feet shoulder-width apart and pressure on your power pads.
  • Explode laterally with your right foot into the first square of the ladder; follow with left foot.
  • As soon as your left power pad touches down, step laterally with your right foot outside the first square of the ladder.
  • As soon as your right power pad touches down, move forward with your left foot into the second square. Bring your right foot into the second square.
  • Explode laterally with your left foot outside the second square of the ladder and move forward with your right foot into the third square. Repeat all the way down the ladder.
Know-how: Stay on your power pads and move as fast as you can with proper form.

Woodchoppers

How Come: Improves core strength and explosiveness
Equipment: Power Ball
Reps: 2 sets of 8 reps
How-To:
  • Start with feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, leaning on your power pads. Knees are slightly bent in an aggressive athletic stance. Hold Power Ball with both hands centered at your waist.
  • Begin by reaching down with Power Ball.
  • Quickly explode by bringing Power Ball up and across your chest and extending up to the upper left. Rotate your hips and bring them forward as you extend. Your arms should be fully extended.
  • Complete the set and repeat in opposite direction.
Know-how: Use a Power Ball that allows you to use proper form and technique. Increase weight as you progress with training.

Hip-Hip-Shoulder-Shoulder

How Come: Improves offensive players' techniques for maintaining stability and protecting the ball
Equipment: Power Ball
Reps: 4 sets of 8 reps
How-To:
  • Start in a squat position in a wide stance, feet shoulder-width apart, and shoulders aligned. Hold Power Ball with two hands close to one hip in a triple-threat position..
  • Quickly push ball across the hip line to the opposite hip.
  • Immediately, change position again and push it up to the same side shoulder. Ball shouldn't be far off the body. Stay down in stance the whole time. Perform both directions.
  • Quickly push it across the chest to the other shoulder and then back down to the original starting position at the hip.
Know-how:

Rip Thru

How Come: Develops grip and core strength
Equipment: Power Ball
Reps: 4 sets of 8 reps
How-To:
  • Start in the triple-threat position with Power Ball at your hip. Feet are shoulder-width apart, leaning on your power pads. Stay off your toes and heels. Shoulders should be aligned with knees.
  • Maintaining a squat position, bring your arms straight down to the right side of your body, so ball is now near outer side of knee.
  • Now rip through with straight arms in a pendulum motion to the other side of your body.
  • Repeat this in both directions exploding and ripping through to the other side.
Know-how:

Lunging Tornado Throw

How Come: Teaches stability is power and develops better passing ability
Equipment: Two 6" Speed Hurdles (set 2' apart) and Power Ball
Reps: 3 sets of 8 reps
How-To:
  • Start standing tall in front of first hurdle with both hands holding Power Ball in front of your chest.
  • Lunge-step with your right foot over the first hurdle. Your body weight should be balanced on your front foot and the toes of your back foot.
  • Dip into a lunge, lowering your left knee to the top of the hurdle. Do not let your front knee extend beyond the arch of your front foot.
  • At the same time, tornado-throw Power Ball with two hands starting from left side of your waist. Throw to a teammate or against a wall. Rotate through and underhand throw the ball to the right, keeping lower body stable and facing forward. Do not twist hips.
  • Repeat by throwing in the opposite direction while stepping with other foot.
Know-how: Focus on form and technique. By keeping lower body stable while rotating upper body and throwing, your body is trained to remain stable while in rotation when you're guarding or making passes.

Squat Jumps

How Come: Strengthens quads, glutes, calves, and hamstrings
Equipment: Power Ball
Reps: 3 sets of 10 reps
How-To:
  • Start with your knees bent slightly, feet shoulder-width apart, and toes pointed slightly outward. Huge Power Ball to your chest, crossing arms just below your waist.
  • Squat, keeping your knees over the balls of your feet and your back straight. Squat down until your hamstrings are parallel to the ground.
  • Explode up as quickly as you can, reaching for the sky with your head. Push with your legs, not your back.
  • Upon landing, immediately squat again and repeat the jump. Repeat squatting and jumping until set is completed.
Know-how: Keep your back straight throughout squats and jumps.