The concept of the “ Double Down Pulse™" is relatively new as an accepted running technique, but there are examples of athletes taking advantage of the power and rhythm generated from pulsing the hands in a number of sports. Basketball in particular presents a large variety of opportunities to utilize the Double Down Pulse™ in order to improve performance. Without question the sport of basketball has produced some of the most impressive athletes throughout history. Some of the highest jumpers the world has ever seen have come from places where there were no master trainers, no fancy strength equipment, and no plyometric training programs. There are athletes who have reached unheard of levels of explosiveness with no training tools other than a basketball and a hoop. This raises the question, how? How can simply playing basketball lead to such incredible feats of athleticism? Perhaps the answer lies in the pulsing action of the hands necessary for dribbling/ball-handling. The downward intent of the hands, combined with the ability to absorb that force in a vertical direction makes handling a basketball one of the most functional and athletic expressions in sports, and further proof of the power produced by pulsing the hands during locomotion. Introducing ProPulse® Speed Trainers to an experienced basketball player can quickly take their athleticism and speed to a new level, and learning the Double Down Pulse™ is a great way for all athletes to improve their overall rhythm and athleticism.
In my previous practice, the introduction of the original ProPulse® Speed Trainers, along with this new method of teaching sprinting mechanics, had a profound impact. All of my athletes made great progress in their mechanics and sprint times as a result of the introduction of Double-Down Pulse® technique, but as I studied the data collected throughout this process, something interesting jumped out at me. Teaching a new style of running can be difficult, and learning how to use ProPulse® Speed Trainers can be frustrating at times, but I realized that out of all my athletes, the basketball players had the easiest time learning Double Down Pulse™ technique. When compared to their peers, the basketball athletes learned the stationary pulsing drills more easily and were most able to transfer those skills to full-speed movement. Because of this, the basketball players also saw the biggest improvement in their sprinting mechanics and sprint times. After making this realization, it dawned on me that the pulsing action used with ProPulse® Speed Trainers looks and feels a lot like dribbling a basketball.
In basketball, the Double Down Pulse™ is present in multiple facets of the game. The most obvious example of pulsing in basketball is dribbling, but if you watch closely you will see extreme expressions of the Double Down Pulse™ in basketball. Watch the ball as an athlete picks up their dribble and approaches the rim for a big dunk, and you will see a hard pulsing action happen in correlation with each step. Watch great defensive players move laterally, and you will see them drive their hands toward the floor as they shuffle. Basketball players interested in improving quickness can use ProPulse® Speed Trainers to distill lateral defensive mechanics, and learning how to pulse with a basketball is a great way to improve the power of your penultimate step as you attack the rim.
ProPulse® Speed Trainers are an excellent tool for all athletes. Even if your aren't a basketball player or coach, simply understanding the parallels between Double Down Pulse™ technique and dribbling a basketball might open up a new level of understanding for anyone who is struggling to find their pulsing rhythm, and drawing the connection between pulsing and dribbling could make teaching the Double Down Pulse™ easier. Non-basketball players who add pulsers into their regular routine can expect to develop the same rhythm and fluidity commonly seen in experienced basketball athletes, and giving a pair of ProPulse® Speed Trainers to someone who already plays basketball is a sure-fire way to take their game to the next level.
