Shooter’s Revolution, based out of Phoenix, Arizona, has its sights set on changing the way basketball players train for the game.
The company, co-founded by former collegiate-level players Ryan Holmes, Kingsley Costain, and Michael Johnson, does not want to merely inspire players to train harder. Instead, the company wants them to train smarter, wants them to evolve.
Working under their brand, “BASKTEBALL + Performance Technology”, Shooter’s Revolution has developed the EVO ONE—a ball infused with Micro-Sensor technology, designed to perfect the fundamental art of shooting. Echoing the company’s mindset of evolving the game, the EVO ONE embodies a multi-functional basketball, capable of transitioning between a traditional ball and a professional shooting coach.
Earlier this week, Holmes and Kingsley took time out of their busy schedules to discuss how the EVO ONE came to be.
Costain, who founded Next Level Training in Calabasas, California, came up with the idea for a ball with built-in technology after interacting with young players. “I specialize in shooting expertise, and I noticed that a lot of kids had trouble with their follow through, with the flick of the wrist, etcetera,” Costain states. “I was thinking of the older basketball with the built in pump, the Spalding Infusion. I thought, ‘I want the ball to make a noise’”.
While reaching out to engineers to develop the product, Costain also contacted his former teammates, Ryan Holmes, and Michael Johnson. “Ryan and I met playing at Pepperdine. Then I met Michael, our third partner, after transferring to Concordia. So I spoke to them and then we went from there,” he finishes. In this way, Shooter’s Revolution was formed, and development began for the EVO ONE.
The main component of the EVO ONE, is its Micro-Sensor technology, which embodies a three-year culmination of research and development. The micro-sensors, located within the ball, are designed to correct imperfections in shooting mechanics that create inconsistency, especially among young players.
Costain and Holmes describe how the technology behind the ball works.
“Micro-sensors measure the in-flight motion of ball. They measure the motion of the ball when it is shot, and provide instant audio-feedback when it’s shot correctly,” both explain.
The instant audio-feedback, which sounds like a series of rapid chirping noises, is emitted from the ball when shot with an optimal rate of backspin—which is about two to three rotations per second,” continues Costain. “Every time it does that, the ball sends a noise back to the shooter to let them know that they are shooting accurately.
In other words, the micro-sensors in the EVO ONE provide a simple way to condition players to shoot consistently, without drastically altering their shooting style. Most importantly, the EVO ONE trains players to develop proper wrist movement. As described by both Costain and Holmes, “Everyone has their own shooting form, so our technique is to really emphasize follow-through and the flick of the wrist. That’s the main purpose of the ball.” To summarize, Holmes adds, “It lets them know what a good shot feels like. You want to hear that noise. So when you go into a game, you’re muscle memory is already built up.” No consistency, no buckets.
And while the EVO ONE is a new take on the standard basketball, it still comes with the same feel and playability players are used to. The ball meets regulation size and weight standards, and the micro-sensors can be removed when used for normal play. In effect, players can seamlessly incorporate the EVO ONE into their normal training routines. “We like to say that we just popped a professional shooting coach inside the basketball,” Holmes concludes.
Thanks to the EVO ONE, players of all levels will be able to experience accurate training on an affordable level. The product is featured on Kickstarter, where people can pre-order the ball and support its continued development. You can access the link directly through Kickstarter, or by logging on to ShootersRevolution.com. As an incentive, Shooter’s Revolution is offering various rewards, from wristbands, to T-shirts, to video-shootings. The expected release of the EVO ONE is scheduled for mid-January, 2014.
Upon finishing the interview, both Costain and Holmes expressed their optimism about the the near-future.
“We’re definitely brainstorming more ideas to infuse technology and basketball products,” they conclude. “We have our motto—‘the 25th hour.’ It’s putting in that extra time at the gym. That’s what we have pushed for; that’s want to get out to players. EVO ONE is the ultimate ball. It’s the only ball you need!”
If you are interested in contributing to EVO One via Kickstarter, you can do so here.