THE SECRETS OF STEPHEN CURRY AS TOLD BY HIS PARENTS, TRAINERS, and PRIVATE COACHES
The Secrets of Stephen Curry What critics, analysts, and fans often overlook when they think of the 2 time NBA All Star and 2015 MVP Candidate Introduction The Secrets of Stephen Curry 3 A Willingness to Learn and Be Coachable 4 Reaction Time and Ability to See the Court 4 Reading the Defender and Creating Separation 6 Efficiency of Movement and On-Court Strength 6 Work Ethic and Training on Another Level 8 Stephen Curry and Private Coaching 10 2
Introduction - The Secrets of Stephen Curry Golden State Warriors point guard, Stephen Curry, has proved critics wrong his entire career, from his college days at Davidson to his recent success in the NBA. He s an undersized guard that has truly earned the respect and attention he has received. When critics said he wasn t a very good ball handler, and all he could do was shoot, he became one of the best ball handlers in the game. Critics said he wasn t going to be able to play in the League as a point guard, and he has changed the game and how you view a point guard. He s become not only one of the best point guards in the world, but one of the best players in the professional basketball today. In this guide, Stephen s private coaching company, CoachUp, takes you behind the scenes to understand the special recipe of private training, attention to detail, and incredible work ethic, that have made Stephen the player he is today. If you are a basketball player at any level -- or the parent of an aspiring basketball player -- this ebook will give you a better understanding of what it takes to reach the next level, and the level after that, by the world s best point guard -- someone who has overcome the odds again and again, proving doubters wrong in high school, college, and the pros. If you want to play like Stephen Curry, you need to train like him, too, and this ebook shows you how. 3
I knew he was going to be a good player at a young age... he not only played, but he listened, watched and soaked in all the knowledge as a young player to learn how to play the game....just the aspect of being patient and learning and soaking all of the knowledge that the professionals were showing him [was one of his best skills]. - Stephen s Father, Dell Curry The First Step Toward Greatness is a Willingness to Learn and be Coachable One of the things that makes Stephen so special is his tireless work ethic. There s no detail too small, there s nothing overlooked. Every single workout is building toward one goal, which is becoming a better basketball player. When training with his private coaches he comes with input and questions, and it s all driven toward him reaching his full potential. Stephen has a rare understanding of true hard work and dedication while also understanding the importance of being coachable. According to his private coaches, he accepts their challenges and takes them on eagerly during private training, even when presented with drills that are outside of the box of normal thinking. He embraces challenges and goes 110% on his drills with a sense of urgency -- always at game speed -- and with the ultimate mindset of improving to become the best that he can be. Ability to Read the Court = Makes His Teammates Better Every defender Stephen faces night-in and night-out is aware of his rare shooting ability as the NBA s 3-point champion, as well as his sick ball handling skills, but his ability to see the floor, make quick reads, and react with the right decision keeps his defenders off balance and enables him to create opportunities for his teammates. Stephen s brain and body communicate at an elite level, largely due to the work his private coaches have done with him over the years. His personal coaches use a system of neuromuscular movements and cognitive training 4
[Stephen s] ability to read the defender in front of him and use any movement that he makes against him and do so very efficiently while creating space [is something that sets him apart]. The slightest movement one way or the other and you re beat. Because he only needs a little space and he creates a lot more. - Stephen s Private Coach, Brandon Payne 5
to give him the ability to survey the floor and make quick decisions -- which in turn slows the game down for him. It s like he s moving at one speed, and the game is moving at another speed. If you practice in a more competitive environment than you face in a game situation, it makes game situations seem familiar and less challenging. It s evident through Stephen s floor vision and unique passing ability that his basketball IQ is off the charts. His mental processing speed, his ability to gather information, interpret complex defensive rotations, and make the correct decision is something he has worked hard to master. Separation from Defender = Better Shot Selection Stephen has separated himself as a shooter and scorer in the League by mastering the art of using a quick move to create separation for his shot. Stephen has the ability to read the defender in front of him and use any wrong movements the defender makes to his advantage. Once he has beaten his man, Stephen is able to not only attack the defender in front of him -- making a strong move based on his defender s top foot and body position -- but anticipate where the help defense will come from, once he has beat his man. Stephen s ability to create separation, along with his quick release, unbelievable handle, and deadly range from long distance, makes him a nightmare for any defender. On-Court Strength = Movement Efficiency Stephen s lack of physical strength limited him in his first few years in the NBA, so his private coaches developed a training program to improve his oncourt strength through drills that incorporate acceleration, deceleration, overload and contrast on particular muscle groups, and dynamic stability. The fastest way to become a more skilled player is to get stronger through the specific 6
I noticed that Stephen had potential to be a great player when he was in high school. His mental knowledge of the game and the technical knowledge of the game [surpassed those of his peers]....he could see a few steps ahead of a play and anticipate... where there might be a hole or an opportunity in an offensive play. So it was not necessarily his physical ability, it was his mental understanding of the game. - Stephen s Mother, Sonya Curry 7
When people think of Stephen, they see a smaller guy... the word strength really doesn t pop into their head. In actuality, he s an extremely strong athlete especially when you re going pound for pound. He s incredibly strong and fast through every movement that he makes on the court. And that s what separates him, there s no wasted movement, everything he does is done to either score or put a teammate in a better position to score. - Stephen s Private Coach, Brandon Payne movements you typically perform on the court, whether it s a dribbledrive on offense, a lateral slide on defense, or coming off a screen and stepping into a shot. Training on Another Level = Distancing Yourself From The Rest Stephen s workouts are more complex and difficult than the game situations he faces in the League. So, when game time comes, the confidence he has in his moves and shots allows him to to make plays that appear incredible to fans, but are simple and well-rehearsed for him. Stephen s shooting workouts are always executed at game speed, with emphasis on perfect mechanics, and repeated at high volume to allow for muscle memory to develop. He doesn t allow himself to get to a point where his mechanics fail or where he goes less than game speed. He believes that if you re working at anything less than game speed, it s worthless, and he s motivated to be the best point guard in the world. 8
What makes Stephan Curry so special is just his unbelievable work ethic. There s no detail too small, there s nothing overlooked. You could see it in every workout that he had, and I think that translated to him wanting to perfect everything, to get it right. - Stephen s Private Coach, Brandon Payne 9
Stephen Curry and Private Coaching As an aspiring basketball player, it s easy to watch Stephen Curry -- arguably the best player in the game -- and be astonished by what he can do on the court. It s hard to imagine yourself ever playing at that level. Often, you can t even comprehend the moves he makes, his ability to see open teammates without looking at them, his ability to weave through defenders like they aren t there, and his ability to get good shots off whenever he likes. How did he learn to do that? Was he born that way? Sports, like anything, can be learned. You may never be as good as the best players in the game, but if you are passionate about basketball, or for that matter any sport, you should never let someone tell you that you can t do something, that you can t get better, that you can t compete. If you have a dream to play at the next level -- whether that be high school, college or the pros -- there are people out there who will help you, and you can find them on CoachUp. But you have to put in the time. There is no substitute. You can t get better only by playing or by watching your sport -- you need to get out there and do the work. You have to strive for perfection in your technique, and go 100% in all of your drills, in a challenging environment, with a private coach who knows how to train athletes to give them an edge. And that s exactly what Stephen did, and continues to do today. They run him through drills designed specifically for him, and up the level of difficulty once he masters them. They make his workout sessions much harder than the actual game, so that when the bright lights go on, the game feels like it s in slow motion for him, and he is able to rely on muscle- CoachUp, Another Level and the CoachUp logo are trademarks registered in the US Patent and Trademark Office. memory to perform at a high level. Stephen is a master on the court, because of the intense training he puts into his game every offseason when no one is watching, when its just he and his trainer putting in the time. But that s his story. That s how he continues to train. And you can train like that, too - Stephen s coaches, and thousands more like them across the country, are on CoachUp.com, and are waiting for you to make a decision to go for it. But the real question is, how good do you want to be? Like what you see? Share this guide! 10
Private Coaching Isn t Just For the Pros David started training with Coach Anthony and reached Another Level Watch Video 11
A Conversation with Dell and Sonya Curry Stephen s Parents talk raising Stephen, his development as a basketball player, and the power of private coaching. Watch Video 12
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