What does PocketAthlete actually do?

You check in each morning with your sleep, soreness and fatigue. It scores your readiness, adjusts that day's session, and builds four-week training blocks around your sport, your position and the equipment you have.

Is it only for footballers?

No. It covers football, rugby, basketball, running, weightlifting and general gym training, with position-specific work for the team sports.

No. Tell it what you have and it programs around it. Many of the technical drills need nothing but a ball and a wall.

Can it work around an injury?

It works around soreness you log and avoids body parts you tell it to leave alone. It is general training information, not medical advice — see a physiotherapist for a diagnosis.

How should a small forward train?

Explosive, quick and skilled on both ends. Physically, prioritise vertical power, agility, repeat-effort engine. Technically, work on handling & finishing, on-ball defence, court vision.

What drills should a small forward do?

Mikan drill, Catch-and-shoot off the move, Cone series, Transition finishing. 3 of these need nobody but you.

Basketball · Position guide

How a small forward should train

Explosive, quick and skilled on both ends.

The short answer

A small forward should build vertical power and agility, and practise handling & finishing and on-ball defence. The drills that matter most are mikan drill, catch-and-shoot off the move, cone series. 3 of them need nobody but you.

⚡ Prioritise physically

• Vertical power
• Agility
• Repeat-effort engine

🎯 Sharpen technically

• Handling & finishing
• On-ball defence
• Court vision

Key exercises

Vertical jump

Directly trains your standing vertical leap.

Defensive slides

Builds the lateral quickness and stance for on-ball defence.

Ladder quick-feet

Trains foot speed and coordination so you're sharper in tight spaces.

Barbell back squat

The foundational lower-body strength lift — carries over to every sport.

Technical drills for a small forward

3 of these need nobody but you.

Mikan drill

FinishingOn your own

Setup: A hoop and a ball.

1. Finish a right-hand layup off the left foot, rebound before it lands.
2. Step across and finish left-handed off the right foot.
3. Stay under the rim, continuous, no dribble.

Volume: 4 × 20 makes

Coaching point: Use the glass every time. Footwork, not hands, is what this trains.

Make it harder: Reverse Mikan, then add a contact pad on the finish.

Catch-and-shoot off the move

ShootingNeeds a partner

Setup: A hoop, a rebounder or passer, several balls.

1. Sprint to a spot, catch with feet already set.
2. Shoot in rhythm — the catch and the rise are one movement.
3. Move to the next spot immediately.

Volume: 5 spots × 8 shots

Coaching point: Feet before hands. If you're setting your feet after the catch, you're late.

Make it harder: Add a closeout defender, then shoot off a relocation cut.

Cone series

Ball handlingOn your own

Setup: 5 cones in a line, 2m apart, one ball.

1. Attack each cone and execute one move: crossover, between-the-legs, behind-the-back.
2. Change pace out of every move — slow into it, explode out.
3. Finish the series with a layup or pull-up.

Volume: 6 runs per move

Coaching point: The move doesn't beat anyone; the change of pace does.

Make it harder: Add a live defender at the last cone.

Transition finishing

FinishingOn your own

Setup: Full court, a ball.

1. Sprint the length, finish at full speed off one foot.
2. Alternate the side you attack from and the hand you finish with.
3. Jog back, then go again — this is conditioning as much as skill.

Volume: 10 lengths

Coaching point: Decide your finish before the last two steps. Deciding late is what gets it blocked.

Make it harder: Add a trailing defender so you have to finish through contact.

Get a program built around you

PocketAthlete builds your program from your sport, your position and how recovered you actually are that morning — then adapts it as you log sessions.

Join the waitlist →