Essential Basketball Accessories that Optimize Performance

Basketball may be a game of wits, but it's also a contest of efficiency and precision. Sometimes, the split-second it takes you to brush the hair off of your face will be enough for a competitor to run past you for the easy lay-up.

This is why professionals invest in all kinds of accessories to improve performance, aside from all the necessary equipment training one needs, such as jersey shorts or ankle braces for support.

So if you want to see improvements in your game both in terms of training and in actual games, here are some essential accessories that every professional player swears by:

1. Return Net

Having your ring to practice shooting at home with is excellent, but there is one way to improve its efficiency -- and that's installing a return net. The problem with standalone rings is that you end up having to chase the ball around after every time you take a shot.

While it's good to practice your running, too, you'd be wasting a lot of your energy instead of reserving them for shooting practice. Having a return net means you don't have to move that much after every shot before taking the next one -- because the ball will roll directly back to you.

If you ever want to achieve taking a thousand good shots every night before bed, this is the way to go. 

2. Sweatbands

A few minutes of good basketball is all you need to be drenching in sweat. It feels perfect for sweating it out until the water (and your sweaty hair) gets in your eyes. Then, you can hardly see, much less play appropriately with your vision compromised.

If only there were a nifty basketball accessory that keeps the sweat out of your eyes, right? Well, that's precisely what basketball headbands do. If fitted snugly, they tuck all the hair out of your face and absorb the moisture from your sweat before it can come dripping down your face.

Top it up with wristbands that allow you to wipe away sweat in a flash without having to whip out a face towel now and then, so you can keep your mind and your eyes on the ball instead of perpetually worrying about keeping your face dry.

3. Sticky Mats

Optimizing performance is all about being able to give your all while training or playing without worries that you might end up with a bad fall while running full speed across the court. This is why it's essential to have a sticky mat. It allows you to rub the soles of your shoes free of any dust or debris that may have accumulated in them-- improving the grip of your shoes on the hardwood and therefore reducing the risk that you will fall or slip while playing. 

It also increases your basketball shoes' longevity by promptly removing any harsh residue that could cause the soles to give out sooner rather than later. 

4. Athletic Tape

There are many different kinds of athletic tapes, and they all serve other purposes, but generally, the athletic tape helps support your muscles and joints, which are in constant strain when you play basketball. You can use it to stabilize your ankles, support your knees, and keep previously injured muscles or bones in place when you play. Basketball is highly psychological, too, and trust that you will play better when you're not worried about overusing any of your muscles.

5. Grip Powder 

Finally, you've got to know that grip powder is not only used by LeBron James for his iconic (if rather messy) clap downs. It is used to improve one's grip on the basketball because sweaty hands can make it rather hard to hold on to the round leather. If you have slippery hands or ones that get too sweaty too fast, you might end up losing the ball very quickly with just a light tap from an opponent. Using grip powder helps mitigate this by keeping your palms dry and slip-free.

That wraps up our list of essential basketball accessories everyone must have -- from the almost-pro to the casual enthusiast. You haven't unleashed your full potential if you haven't tried training/playing with these accessories, so better try it the next time you're on-court.