Dwyane Wade Driven App Puts the NBA Superstar in Your Pocket

By VidurMalik

Ever want to work on your basketball skills with an NBA superstar, like, say, D-Wade? If you have an iPhone, you now have a chance.

Late last month, the three-time NBA champ released an iPhone app called Dwyane Wade Driven. The app leads users through basic basketball drills that improve a player’s fundamentals. It also includes workouts you can do in the gym or at home that make you better on the court.

“You have now Dwyane Wade and a professional trainer in your pocket that tells you exactly what you need to do to get stronger, to get faster and to get better at basketball,” says Jake Edwards, the product manager for Driven Apps, which produced Dwayne Wade Driven.

The app – available in the App Store for $3.99 – is straightforward and easy to use. It comes with the rookie bundle, which includes 12 workouts and drills on ball handling and shooting. As you complete tasks, the app advances you to challenges.

Driven Apps worked with Wade and his trainer Ed Downs to develop the workouts and drills. John Randazzo of Pro Hoops, a basketball coaching program based in Long Island, also contributed his training knowledge.

But you don’t just tap the app get a checklist of dos and don’ts. Instead, you’re guided through it by D-Wade himself.

When selecting a basketball drill, for example, users see a video of Wade doing the drill. The video stops and slows down to emphasize key points, so you know that you’re doing it correctly. There are also basketball challenges that put those drills to the test. Challenges include doing a figure-eight dribble and making 25 consecutive free throws.

The workout exercises, meanwhile, are led by Don Saladino, a personal trainer and president of Driven Apps. The 12 sets of workouts can be accessed at any time, but they should be done every other day to avoid overtraining, Edwards said.

As you use the app, it assesses basic workout skills, like sprinting, core strength, balance and pushups. You can then track your progress and see how you’ve improved. If you keep at it, you’ll master the app’s basics and move on to tougher skills.

Randazzo says the ability to track progress is the best part of the app. “Kids need to know and see improvement, and once they see that, it’s the best feeling.”

When you’re done with the rookie bundle, you can buy the more advanced All-Star bundle for an additional $1.99. The NBA Finals MVP bundle will be released later this summer, Edwards says.

Photos courtesy Driven Apps