Combs has worked with many NBA players through the years out of Portland, such as Damon Stoudamire, Salim Stoudemire, Mike Dunleavy, Jr. and countless others. While these players all had unique skill-sets that helped them reach the highest level, Combs wants everyone to know the shared denominator that contributed to their success: the KBA Heavy Trainer basketball.
The KBA Heavy Trainer is an official regulation size basketball but weighs approximately 1-1/2 times the weight of an official basketball. Checking in at 40 ounces, the KBA Heavy Trainer basketball is composed of pebbled rubber and heavy construction material that helps players develop better ball handling, shooting range and a variety of skills.
“It looks like a regular basketball that you can bounce and you can shoot with,” Combs said. “A lot of people wonder how Damon, Salim and Terrell Brandon got their range - I mean their genetics helped too - but the weight ball made a difference. They all trained with the weight ball.”
Combs explains how the KBA Heavy Trainer basketball builds positive habits in players.
“When you dry run an offense a lot of kids will pass and screen away at the same time. This way, you have to really make the pass to stay with your pass,” Combs said. “You can’t be moving. You’ve got to use two hands. That’s what I like about catching the ball too, you have to use two hands.”
Combs went into further detail how the KBA Heavy Trainer basketball is the perfect aide to sharpening your hands.
“It definitely helps with catching,” Combs said. “We’ve had kids who couldn’t catch the ball and it got their hands stronger. If you try to catch it with one hand you’re not going to catch it.”
Combs raves about how the KBA Heavy Trainer basketball forces players to make fundamentally sound moves.
“In the layup line, some kids just come down and just throw the ball up or finger roll it up. Everything’s not going to work with the weight ball. With this ball, you’ve got to do everything correctly with it,” Combs said. “Even if you’re just shooting a little short jumper in spots you have to do it correctly. Your wrist has to snap. You’ve got to hold it right. You’ve got to use your legs because it’s a little heavier.”
Combs, who has been using the product since he was playing in the 1980s, shoots down any potential negative aspects as he refers back to the vast amount of Portland players it’s helped improve.
“Some people say it will mess your shot up but it won’t,” Combs said. “It’s heavy enough where you can’t just go out there and jack 3s. A lot of people don’t know the perfect drills for it. It’s just a lack of understanding of what it can do for you. It’s going to make you fundamentally sound if you use it. That’s the beauty of it.
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