An AI basketball coach in ChatRPE plans the training you do off the court and keeps the numbers from both. Tell it when you play, what you want to improve (a higher vertical, more strength, better conditioning, a steadier jumper) and what equipment you have. It builds lifting and jump sessions around your games, logs each shooting session by voice as makes and attempts, and charts your shooting percentage and vertical over the season.
Jumping higher is mostly strength plus jump practice
Vertical jump improves from two kinds of work done together: getting stronger in the legs and hips, and practicing jumping fast. Plyometrics are the jumping part: box jumps, broad jumps, depth jumps and bounding, done with full effort and full rest. A meta-analysis of 26 studies found plyometric training improved countermovement jump height by about 8.7% on average. For a 24-inch vertical that is roughly two inches, and results vary widely between people.
Strength sets the ceiling those jumps work under. A squat, a hinge such as a trap bar deadlift or Romanian deadlift, split squats and calf work are a common base. The squat guide covers the lift, and the strength guide covers adding weight over time.
A typical off-season week for someone who also plays:
| Session | What it holds |
|---|---|
| Day A | Jumps first (3 to 5 sets of 3 to 5, full rest), then squats and single-leg work |
| Day B | Jumps first, then a hinge, calf raises and upper-body pulling |
| Games or pickup | Count them as hard leg days, because they are |
Jumps go first while you are fresh. Every jump should be near your best; once they get noticeably lower, the set is done. Ask for a plan and say how many nights you play, and the coach counts those nights as load rather than stacking a hard leg day in front of a game.
Measure the vertical the same way every time
A jump-and-reach test against a wall works without equipment. Stand side-on, reach up and mark your standing reach, then jump from a standstill and touch as high as you can. The difference is your vertical. A phone app that times your flight works too. Whichever you use, use it every time, at a similar point in your week, after a warm-up.
"Vertical test today: 25.5 inches, standing jump, jump-and-reach. Add it to my vertical chart, with my top squat set on the right axis."
Testing every three or four weeks is enough. Charting vertical next to your squat shows whether the two are moving together; a chart shows association, not cause, but a rising squat with a flat vertical is a sign to give the jumping more attention.
Track shooting as makes and attempts
ChatRPE does not track shots from video. What it does well is keep the record. After a shooting session, say what you made: "Corner threes 14 of 25, top of the key 11 of 25, free throws 17 of 20." Each spot saves with its makes and attempts as separate numbers.
Shooting percentage is then a formula, makes divided by attempts, worked out when the chart is drawn, so you never type a percentage that goes stale when you correct an entry. Ask for your corner three percentage over the last two months with a moving average and you get a line that separates the trend from the hot and cold days. The custom data tracking guide explains how a logged field becomes a chart.
"Chart my free throw percentage per session since September as makes divided by attempts, with a 5-session moving average and a target line at 80%."
A dashboard can keep that chart and your latest vertical in the sidebar, so the numbers are there without asking. On an iPhone a dashboard tile can sit on your home screen.
For form, you can send a photo or a short clip and ask what the coach notices about your release or base. Video uploads are on the Premium plan and limited to 14 MB, and a clip is reviewed after the fact, not live.
Lift during the season without losing your legs
When games come two or three times a week, the goal shifts to keeping strength rather than building it. One or two short sessions a week, with a few hard sets of squats or a hinge and some jumps kept low in number, usually holds what the off-season built. Keep the heaviest leg work at least two days from a game.
Tell the coach your game schedule and it will place sessions in the gaps. For the weeks that get away from you, set a reminder that only fires if you have not lifted yet:
"Every Tuesday at 5pm, remind me to lift, but only if I haven't logged a strength session since Monday."
If you already lifted, it stays quiet. Reminders arrive as notifications from the iPhone app.
Conditioning that looks like a game
Basketball is repeated short bursts with brief recovery, so conditioning that looks like that transfers best: suicides or line drills, shuttle runs, and full-court sprints with set rest. ChatRPE can run a block live, calling each rep with a countdown.
"Start a live session: 10 rounds of a 17-shuttle (sideline to sideline 17 times), 60 seconds rest between."
Log your times and you can see whether the same drill gets faster across the off-season. Ankle sprains are common in basketball, and single-leg balance work in the warm-up is a cheap habit to keep. A sprain that will not bear weight, a knee that buckles, or any head knock needs a clinician, not a training plan.
Frequently asked questions
Can an AI basketball coach help me jump higher?
Yes, by planning and tracking the work that raises a vertical: plyometrics done fresh and at full effort, plus lower-body strength training, fitted around the nights you play. ChatRPE builds the plan, logs each session and your vertical tests, and adjusts the plan in conversation when your schedule or legs need it.
How long does it take to increase your vertical?
The training studies behind most vertical jump research ran for weeks to a few months, not years, and measurable change within that window is typical. Research on plyometric training found an average gain of about 8.7% in countermovement jump height, though individual results vary. Retest every three or four weeks the same way so you can see your own rate.
Can ChatRPE track my shooting percentage?
Yes. Log makes and attempts by spot after each session, by voice or text, and ask for a chart. The percentage is calculated from your makes and attempts when the chart is drawn, and you can add a moving average or a target line. It does not count shots automatically from video.
Does it teach basketball skills and drills?
It can suggest drills and answer questions about technique, but it does not watch you play live or replace a skills coach. Its strength is planning strength, jump and conditioning work around your games and keeping the record of everything you log.
Should I lift on game days?
Most players avoid heavy leg work on game days and the day before. Upper-body or very light sessions are usually fine. Keep the heaviest lower-body session at least two days from a game, and count hard pickup or games as leg training when planning the week.