About Hoop Lab

Why this site exists

If you've ever searched "basketball calculator" you've noticed that almost every result is one of three things: a free throw percentage calculator, a BMI calculator dressed up as a body-composition tool, or a generic "training plan" page with no real structure. None of those answer a coach's or player's actual question.

Hoop Lab exists because basketball deserves better tools. The math behind vertical jump projection, periodization, shot selection, defensive matchup difficulty, and court coverage is well-established in sport science literature. Most of it just hasn't been packaged into something a high school coach or amateur player can actually use.

Each tool on this site was built because we had a question we couldn't answer well with existing calculators — projection logic, periodization cycles, decision trees, position-specific norms. The tools are the answer.

Who built it

Hoop Lab is built and maintained by a small team of coaches, former players, and one ex-strength coach who got tired of seeing bad basketball calculators. We do not list individual names because the tools should be useful regardless of who's behind them.

What's worth knowing about us:

• We have coached or played at the high school, club, and amateur-adult level. We are not clinicians, sport scientists, or physical therapists.
• We draw on established sport science literature (Tanaka HR formula, Lewis peak power, periodization frameworks from Issurin and Bompa, NBA SportVU tracking data) where it exists. Where the literature is thin, we use clearly-labeled approximations and explain them.
• We do not have a medical background. Anything involving injury, rehab, or chronic pain is out of scope for this site.

Who it's for

The tools are tuned for three audiences:

What we intentionally don't do

The following are not goals and we don't want you to mistake the tools for them:

• No replacement for a qualified strength coach. The Periodization tool sketches blocks. A real coach designs progressions around your individual response.
• No medical or rehab advice. If you have an injury or chronic pain, see a clinician. We don't have one in the team.
• No prediction of professional outcomes. No composite score predicts draft position or college recruitment.
• No tracking of your data. All calculations run in your browser. We don't see your inputs. Ever.
• No nutrition prescriptions. General guidance, not personal advice. A registered dietitian is the right resource for that.

How the site is funded

Hoop Lab displays ads via Google AdSense. That's how the site stays online and the tools stay free.

We have committed to specific ad practices:

• No popup or auto-redirect ads
• No ads disguised as buttons, downloads, or system messages
• No ads that obscure content or sit on top of input fields
• Ad slots live only in natural positions — page sidebars and below content

If you see an ad placement that violates these rules, please let us know via the contact path on the Privacy Policy page.

Methodology & sources

Where the underlying math or frameworks come from:

• Vertical jump projection: Lewis formula (1974), Harman equations (1991), Sargent wall test protocol
• Heart rate zones: Tanaka et al. (2001) max HR formula, basketball-specific intensity distribution from NBA SportVU
• Periodization: Issurin's block periodization framework, Bompa & Buzzichelli periodization theory
• Energy expenditure: 2011 Compendium of Physical Activities (MET values), NBA SportVU distance data
• Lean Mass Index: position-specific norms from collegiate and NBA combine data
• Pick-and-roll decision trees: standard NBA coverage labels (drop, hedge, switch, trap, ice)
• Free throw pressure training: graded exposure literature from sport psychology (Baumeister, Eklund)
• Shot quality: NBA Second Spectrum tracking, Dean Oliver's "Basketball on Paper" expected-points framework

Tools do not cite inside the calculator itself (it would clutter the UI). All sources are linked or available on request.

Limitations of the tools

Every tool has limitations. Honest ones, listed here rather than buried in fine print:

• Inputs are estimates. Body fat %, training age, soreness — all are subjective. The outputs are only as honest as the inputs.
• Models are simplifications. A real periodization plan adjusts daily based on HRV, soreness, and sleep. This tool builds a 4-week sketch.
• Position norms vary by era. A 1990s center's body comp is not the same as a 2020s stretch-5's. Use norms as anchors, not absolute targets.
• No tool replaces observation. A spreadsheet can suggest a footwork pattern. Watching the player execute it is the only way to know if it worked.

Updates & revisions

The tools are revised as we get feedback, find errors, or improve the underlying logic. Each tool page lists its last-updated date. Major revisions are noted in the FAQ of each tool.

If you find an error, want a feature, or have a tool idea, you can reach us via the contact path on the Privacy Policy page. We read everything.

A note on the word "lab"

"Hoop Lab" is a name, not a claim. We are not a research institution. The "lab" is in the sense of a place where things get tested, refined, and re-tested. Each tool is a small experiment in how to package a piece of basketball knowledge into something useful.