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The Utah Jazz spent Monday meeting the press during the annual Media Day before starting training camp for the 2012-13 season.
Before the team gathered together in Utah many members of the team spent part of their summer training at Peak Performance Project in Santa Barbara, California.
Peak Performance Project, also known as P3, was founded by Harvard trained physician Dr.Marcus Elliott. P3 uses a science based model to improve athleticism and decrease preventable injuries.
They apply technology to understand and study an athlete's movement. Once they do that they can build a personalized, intensive, movement based training helping them improve performance.
The Utah Jazz and P3 have had a collaboration for years and an increasing number of Jazz players are spending time at the P3 facility during the offseason.
"We have a great collaboration with the Jazz medical staff, strength trainers and coaches," says Adam Hewitt, general manager at P3. "We will evaluate (players), create needs analysis and talk with the coaches about what they need on the court."
They begin by using technology called force plates which measure muscle activation patterns and how much force a player is getting out of their hips compared to their knees and ankles. This plays an important role in injury prevention.
They also use motion capture to analyze and monitor player movement. Other equipment like hydraulic lifts and a Keiser machine are used to help athletes perform specific movements and plyometric exercises. They also utilize a mondo indoor track to measure speed and agility. The more the players come back and work out at P3 the more data that can be gathered and analyzed.
Former Jazzman Kyle Korver was there while we visited the facility and shared with us how much of an impact P3 has had on his playing career.
"I feel like physically I've gotten better the last few years," Kyle says about training at P3. "I feel like my mechanics are better and I've been healthier and a lot of that is due to P3. The Jazz were one of the first teams to utilize P3 and I'll be forever grateful to the Jazz for bringing me to Santa Barbara."
Current Jazz players have seen significant gains due to science based training. Al Jefferson increased his vertical by four inches last year. He also improved his lateral quickness by shaving a second off his slide agility test.
Derrick Favors has also improved significantly.
"Derrick Favors is a guy who is extremely powerful," says Hewitt. "He touches 12 feet, 3 inches."
Paul Millsap has increased his second jump significantly which helps him rebound the basketball.
Hewitt also says Gordon Hayward has made big improvements in utilizing his stretch shortening cycle which means he is more efficient when going from a small movement to a big movement, when going for a second jump or when changing directions.
Hewitt says each time the players return they are able to learn more about the athlete which helps them improve performance eve n more.
"It's a great collaboration and we hope to continue it moving forward."
Now we get to find out just how much this science based training is helping the Jazz as the regular season gets underway on October 31st.
To see the players in action at P3 this summer watch the video above.
