Stephen Curry’s Absurd Full-Court Star Drill Shows Off His Insane Conditioning

Stephen Curry’s relentless energy in moving off the ball has been a cornerstone of his success as a three-point shooter. It is no secret that his exceptional conditioning powers his style of play. A 2022 report from Business Insider revealed how an absurd full-court star drill had been pivotal in building his insane conditioning.

The report shed light on the insights of Curry’s trainer, Brandon Payne. He has been instrumental in shaping the Golden State Warriors star’s conditioning since 2011. Payne designed time-dependent drills that challenged the 10x All-Star to complete a specific set of tasks within a tight window.

One such drill is called the full-court star. It required Curry to make 8 out of his 10 shots from 10 different spots on the court within 55 seconds.

It began with Curry taking a shot from one left corner and then sprinting to the opposite for the next. He quickly moved to the left wing before heading to the opposite. This pattern was repeated on the right side. The Splash Brother had to sprint from one right wing to the other and from one right corner to another. The sequence ended with two final shots from the top of the key on both sides.

Payne and Curry didn’t stop there. As the 4x champion began to beat the drill consistently, they decided to raise the stakes. If the 2x MVP failed to complete the drill within the allotted time, he agreed to shoot two free throws before repeating the entire sequence.

The details of this drill resurfaced after player development coach, Anthony Pugh, posted a snapshot of this report on X.

Although the drill might sound straightforward, it isn’t so by any stretch of the imagination. It is Curry‘s conditioning that makes it seem easy. Michael Porter Jr., who trained with the Warriors star during the offseason, vouched for this. In an interview with Bleacher Report’s Taylor Rooks, he said,

“Some guys may do a star drill… He is doing that same drill but full court. So his conditioning is his best attribute. That’s what I pick up from him. His attention to detail, I think that’s something all the great players have… You don’t just become that good at shooting just by a gift.”

This drill is one of the many reasons why 36-year-old Curry was able to cover 180.20 miles last season. To put things in perspective, this distance covered is equivalent to running about 7 marathons. He raised the bar further by logging the second-highest minutes per game (23.3) for Team USA during the Paris Olympics.

According to a 2021 ESPN report, several other training exercises have also helped him manage his heart rate. During a 90-second timeout, the Akron-born can reportedly reduce his heart rate to 80 beats per minute. For context, this is comparable to the average American’s median resting heart rate range.

These instances prove how Curry has set a benchmark for the rest of the league. More importantly, he continues to push himself for even greater achievements.

What did Steph say about his drills?

In a 2021 interview with NBA’s Mark Medina, Curry discussed how he pressured himself to achieve perfection. He pushed his limits by treating every drill as a game situation in his mind.

“It was a mental challenge of trying to be as perfect as possible… So you have to stay locked in and focused. It creates a game-like situation with pressure. You don’t want to be out there all day feeling dog tired because you can’t beat the drill.”

This mindset paid off when he secured his fourth championship at the end of the season. Shortly after, he elaborated on his approach during an end-of-season interview. He stated, “It does matter what drills you do. But what matters more is how hard you can go. How long can you keep that game-like intensity up so you show up when it happens?”

This dedication is setting a new standard across the league. Fans can only hope that a young player picks up this blueprint and carries forward Curry’s legacy in the game.