How to Jump Higher on the Basketball Court to Dunk Like a Pro
What if I told you that you could jump high enough to dunk a basketball? Sound too good to be true? It’s not, and in this article I’ll tell you how to jump higher on the basketball court and dunk like a pro! (No special shoes or diet plan required.) The most important thing to keep in mind when you’re trying to jump higher on the basketball court is that your body should act as one solid piece of muscle rather than being made up of different segments that move independently from each other.
Proper Alignment
The best dunkers in the NBA make sure they’re lined up at the right angle before jumping. If you’re wondering how to jump higher, then making sure your shoulders and hips are square is your best bet for increasing your vertical. This helps ensure that you can land correctly after executing the jump correctly. Basically, if your shoulder is too open or closed (or off), there’s no way that you’ll be able to catch yourself after jumping up in the air.
Quicker Cues
Timing is key to most jumping-related tasks, but it’s even more important in the vertical leap. As you approach the room or vertical jump test, you want to be as low to the ground as possible. You also want to make sure that you get your timing down on your approach to the room; once again, being off by just a fraction of a second will be enough for your timing to fail. For instance, if you start running towards the room and then quickly stop before reaching it, your timing will probably be off and you won’t achieve maximum height during your vertical jump. In fact, I would recommend that you spend some time practicing running up to rooms (and other areas) and stopping right before they reach them—this way when you actually have to perform a vertical jump test at an official event like basketball tryouts or camp, you won’t forget about proper form because you already know how to do it.
Explode on the Way Up
As you begin your arm swing, be sure to explode straight up and use your momentum. If you have time and can set up a camera to record yourself, try shooting video of your jump to see if you’re following through correctly. If you notice that your arms are not reaching their full extension at peak height, there’s an easy fix: Roll up a towel or t-shirt and put it between your wrist and elbow. This will help remind you to extend fully so that more of your body’s force is transmitted into jumping higher. Practice each day until it becomes second nature.
Use Plyometrics
Plyometrics is a type of exercise that helps train your muscles to absorb and output power. The exercises often include quick, powerful movements such as jumping. It’s one of several types of training that can help you jump higher, with resistance training being another popular option. If you’re looking to dunk like Lebron James or dunk in general, plyometrics will likely be your best bet. Start practicing today and get yourself prepared for next basketball season!
Practice, Practice, Practice
In order to be able to jump higher on the basketball court, it’s important that you’ve taken time in your practice sessions to work on technique. Basketball vertical comes from working on your jumping form just as much as your shooting form. You have to understand how muscles interact with each other and what they’re doing while your body is in motion. Luckily, there are great books available that give simple instruction on how different parts of your body should move when you jump. This will help improve your jumping form and add inches (or feet) onto your vertical!
Warm-Up and Cool Down
Most importantly, always warm up before any workouts session or game. A proper warm-up warms your muscles up, stretches them out, and gets your heart pumping. The result is that you are much less likely to get injured during training or an actual game. Use proper form when doing warm-ups as well! Just because it’s easy does not mean you should do anything carelessly. If you plan on playing for any length of time or strength training later in your workout, be sure to at least get your heart rate going with light exercise before working out. You should aim for a minimum 10 minutes per day of movement; even if that just means quick jumping jacks every hour while at work or pacing around while watching TV shows.
Get A Coach!
If you want to jump higher, you don’t need to watch hours of jumping videos and you don’t need to hire an expensive trainer. The most effective way to improve your jumping ability is to hire an online jumping coach like me. I created my training program after I saw that all three of my trainees (who range from 5’10 – 6’5′′) increased their vertical by at least five inches in only six weeks! Since I am super busy, it would be impossible for me to have time for everyone who wants advice about how to improve their jump.
If you want to level up your shooting accuracy, we got you. We created the 6ixShooter Academy. A one-stop basketball training program to help elevate your game and become an unstoppable shooter with coach Seth McCoy a.k.a 6ixShooter. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE
