Basketball Tip
How to Increase Your Vertical Jump for Basketball
On the court we envision ourselves dipping and dodging past defenders to the basket, finishing with a fine tuned lay up or powerful dunk. Below are three tips from Nike Basketball Camps on how you can stay committed to your goals and soar to the hoop.
Tip #1: Create a plan
How do you intend to track your progress? Where do you plan to develop this part of your game? How will you stay committed to the plan you created? These are a few fundamental questions you must ask yourself to make progress in your vertical jump. You can track your progress in many different ways: create a daily workout journal, make a vision or dream board to serve as a constant reminder of your vertical goals, or create a system of alarms and alerts on your phone to keep you on top of your workouts and practices. Find your system for success and track your progress. You got this!
Tip #2: Incorporate plyometric exercises to your workout routine
Plyometric exercises are workouts that use maximum muscle energy in short intervals of time. The goal is to be as quick and explosive as possible while using large amounts of energy. These types of exercises have been proven to improve speed, strength and vertical jump. Examples include front and lateral box jumps, jump rope, jump squats, and jumping lunges. If you’re jumping with a purpose, you are building your vertical.
Tip #3: Stretch it out
One of the quickest and easiest ways to make vertical progress is stretching. Specifically, stretching muscles like the hip flexors which are often times so tense and tight that they restrict the ability for full muscle contraction. A proper warm-up and stretching regimen is crucial to athletic performance. Don’t confine stretching to only pre and post games and practices but include it in your daily routine. Stretches like the butterfly, head to knee, sumo squat to stand, and pigeon pose are all great movements for opening up the hips and stretching other localized muscle groups. A foam roller or lacrosse ball are great tools to help you really dig into specific areas of your body that are tight. Stretching is one of the most important and most overlooked actions an athlete can take in improving their overall skill set, strength and injury prevention.
In conclusion, with any part of developing your game, reaching your vertical goals will take practice, dedication and time. Create a plan, set goals, incorporate plyometric exercises, and always stretch it out! You’ll be flying like the pros in no time.
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