Basketball is more than ball handling and free throws. Dunking a basketball, obstructing a go, rebounding both offensively and defensively—these all require superior jumping skills. Check out these three drills to help you amp up your basketball jumps and vertical leaps so you can lead your team to victory.
Improving your basketball jumping skills means learning how to build up explosive energy. A focus on core strength is essential, but creating a vertical explosion off the floor may be the secret to growing your overall speed and jump.
3 Drills for Better Basketball Jumps
1) Lunges
Lunges develop your core quads, letting you leap forward with more power on the basketball court. Lunge forward with one leg until the knee of your other leg is almost touching the floor. Return to your upright standing position and repeat, alternating legs.
For lunges, it’s all about proper form. Keep your stomach tight and shoulders straight ahead throughout the exercise to fully engage your core muscles.
2) Calf Raises
Your leg muscles account for nearly 25% of your overall jumping power. One the very best drills to develop these
muscles is calf raises. While using a step or stairs as a platform, balance on the ball of your foot on the edge of the step. Slowly lower your heel to gently stretch your plantar fascia and then raise yourself up to stand on your toes.
It’s important that you lower yourself slowly and under control. Bouncing while your heel is lowered puts you at risk for a torn tendon. In the up position, make sure that you fully extend your ankle and concentrate on contracting your calf muscle fully.
3) Board/Rim Touches
For a board or rim touches, try to focus on staying airborne as much as possible. The moment your foot touches the floor, explode into an upright leap to touch the rim of the basketball goal. This drill is especially good for improving rebounding and shot obstruction skills.
For younger athletes, using a basketball goal with an adjustable backboard can keep this drill interesting and engaging. Goalsetter Systems‘ adjustable in-ground hoops let you raise and lower the backboard as your child’s jumping skills increase. Think of it as a carrot and the stick type of activity. Keeping the goal just out of reach of young basketball players motivates them to push themselves to reach the rim that is just out of their jumping range. As your child grows and improves their jumping skills, the hoop can be raised to just out of their reach again.
Goalsetter basketball goals offers adjustable hoops that transition from six to ten feet with a simple crank mechanism for their internal compression height adjustment pole design.
Goalsetter Systems basketball hoops set the standard by which all other hoop systems are measured. Ballplayers who are tall or short, young or old, beginner or experienced can take advantage of Goalsetter’s ability to adjust the rim height to develop and hone their basketball skills.
Young ballplayers experience the joy and success of making a basket, while learning the proper way to shoot from the earliest age. Memories are made on a Goalsetter hoop system which performs just like professional goals found on high school, college, or NBA courts.
For more information on Goalsetter Basketball Goals, visit your local HOMEFIELD showroom today.
