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How to improve your vertical leap
By Dustin Wolf
Nothing can turn a game around like a power move to the basket or a strong rebound in a clutch situation. One of the keys comes down to the power in your legs – gliding high toward the rim or springing up to grab that loose ball. Your vertical leap can be a game changer. That’s why you must work just as hard on improving your vertical leap as you do your jump shot. Following are a few exercises you can do to increase your vertical leap.
 
Front to Back & Side-to-Side Barrier Jumps
This exercise will help develop the foundation of your core strength and body control for any explosive moment. The ability to quickly change direction and maintain complete balance and control is a tremendous asset for any athlete.
How You Do It: A barrier could be something as simple as a line on the court or crack on the sidewalk. Start in your athletic stance beside your chosen barrier. Hop over the barrier, get an equal push out of both feet and lift your knees and toes up in front of your body. Your chest must remain tall, while your hips load throughout the drill. Your arm drive must be in sync with your knee drive, firing both arms together. To advance these particular exercises, simply raise the height of the barrier you are jumping over. This could be a rolled up beach towel, your book bag from school or even a chair.
Performance Tips
- • Tall chest / Hips loaded
- • Equal push out of both feet
- • Keep chest over feet
- • Land on balls of feet / Toes up / Heels will slightly touch the ground
- • Quick Arm Drive Together
 Tuck Jumps
The purpose of this exercise is to develop your core strength and body control during an explosive movement. It is a great exercise for any athlete and requires no additional equipment. If you want to jump higher, this exercise must be a part of your program.
How You Do It: Begin in your athletic stance, then jump as high as possible. At the peak of your jump, forcefully lift your knees and toes up in front of your body. Your heel must remain under the belly of your hamstring at the peak of your knee drive. Your chest must be tall to ensure all momentum is in the vertical direction (don’t allow your body to float forward). After you make contact with the ground, use your hips to absorb the impact, and quickly repeat the movement. If you allow your chest to drop at landing, you probably absorbed the impact with your lower back and the speed or angle of the next jump will be dramatically affected. Arm drive is a vital component of this explosive movement. Your arms will forcefully drive together in unison with the extension of your lower body. This will assist the explosiveness of the movement as well as balance.
Performance Tips
- • Tall chest / Hips loaded
- • Thigh parallel to ground
- • Heel under the belly of hamstring at peak of knee drive
- • Land on balls of feet / Toes up / Heels will slightly touch the ground
About Dustin:
Performance Training Inc.’s Dustin Wolf MS, CSCS, is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS). Over the years, he has trained thousands of elite athletes, ranging from middle school and high school, and the collegiate, professional and Olympic ranks. Along with serving as director of training for the On Court Player Development® training lab at the Suwanee Sports Academy, he also is the head strength and conditioning coach for the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream. He can be reached at dwolf@ssasports.com
 
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