Being a good shooter is not enough to achieve this in today’s fast-paced game. If you want to attract attention, then you need to jump and increase your vertical.

Think about it, most of the NBA superstars these days have serious athleticism and crazy jumps. Likewise, the players who get the attention of scouts at the high school and college levels are usually the ones playing above the rim … heck, who needs to shoot the ball over a defender when you can just JUMP on it? , Right?

Increasing your vertical jump can not only fix your permanent position on the reel of lights, but it will help increase your explosiveness, speed, and agility in other areas of your game. At the end of the day, coaches love players who can dominate, and big jumps can allow you to dominate and take over a game.

The following are recommendations that you should incorporate into your workouts to increase your vertical and get crazy jumps.

Plyometry

Plyometrics are some of the best exercises you can do to achieve a better jump, as they are a practical exercise designed to train your entire jumping mechanism and especially the fast-twitch muscles that are essential to develop explosiveness and a higher vertical. They are a proven vertical training method for all athletes, from basketball to volleyball to high jumpers.

Weight training

While using plyometrics can give you a few extra inches, it will be difficult to get really airtime unless you combine it with weight training. Yes, you might see some guys who are stick-thin, but in general, the stronger your muscles, the more power you’ll generate and the higher you’ll jump.

The two best weight training exercises to go crazy are:

• Squats
• Calf raises

These will work the main muscle groups of the legs (and the lower back in the case of squats) and the most important for jumping. Doing solid full-body weight training will help your jumps, but it will also make you a much stronger and more explosive player on the court … aka a defender’s nightmare.

Try wearing ankle weights or a weighted vest during your training sessions to get used to a heavier weight. Once you take them off it will feel a lot lighter and this can only add an inch or two more to your vertical.

ABS

Many people neglect the importance of training their abs to gain more inches on their vertical. Your abdominal muscles, as well as your back, are used a lot for jumping, so doing some solid abdominal work is recommended in your training program to get crazy jumps.

Extension

Also, don’t neglect your stretching. This is a very overlooked factor in vertical jump training.

When you stretch, your muscles temporarily weaken … at which point they begin to repair and strengthen, as well as being more flexible and less prone to injury.

The hip flexors are heavily used in the jumping mechanism and therefore regular stretching routines are essential to loosen and strengthen these muscles for better jumps.