In order to jump higher and shoot a basketball, you probably need to significantly increase your overall lower body strength while also increasing your rate of power development explosiveness.
So you want to shoot a basketball For some, it seems so easy. There always seems to be that guy smaller than you who can just stand up and shoot. You’re now 6’2″ and can barely touch the rim.
Height of a basketball hoop
A basketball hoop is typically 10 feet tall. All basketball championships and leagues use goals of equal height. Some rings are adjustable, they can be fixed or wearable. So I suggest that you set the basketball hoop height to 10 feet before you start practicing the dunk drills.
How to measure your vertical jump
As the saying goes, you can’t improve what you can’t measure. Things you will need: another friend to help you, a ladder, and a permanent marker or chalk.
- Find a wall or pole high enough that you can’t touch the top while jumping.
- Stand next to the post or wall and stretch your arm over your head as high as possible. This is your standing scope. Have your friend mark your foot reach with a piece of chalk or a permanent marker.
- Now jump up from a standing position and touch the wall or pole as high as possible. You need to see your friend and see where you are touching them so there is no confusion. Ask your friend to climb up the ladder and mark where he can reach the wall.
- Measure the distance between your standing range and your jumping range. This is your current vertical jump.
How many inches over the edge to nail?
This depends on how well you can touch the ball with your palm, but you’ll probably need to be able to touch at least 10ft 6in (that’s half a foot off the edge) to actually shoot a regular basketball.
If you have small hands, you may need more than 10″ of clearance before you can do more than a baby dunk.
Once you get close to that point, try dunking with a tennis ball, then move on to a baseball and then choose a size six basketball and work your way up while you start doing a few dunks.
If you’re wondering how tall you have to be to nail the hoop perfectly, you’re asking the wrong question. There are a few other factors, like wingspan, flight time, and vertical jump.
The average NBA player’s height is 6 to 6.54 feet, and the NBA rim is 10 feet. You can easily count the average reach per height x 1.33. As such, it is much easier for players taller than 6.4ft to hit a slam dunk. The smaller players have a bit of a problem, but if they can jump high, they’re just as skilled.
There have been shorter players in history. The shortest player in the NBA is Tyrone Curtis “Muggsy” Bogues, an American former basketball player, who is 5 feet 3 inches tall. It used to be said, “It was impossible for a little guy like him to play in the NBA,” but he became famous for his great performances.
The tallest player in the NBA is Gheorghe Mureșan, a retired Romanian basketball player. He is 7ft 7in tall and can easily reach the hoop by just standing. Therefore, height is a huge advantage when shooting a basketball.
How to jump higher to dunk a basketball
Intelligent goal setting
Be patient. Don’t put a time limit on your vertical jump training. If you say you want a 35-inch vertical by March, you might end up overtraining to get there. You’re likely to burn out or give up altogether if it’s February and you’re not there yet.
Instead, say you’ll be working as hard and smart as you can on your vertical jump goal by March, and then you can reevaluate and move on from there.
Set more realistic and granular goals, like “Add 5 pounds to each of my exercises this week,” and have tunnel vision on that one thing.
Set realistic expectations
The first thing you need to understand in order to improve your vertical jump to eventually shoot a basketball is that in most cases this will not be a quick process.
Don’t expect to gain 14″ on your vert in three months. Don’t expect to rush into summer when you can just touch the dashboard.
Being able to shoot is a wonderful and powerful feeling. It’s worth following, no matter where you are to find yourself. If you’re just willing to take on this task, no matter how long it takes, you’ll one day be glad you didn’t give up!
Do strength training
Speed-strength exercises are your signature “power” moves, like Olympic lifts, jump squats, and med-ball throws. They really are anything that involves moving a load as quickly as possible.
Power drills generally train the “power development rate” component of the vertical jump.
As you know, you need to 1. get stronger (see above) and 2. convert that raw power into the sport-specific vertical jump (RFD) movement.
You will have to get higher than the ledge
For many of you who want to shoot a basketball, if you can grab the rim comfortably, you will be very happy. Unfortunately, you have to get way higher than the basket to shoot a basketball. It took me probably three years to go from gramming the hoop to dunking a ball!
How to improve the vertical jump to the nail?
- Always warm up before playing or even doing jumping practice. Most athletes use a skipping rope to warm up muscles and get the blood flowing through the body. Warming up is mandatory whether you are playing indoors or outdoors.
- Do slow, controlled toe jumps to prepare your ankles and feet for a perfect jump and landing.
- Slowly increase vertical jumps by performing lifts on jump boxes. Also, train with jump squats and force yourself to climb higher.
- Train your legs, the most important part to increase the jump level due to the overall tension and strength in the legs. Also, training your core is just as important as your legs. The core helps you stay in the air longer.
Conclusion
if you want to jump higher to dunk a basketball, practice jumping vertically using boxes, poles, or other elevated objects. And always have a spotter when practicing this skill so that you don’t injure yourself. Finally, remember to stay focused on the task at hand and don’t let your ego get in the way of your success.