Jump training for basketball

Coach and Athletic Director, May-June, 2003 by Mike Vorkapich

BASKETBALL COACHES are always coming to us with the question: "How do you improve a player's jumping ability?" Our response is simple: "We jump."

Sure, it's a little more complicated than that, but not by much. We believe in the specificity of training, which means that if you want to improve a skill, you will have to practice it faithfully and regularly.

We're not saying that there are no other exercises that can assist your jumping. Variety innovation, and the concurrent implementation of adjunct activities can assist in the process. Strength training is, of course, another vital element of the program.

Let's take a step-by-step look at our jump training components.

Dynamic Warm-up/Flexibility

Our basketball teams always begin their workouts with a dynamic warm-up, including a hurdle series (stepping over and under track hurdles--Photos 1&2) and leg swings, which work the leg and hip muscles through a full range of motion.

Two different leg swing drills are performed for about 15 seconds apiece:

The first drill is leg abduction/ adduction. Stand about arm's length from a wall and place both hands on the wall about shoulder-width apart. Swing the right leg out and away to the side of the body (abduction-- Photo 3) and back across the mid-line of the body (adduction--Photo 4).

Note: It is important to pivot on the ball of the left foot with each swing to obtain a smooth, full-range transition from abduction to adduction. Next, repeat the drill with the left leg.

The second drill is hip flexion! extension. Start in the same position with both hands on the wall and balanced on the ball of the left foot. Lift the right knee up to chest (hip flexion--Photo 5) and then follow with a kick of the leg backwards (hip extension--Photo 6).

Note: Keep the leg bent at approximately 90 degrees for both flexion and extension.

Strength Training for the Lower Body

For the most part, our summer strength training is comprehensive. We do it three times per week on non-consecutive days (Monday, Wednesday & Friday). Our lower-body training regimen for basketball players is shown in the accompanying chart.

Note: We also work on our upper body on these days (see chart above).

After performing total body workouts in the weight room on Monday and Wednesday, we focus on just the upper body in the weight room on Friday, and then proceed to our jump training.

In addition to fostering the development of the vertical jump, jump training yields such benefits as muscle control and strength critical elements in reducing the risk of knee injury, especially for female athletes.

Note: For further information on a comprehensive knee injury prevention program for female athletes, contact the Cincinnati Sportsmedicine and Orthopedic Center at (513) 559-2818, web-page: www.cincinnatisportsmed.com.

Pre-training Considerations

Although a program of this nature provides a nice alternative to the regular rigors of the weight room, jump training must be approached with caution and low-intensity drills that gradually progress to the more demanding drills.

We recommend 4-6 weeks of intense, progressive strength training for the leg, hip, and low-back musculature before initiating the jump-training program. In addition, a physician should clear any athletes with chronic lumbar and orthopedic problems before partaking in such activities.

Surface considerations must always be taken into account in jump training. Softer surfaces are recommended, such as our sand pit and grass or Astro-Play practice fields. The sand pit provides a soft surface, but the texture makes it much harder for the leg and hip muscles to perform the given exercise. In inclement weather, we have the Astro-Play surface to fall back on.

Note: Because of weather conditions, we had to take the accompanying photos on a basketball court. We strongly recommend the use of a softer surface for jump training.

Volume and Progression

In our jump training, we count the number of "foot contacts" throughout the workout. We try to keep them between 70 and 90 early in the off season. We add about 10 "foot contacts" per week and end the summer with 180-200 jumps.

Drills

Our basketball teams perform the following drills of varying difficulty, with suggested volume in parentheses:

High Knee Skip. Push off the left foot and punch the right knee upward to 90 degrees and the left arm upward (elbows at 90 degrees). After landing on the left foot, snap the right foot down and push off the right foot for the next rep. Since emphasis is on vertical explosion, push off the ground as hard as possible. (Repeat drill for 10 skips per foot.) Photo 7

Single Leg Pops. Start with a 10-yard sprint, and perform a low "skimming" jump on one foot. The foot should just barely clear the ground, with emphasis on horizontal speed. (Repeat drill for 10 reps on each leg.)

Ankle Flips. Start by jogging in place (as if skipping rope in an alternating foot fashion). Push off one leg, driving toes down, and get as much vertical height as possible. Land on the opposite foot and repeat movement. Remember, goal is to get vertical, so throw both arms into air simultaneously to gain upward thrust. (Repeat drill for 10 reps per foot.) Photo 8