Being a good shooter isn’t enough to succeed in today’s fast-paced game. If you want to get noticed, then you need to make crazy jumps and increase your vertical.

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

Increasing your vertical jump can not only secure your permanent spot on the featured reel, 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 they can dominate, and big jumps can allow you to dominate and take control of a game.

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

plyometrics

Plyometrics are some of the best exercises you can do to jump better, as they are a practical exercise designed to train your entire jumping mechanism and especially the fast-twitch muscles that are essential for developing 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’s going to be hard to get any airtime unless you combine it with weight training. Yes, you might see some guys dive that are skinny as sticks, 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 drive yourself crazy are:

  • squats
  • calf raise

These will work the main muscle groups of the legs (and the lower back in the case of squats) and the most important ones for jumping. Getting 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… a nightmare for defenders, that is.

Try wearing ankle weights or a weighted vest during your training sessions to get used to heavier weight. Once you take them off you will feel much lighter and this may just add an extra inch or two to your vertical.

ABS

Many people neglect the importance of training their abs to get more inches off their vertical. Your abdominal muscles, as well as your back, are used a lot in jumping, so it’s recommended to get some solid ab work into your training program to get insane jumps.

Extension

Don’t neglect your stretches either. This is a much overlooked factor in vertical jump training.

When you stretch, your muscles temporarily weaken… at which point they begin to repair themselves and become stronger, 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 to loosen and strengthen these muscles are essential for better jumping.