Basketball jump training, also known as plyometrics, should include exercises and drills designed to extend and contract the muscles quickly to increase power and speed. Basketball players need to train their muscles in this manner to improve jump height so that every movement becomes more powerful and explosive.
Split Jumps are also great for strengthening the muscles in the quads, glutes, hips, calves, and hamstrings. Assume a squatting position with one foot forward and the other behind you. Push off both feet simultaneously, moving the forward foot back and the rear foot forward so you land in the same position with your feet reversed. Repeat this exercise 10 times.
We're starting with a stationary single leg bound. Notice how the girls explode off of one leg, while driving the opposite knee up as high as possible and circling the raised hip in a backward bicycle motion. We then repeat the exercise using a forward bicycle motion. This works the quads, hips, hip flexors, calves, and hamstring to help with balance and body control. Adding a basketball to this exercise helps the girls with focus and concentration because it simulates what may happen during a basketball game, like jumping up for a pass, going up for a lay up, or attempting a rebound.
Squat Jumps help develop explosive power through the quads, glutes, hips, and calves. Standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and hands resting on hips, squat down and explode off both feet, jumping into the air as high as possible with body straight and arms extended upward. Lower your body back down into a squatting position as you land and repeat 10 times.
The Tuck Jump is another great exercise for building explosive power in the hips, hip flexors, quads, glutes, calves, and hamstrings to increase your vertical. From a squatting position, contract your glutes and explode off both feet, bringing your knees up toward your chest. Release and repeat 10 times.
Basketball is a fast paced game, requiring players to change direction quickly and frequently. Hop Over drills provide great training for quick feet and will help players become more agile, while improving speed, balance, and flexibility. We've split this drill into 4 segments so we can work to simulate and train for multidirectional movements in a game.
We are finishing our jump training with the tap drill. Incorporating the basketball into our final phase of plyometrics helps simulate jumping to rebound the ball and jumping up to put the ball in the basket.
Toss the basketball off the backboard, jump straight up, and tap the ball off the backboard again at the highest point possible. Repeat as fast as possible for 10-15 seconds.
Jump straight up as high as possible with both hands on the ball and attempt to touch the net, bottom, or face of the backboard. Repeat as fast as possible for 10-15 seconds.
