As players get stronger and more athletic, the importance of plyometrics for basketball also increases. This type of exercise helps players become more explosive as well as jump higher.
As such, it gives you and advantage over your competition. Whether you’re playing basketball, volleyball or any sport that requires jumping up or forward, this goes a long way.
Many of the modern training programs used by athletes now incorporate some for of plyometric training as it has been shown to improve not only jumping ability but also speed and athleticism.
If you’re wondering which plyometric exercises for basketball players will help you jump higher we’ve listed them down below.
For a complete advanced plyometric jump workout program that improves vertical by 9″ to 15″, take a look at the Vert Shock system here. Also, read our full review here.
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Best Plyometrics to Jump Higher for Basketball (and Volleyball)
1. Bounding
Bounding is a basic plyometric drill used by runners, sprinters and other athletes to improve the speed and single leg jumping ability.
It teaches you to use each leg on its own so you can push off them individually.
Performing the bounding exercise:
- To start the bounding exercise make sure you have enough space to run forward. You probably want at least 10 meters of space though the more space you have the more room you can go.
- Bounding uses the same motion as running, except that:
- You focus on pushing off with each foot. With the aim for making each stride long and high.
- You also want to make sure to use full arm motion, using it to help propel you forward.
The aim is to put effort with each bound rather than do as many as you can or as fast as you can. This way each leg gets its workout on getting to push off as strong as possible on its own.
2. Frog Jumps
Frog jumps help hone jumping technique as it focuses on the propelling motion as well as the arm action. It also trains the jump learn how to load each jump with as much explosive power to get the best height and distance.
Performing the Frog Jump:
- Stand with your arms on your sides and go down into squat position. Make sure to keep your head up and body straight when you go down into squat position.
- From here, jump forward with the aim of distance more than height in the jump. This is similar to a broad jump.
- Upon landing, jump again. You can go between 5 to 10 times.
3. Depth Jumps
Depth jumps are among the more popular plyometric exercises for basketball because they help develop jumping power by making the muscles work harder.
In this exercise, you’ll be dropping off a platform. This makes gravity add to your weight so making your muscles work more when you jump.
Equipment needed:
- Two platforms that can hold your weight and are stable. You’ll be standing on one and jumping into the other.
The platforms are usually of two unequal heights.
Performing the Depth Jump:
- Position the 2 platforms so that they are in a straight line, with enough space between them for you to land in the middle and jump to the other platform.
- Stand on one platform (start with the lower one) and step off the edge.
- Upon hitting the ground, immediately jump up to the other platform.
- As you get better, increase the height of the platform.
4. Box Jumps
Box jumps help improve jumping ability and also help athletes visualize a goal that they’re jumping for before they jump.
Equipment needed:
a box or platform where you are able to land on. The platform’s height depends on how advanced or how high you already jump. Start with a low platform of either 6” or 1 foot high and keep increasing it as you improve.
- Performing the Box Jump:
- Stand before the platform or box
- Bend your knees and jump up to the box.
- Upon landing on the box, go back down right away and land on the position you started at.
5. Squat Jumps
Squat jumps are a great exercise for big men who need to go after block shots and gather rebounds. It is also a great repetitive teaching tool that teaches players how to jump correctly with both feet.
Performing the Squat Jump:
- Standing straight, put both hands behind your head.
- Next, get into athletic position and go down into a squat stance.
- Using your hips, knees and ankles jump up as high as you can explosively.
- As you get stronger, start doing weighted squat jumps to increase the resistance.
6. Ankle Hops
Ankle hops are both a strengthening and rehabilitation exercises that strengthens the ankles and Achilles tendon.
This exercise also helps the athlete to quickly bounce back up after landing. This is helpful for athletes like basketball players who may need to go for a quick second jump.
Performing the Ankle Hop Exercise:
- Stand straight with arms on the sides
- With your legs straight, start hopping up by only using your ankles.
- Try to hop as high as you can with each repetition. Like the other plyometric exercises here, the quality of each jump is more important than getting as many jumps in as quickly as possible.
- The goal is to hop right back up as quickly as possible after you’ve reached the group.
Keep your knees straight in order to focus the exercise on the ankles and not make it a knee jumping exercise.
7. Vertical Jumps
The vertical jump and reach exercise is as close as you get to jumping for your actual sport. It also helps develop the jumper’s ability to rebound back up after landing so that they have a good follow up jump.
Performing the vertical jump and reach exercise:
- Stand under the backboard or rim, depending on which you plan to reach for. Aim for something that is challenging enough so that you get stronger in your jumping ability as you practice.
- Jump as high as you can and tap the backboard or rim with one or both hands. You can alternate hands or use both hands. Two hand touches is typically harder and requires a higher jump than single hand touches.
- When you land on the ground, jump up as quickly as possible keeping the amount of time on the ground as little as possible.
8. Standing Broad Jumps
The standing broad jump is similar to the frog jump except you down go as low as the frog jump when you wind up for your jump.
The goal of the exercise is to do repeated forward jumps aiming at distance more than height.
Working on this exercise helps athletes jump higher and further as well as get off the ground quickly after landing.
Performing the standing broad jump:
- With an athletic stance, bend at your hips and knees into a quarter squat position.
- Jump forward with the help of your arm swing to help propel your further forward.
- When you land, get back to your quarter squat position and go for the next jump.
9. Knee Tucks
Jumping knee tucks help build explosiveness and power along with helping increase vertical jumping ability.
The exercise also works your core and makes you more flexible.
Performing the Jumping Knee Tuck exercise:
- Start with an athletic position that prepares you to jump upward.
- You may or may not use your hands for this exercise. If you do wish to incorporate your hands, hold them on chest level with palms facing down.
- The goal of the knee tuck is to jump up explosively as high as you can, and drive the knees up to the chest. If you have your hands out, try to touch the knees to your palms.
- Make sure you land well, to avoid injury.
10. Lateral Cone Hops
This exercise helps you jump sideways. It helps teach the basketball player to be able to jump high quickly laterally so that when the ball isn’t right above them they can still compete for it.
Equipment needed:
- Free space
- 3 to 5 cones
Performing the Lateral Cone Hop:
- Position the cones in a straight line about 2 to 3 feet from one another
- Stand at the end of the line and position yourself so that the line is on your right side. You can choose which side you want to start with.
- Jump sideways using both feet over the first cone and land with both feet. Keep doing this until you reach finish all the cones.
- Once you finish jumping over the rightmost cone. Do the same thing jumping over one cone at a time sideways towards the left.
If you’re looking for a training program for jumping higher that focuses on plyometrics check out Adam Folker’s Vert Shock workout. To learn more about it, read our full review here.
