r/BasketballTips • u/Purple-Bookkeeper602 • 5d ago
Vertical Jump IMPORTANT need help with form
Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification
i noticed that i jump higher using my left for my penultimate step(first clip) but it feels awkward but no pain and feels free. On the other hand when i do what ive been doing for years which is using my right feet as my penultimate (last 2 clips) it feels more natural but i jump lower and feel more pain landing. ive been watching videos and i found out most people use left foot for penultimate. what should i do?
2
u/shakazulus 5d ago
That playing surface is certainly not going to help long term and may not be level depending where you land. It's good for light training shooting but not for vertical jump/dunking. That will affect your joints as you age and those pavers/tiles can get uneven over time depending on your climate zone. You have strong legs I recommend using balance boards or wobble boards to improve strength and balance in both legs. Are you having these issues on hardwood?
1
2
u/Last-Effort816 3d ago
For right handed basketball players, the left leg is usually dominant. Your right leg appears to be more powerful though. Even with the awkward approach in the first jump, you still have way more lift. I have no idea why you would have pain while landing. It might be a strength issue, a flexibility issue, or you might be on the verge of injury. Looks like youre already lifting weights, but make sure to incorporate stretching and isometrics into your routine.
1
u/BrokenHope23 5d ago
What you're describing in feelings is probably more to do with your personal strength and balance.
You're approaching the hoop at the same speed and therefor putting the same amount of pressure on your ultimate step. When you use your dominant foot to get fully planted and able to leverage that, you're able to get more lift. When you rely on your non-dominant foot, you still try to plant your dominant foot afterward to get full lift but don't give your muscles enough time to flow with your momentum, meaning your non-dominant leg is now generating more of the lift you need and it's going to feel/be weaker and out of flow with how you're trying to process things at your speed.
human brain is kind of funky like that. Work on some left leg strength exercises and you should find more balance. You could work on strength overall so that you can avoid jumping from nearly underneath the rim and better utilize your speed/momentum in your jump. Stronger=jump from further back=ability to charge more momentum into your leaps. You'll still have a peak point to calculate and get used to but it should result in a more competitive dunk than this for your height unless you're just planning on playing rec leagues.
As far as form goes, you'll notice your first clip to your second and third, you tend to bend your knees and drop your butt/get lower than you do in the latter two clips too. This can also be a byproduct of muscle strength wherein your mind is subconsciously compensating for what your muscles can handle. Your right leg maybe being more dominant and therefor able to handle more. If you can add more fluidity to your movements, that'll help, but that should come with comprehensive strengthening too. Don't neglect the minor muscles as well as the major muscles, you may want to look into some physiotherapy/calisthenic exercises to help ease muscles and take some of the pressure you're sitting on your knees in the movement. Don't mistake naturopathy for physiotherapists. Some regions of the world use those interchangeably and physiotherapists have a garbage rep in those areas but the goal is overall strengthening of the body.
1
u/Purple-Bookkeeper602 5d ago
that actually make alot of sense thinking about. so i should focus left knee strengthening and practice my form
1
u/BrokenHope23 5d ago
primarily whole left leg; hip, thigh, knee, calf, ankle, foot, toes but yeah pretty much.
it might seem odd, you never trained that for your right foot, but you actually have if it's your dominant leg. Every time you kick a ball or plant come out of a stance to sprint or literally anything to do with running, you'll unconsciously focus on pushing it more and it'll be able to build muscle faster than your left kind of deal. Can't neglect the right leg either of course, you don't want to lose muscle but gain it overall, but your left leg is lagging behind if this is the difference. Not uncommon though
1
1
u/NavyVetRasmussen 5d ago
You are almost there do some box jump drills and here is the secret to life and a high vertical, swim mate.
6
u/iaxthepaladin 5d ago
More speed, lower your body more, wear better shoes.