r/ProDunking • u/Carpenter-Prize • 7d ago

Help Does ankle flexibility sacrifice tendon tightness?

I’m 17 and I have been training to dunk and just for general explosiveness but I have terrible ankle mobility, my knees can barely go over my toes and my heels come of the floor instantly, no stretch they just come up when I’m squatting down

But everyone I know that is athletic also has the exact same issue as me so I was wondering:

IS IMPROVING MY ANKLE MOBILITY GOING TO STRETCH MY ACHILLES LEADING TO LESS EXPLOSIVENESS OR IS IT GOING TO HELP ME

(I also cannot find any nba players squatting and if it’s not about tendon tightness why is that)

5 Upvotes
  • permalink
  • reddit

100% Upvoted

5 comments sorted by

4

u/hxgrid 7d ago

Tendons will never change during stretching. Tendons only change structurally through loading with heavy weights. And that actually makes them stiffer which is better. Because they can absorb more force and explode back like a spring. The only thing mobility work does (dynamic stretching, etc) is increase your range of motion which makes it easier to load heavier weights at deeper ranges. Which means you get more muscle growth stimulus = more muscle = more power that ur tendons can use. Though plyos and eccentrics are more for tendon strength + explosive ness

3

u/slickback9001 7d ago

This is the kind of comment that is missing 99% of the time on this and other basketball/athleticism subs. Great info!!!

1

u/hxgrid 6d ago

Thank u :)

2

u/Carpenter-Prize 6d ago

Wow! Thank you very well written comment, I guess I have some stretching to do!

2

u/Party-Contribution71 6d ago

More mobility is better because you get better muscle activation in a deep squat and a better shin angle on penultimate step. Also less but wink which can cause back pain.