Want to Know How to Dunk a Basketball?
It’s always easier if you’re privileged enough to stand tall, but many of us are medium height or even below average. This doesn’t stop us from being great basketball players and there’s no reason we shouldn’t know how to dunk a basketball. Still, it’s a lot tougher without those extra inches. The good news is that with hard work, you can get there. Here are a few things to keep in mind that may help.
1. Practicing your dunks with smaller balls at first will be a nice transition before finally doing it with a basketball. It’s hard to pull off a one-handed dunk when the ball is so big, and dunking with two hands can be even harder! Practice with smaller balls first. Tennis, lacrosse, golf, and volleyballs should all do the job.
2. It’s important to both have leg strength and great endurance when learning how to dunk a basketball. By standing right under the basket and jumping without any kind of a running start, you’ll build both your legs and your endurance. Do fixed position jumps about 25 straight times, with no major rest in between jumps (a few seconds in between each jump tops).
3. Make sure to lift weights. The more muscle you have, the more spring you’ll have in your jump. Squats are one of the best builders of leg muscle.
4. Lift weights with exercises that emphasize the hamstrings and the calves. While it’s very important to have strong quads, it’s equally important to make sure the muscle distribution within your legs is widespread.
5. Everyone knows that your legs must be strong, but few people realize that a strong stomach and a strong lower back really help out too. Do sit-ups and some other exercises that focus on these parts of the body.
6. Get the right pair of basketball shoes. Basketball shoes are great for ankle support, but can also be clunky at times. Make sure you have the right balance of something that gives you that support, but doesn’t weigh your feet down either.
7. Change your diet. What you eat is just as important as everything else. Eat lots of fruit, vegetables, proteins, and keep the sugar intake relatively low.
8. Buy a system that teaches you how to dunk a basketball if you’re really serious. If followed seriously, verticals can increase by over a foot within a month or two. This is exactly what did it for me.
To find out exactly what I used to learn how to dunk and the methods that will end up increasing vertical, check out my blog.
