My quest to dunk started poorly. The main problem was that I could only do about half of the very long list of ercises the Jump Manual instructed at the crowded and inadequate YMCA near my place. The basketball court—the only space big enough to do some of the drills—was always occupied with classes. The Strength Shoes, meanwhile, were so absurd that I was too embarrassed to wear them in front of other gym-goers. I used them only a handful of times, in an empty stairwell on the top floor of the gym.
I decided to see a personal trainer to develop a program that a) worked, and b) didn’t get me laughed out the Y. After some Googling, I came across David Janik, a former Division I football player at North Carolina State who advertised sports-specific training on his site.
I met Janik at Velocity Sports Performance in Manhattan, where he trains clients. Janik was so handsome and well built he looked like an X-Men character. We talked about my athletic background and what I needed to do in order to dunk in ten weeks. He assigned me a three-days-a-week program that would improve my explosiveness and overall leg strength and told me to check back in three weeks to adjust it. "If you follow the program and your intensity level is high," he said, "I guarantee you’ll dunk again."
the program went like this
Ten minutes of dynamic stretching and light track running
Twenty minutes of plyometric training, including broad jumps, one-foot jumps, box jumps, depth jumps (jumping off a bench, and immediately springing off the floor), and full squat jumps. The first week I performed the ercises at 60 percent max effort, the second week 70 percent, and so on.
Leg weights: three sets of 10 reps of squats, deadlifts, and Bulgarian split squats. All performed with correct form. If my form slipped, I lowered the weight.
Core ercises (i.e. medicine ball twists, leg lifts, etc.)
A minimum of ten minutes of static stretching at the end of the workout. When I was finished, I drank a protein shake mid with glutamine powder, which helps with muscle recovery.
I followed the routine Mondays and Fridays. On Wednesdays, I did the same plyometric drills but swapped leg weights with upper-body training (push press, pull ups, and push ups). On off days I rested or played basketball, and I tried to stretch and ice my knees and ankles daily.
I worked out hard and noticed benefits after just a few weeks. By the next time I saw Janik, I’d put a couple inches on my vertical. For the following cycle, I increased the weight on the squats, deadlifts, and split squats, and dropped the reps by two. Two weeks later, I added weight and dropped reps again.
Janik was available by text whenever I needed him, like my very own dunk training app. The important thing, he said, was to work out hard and smart. When my knees or back were sore, he advised lowering the weight for a few sessions and eliminating depth jumps. "Listen to your body," he told me. And I did: I took a day off here or there if I needed it; I added more weight when I felt good. When, after five weeks, I started to worry that I wasn’t going to dunk again, he kept me motivated. "Leg strength is the key. Squat deep. Ass to grass," he told me, unsympathetic to the known fact that squats are fucking terrible.
USA Basketball - How To Dunk A Basketball
To many, it is the carrot that dangles 10 feet off the ground, begging to be grabbed.
Dunking a basketball carries mystique among average-sized men. It's an inspiration for intense workout programs. It's the dream that just won't die.
But how exactly do you dunk a basketball?
Height and athleticism are the main factors, and all other wild cards bow down to the influence of these two. A 5-foot-6 guy probably doesn't have much of a shot with a 10-foot rim unless he's Spud Webb. At the same time, an average-sized guy--say, 5-11--won't have a chance without at least a little athletic ability.
Dunking isn't for everybody, but many men at least have a chance at pulling it off. Even so, it depends on a lot of variables for those on the fringe. Many guys have excess weight that keep them grounded. Some days your legs just aren't up to it. Other days, you don't have the right shoes on, or a certain basketball is hard to grip, or a past injury is hampering you. Little things like that can keep you from basketball glory when you're oh-so-close to throwing down.
If you're 5-5 and lacking great hops, nothing you read is going to pull a miracle. Sorry, Charlie. Don't sweat it, though--as many short shooters boast, "When dunks are worth three points, I'll start doing it."
Similarly, if you're the next Wilt Chamberlain and you can literally kiss the rim, you're too advanced for this course. Enjoy your Zeus-like ability.
If you're close but not quite over the hump, with decent height and decent hops, never forget: there is plenty of hope for you.
Let's get Dick Vitale screaming.
Building Your Strength
Being in great shape is the best way to start your quest toward a rim-rocking jam, and there are specific exercises you can keep in mind while improving your fitness.
LaRue Cook, a personal trainer and owner of LEC Fitness, recommends building your basic level of strength first. This can be done through common leg exercises like squats, lunges, hamstring curls and leg press.
Once that's established, Cook said that increasing your vertical is accomplished through boosting your power.
"Power can be defined as a combination of speed and strength," Cook said. "Dynamic exercises that combine speed and strength such as skips--low and high--and squat jumps and bounding are all ways to improve your leg power once a base of strength has been established."
The Jump
Generally, a player can get his highest when jumping off one foot and reaching up with one hand. For a right-hander, the most common way is approaching from the left and jumping off the left foot with the ball in the right hand. However, some people find jumping off two feet more comfortable, so experiment and find what's best for you.
Going up for a two-handed slam, while awesome, is a more advanced dunk and shouldn't be the goal just yet. To slip your hand over the rim and throw down a ball means to eliminate anything that might keep you from your vertical maximum. So your other hand should stay at your side to balance your body.
If you're not sure what your potential is, go up without a ball first. Get the hang of jumping this way, of (hopefully) touching the rim. Many of the newer rims are breakaway, and will snap down if you grab onto it. If you want to have a chance at dunking, you should be able to snap the rim down like this with some consistency.
Careful, though: If you grab the rim but can't get a grip, the momentum of your body could cause a violent spill. Be smart.
Progression
From there, work your way up. Jeff Haefner of Breakthrough Basketball suggests starting with smaller balls like a golf ball or tennis ball to practice timing and elevation. It's a little harder than just grabbing the rim, and a good step toward throwing down a big ball.
"You'll find it's much harder to dunk with a full-sized ball," Haefner said. "Your timing and vertical leap is the key."
Keep that in mind, and progress slowly. A mini basketball is a little more challenging than a tennis ball, but it's easy to palm and that helps. See if you can get high enough to get your hand over the rim--almost up to your wrist--so you can stuff the mini ball. If you can't throw it down with a little authority, a bigger basketball won't be any easier.
From there, you can try a four-square ball or a volleyball. Both are a pretty good size but soft enough to be able to grip.
Remember that fatigue is a factor, and you probably have only so many jumps in a session before your legs wear out. Once you're not 100 percent, you don't stand a chance at dunking for the first time. Don't get frustrated if your 15th attempt of the day isn't as good as your third or fourth try. That's normal.
With a Ball
If you're on the verge of dunking, being able to palm a normal basketball will help immensely. If your hands aren't big enough, you can go up holding the ball over your hand like a waiter holding a plate of food. Take care of it--the rock often gets away from players mid-jump, making the attempt worthless.
Work at it, and focus. You'll probably get painfully close dozens of times before you break through and finally get a clean one. You're first "dunk" might be a little ugly and won't be with force. It doesn't mean it doesn't count.
The slam dunk is a beautiful play that only a small portion of the population can do, which adds to the allure of it. If you're right on the dunk's doorstep, don't give up. Work hard at it and keep your confidence high. When it finally does go down, it will be worth it in the end.
That's a promise.
Basketball coaching hacks: how to score goals for beginners
Even if you are a novice basketball player, we will not give you a training plan, but we will tell you why the ball flies anywhere but into the ring and into your hands. It's all about technique: even with regular training and perseverance, novice adults and children often make simple mistakes. It's a shame, let's fix it. Below are 11 life hacks on how to hone your technique to increase the likelihood of a goal for your team.
Basketball Shot Rules for Beginners
1. Hands up
In pursuit of the attacker, raise your hands, even if you are standing with your back to the pass, and even more so if the ring is in front of you. Your raised hands will increase the chance of intercepting the ball from the opponent by 2 times. Don't overlook this little thing!
2. Make shield rolls
Even Tim Duncan did not neglect them! A square is drawn on the basketball backboard. If you are standing opposite the ring, then aim at the middle of the upper part of the square, if you are standing on the side, then at the corner. If you hit this square, then the ball is at 90% of cases will fall into the ring. The law of physics and no cheating!
3. Look at the ring, not at the ball
Practice driving the ball with your hand, not your eyes, develop tactile control. Your eyes should be on the hoop while dribbling and be aware of the position of your body in relation to the hoop. Then you will be able to take the correct posture, and the throw will be effective.
4. Dribble with the balls of your fingers only
The palm should not touch the ball, only the pads of the fingers. Dribbling should become familiar to you, like an extension of your hand. Then you can change its trajectory at any time and you will have more chances to score goals. Practice with the ball constantly.
5. Throw with one hand
If you throw the ball with two hands, you reduce the chance of hitting the basket. All the efforts of the throw are in one hand (in the right for right-handers, in the left for left-handers). The other hand only holds the ball, the leading one holds it with the fingers, not the palm.
6. Do not jump when protecting the ring
Jumping is the main mistake of rookie defenders. To intercept the ball and block the shot, simply stick out your hands. When you are in a jump, the attacker will easily bypass you.
7. Don't look back
When you dribble, don't look back, but dribble and aim for the ring, focus on shooting (or passing to another player on your team).
8. Bring the throw to automatism
Incorporate the most basic basketball techniques into your training plan and bring the shot to automatism. Throw at first from a distance of half a meter from the ring, gradually increasing it. Learn to throw the ball so that it hits the ring without touching the edge.
Throw the ball with all fives and jump
Throw rules:
Head in the center of the body - if tilted, accuracy is lost.
Look at the ring: mentally build a trajectory. If you are standing far away, then the ball flies in a curved curve with a maximum height of 2 meters above the ring.
A strong hand is in front and throws, a weak hand is on the side and directs, only holding the ball. The elbow of the throwing hand must be in line with the ring.
The ball must rest on the fingers without touching the palm. The fingers are as far apart as possible and grab the ball.
Throwing arm bent 90 degrees, forearm perpendicular to the floor. If you bend less, then you get not a throw, but a throwing of the ball horizontally.
The main thing in the throw is the position of the body and its balance. Place your feet apart and parallel to each other: it is important to orient them in the middle of the basket. Then the direction of the body during the jump will coincide with the direction of the throw, and the ball will fly straight into the ring. When the feet are uneven, the ball flies in the wrong direction or does not reach (although the throw was normal).
Take a deep breath and release as you exhale.
How to hold the ball and shoot in basketball
How to throw correctly: straighten your arm, point your wrist up, and with your hand set the ball to rotate in the opposite direction from the flight. The ball should seem to "roll" off your fingers.
9. Copy masters and play as a team
Watch professional basketball games and try to copy the movements of your favorite players in training. And be sure to conduct game sparring - this will allow you to develop more techniques.
10. Do not throw in a straight line
The higher the arc of the ball, the greater the chance of a goal and the less chance of blocking by the opponent.
11. Do not throw the ball from a full height stand
This is the biggest newbie mistake!
Before the throw, bend your knees slightly and at the moment of the throw, straighten your body, making a jump. You need to straighten up and push off the ground at the same time. When squatting, keep the elbow of the throwing arm close to the body and towards the ring.
The jump will give momentum to the ball and will allow you not to make sudden movements with the brush.
***
And to be a long-term player, do not forget about your health: take care of your joints and muscles, use tapes, do a warm-up. And be sure to strengthen your arms, legs and shoulder girdle, develop coordination. Regular exercises on uneven bars and horizontal bars will help you with this.
How to throw the ball correctly in basketball: technique, tips, video tutorials
The first thing taught in any basketball section is how to throw the ball correctly in basketball. This is where all the NBA stars once started. In addition to throwing technique, many more qualities will come in handy on the court: speed, strength, agility, quick reaction, but it all starts with technical improvement. For basketball players, this process never ends; in training, they work out tactical schemes and constantly work on the shot. In this article, you will learn how to throw and score the ball correctly, what types of shots are, which ones are the most effective, and how to improve your basketball shot.
If a basketball player does not progress, he becomes less successful. Therefore, after training, the players do not leave the court and for a long time just throw the ball into the basket from different points, this can go on for several hours in a row. So do both schoolchildren who have recently joined the section, and athletes from the best leagues in the world. It is extremely important to master the technique, but it is just as important to continue to work on it, to include basketball throwing exercises in training so that all movements are not only memorized, but also verified.
Types of throws
Almost the whole game consists of throws, and they differ from each other. There are different types according to the execution technique, for example, a dunk or a half-hook, as well as by range: directly from under the shield, from a short or long distance. There are also differences in the method of implementation, for example, after dribbling or in a jump.
The simplest in terms of technical implementation are lay-up and dunk. The first is performed from below, usually right from under the basket, it will not be difficult even for a child to master the correct throw in basketball from such a distance. The dunk will be a little more difficult, as physics intervenes. It is necessary not only to throw the ball, but to group well, to jump high in order to be as close to the basket as possible. In this case, it will be possible to simply put the ball into the ring with two hands or one. You can learn more about this from the article “What are dunks in basketball and how to do them correctly?”.
In the case of the dunk, it is important not only to know how to shoot correctly in basketball, but also to work on the strength of your legs and improve your jump. That is why training begins not only with throws, but with general physical preparation. The very first to be mastered will be from an average distance, this is the basis of everything, these are exactly what they do as a free kick. To implement it is simple and difficult at the same time, the moment is not technically difficult, but extremely responsible.
The worst thing that can happen to a beginner is learning the wrong technique to throw a basketball. The body has muscle memory, so learning something from scratch is easier than relearning. Incorrectly learned movements are reflected in accuracy. Sometimes even high-level basketball players spend several years to correct the wrong technical points that they found in school.
In terms of efficiency, there is no technique that will make any player successful. Much depends on individual characteristics, primarily on height and other anthropometric data. Therefore, you need to master the correct shooting technique in basketball in different performances in order to understand which one makes you more effective.
Correct execution
When learning any throw, you need to watch the position of the body. In the case of the usual, the legs should be shoulder-width apart, this gives stability and enhances coordination of movements. The throwing leg is slightly forward relative to the supporting leg, about half a step. The heels are torn off the floor surface by just a couple of millimeters, the knees are slightly bent, this gives the body springiness.
The main characteristic of basketball shots is accuracy, and it depends on the position of the head. The head should be located strictly in the center of the body, if you tilt it to the right or left, then a deviation will occur, accuracy will suffer.
Let's move on to the most important thing - the work of the hands. When taking out, the thrower is bent at the elbow at a right angle, her forearm is located perpendicular to the floor. With proper implementation, the ball will come off your hand at the level of your forehead or a little higher, this should be taken into account when training a shot in basketball. The second hand is the insurer, it should not firmly fix the ball, just hold it slightly. If you do not listen to this rule, then in flight there will be a deviation from the desired trajectory. In this case, before the throw, the projectile is fixed exclusively with the throwing hand.
Spread your fingers wide for better control of accuracy. The larger the captured area, the easier it is to control.
Accuracy is also affected by backspin, which is given to the ball by fingertips at the very last moment. Twist the middle and index fingers. The throwing arm should not be tense, the ball is escorted exclusively by the hand. The faster it is released, the more accurate its flight will be.
Basketball throwing technique consists of many tiny details, and each of them is important. Before you throw, you need to sit down slightly in order to straighten up at the right moment, this is not done abruptly, but quickly. Such actions allow you to transfer an additional momentum to the projectile. The flight range depends not only on the force that is invested by the throwing hand, so there is simply no need for its tension and sharp movements with the brush.
Last but not least is the trajectory. Players constantly calculate it to understand how to hit the basket in basketball from the distance they are at the moment. The trajectory should always be curved, throwing in a straight line is not worth it for two reasons: it is more difficult to get into the ring, and it is easier for representatives of the other team to intercept the blow. The higher the trajectory, the more likely it is to hit the basket, and not the bow. In addition, according to the rules of the game, block shots can only be placed during the ascending phase of the movement. It turns out that the higher the highest point of the flight is located, the more difficult it is to intercept it.
How to choose a throwing technique?
Do not try to master difficult throws until the most common one is brought to automatism. It is necessary to constantly do throwing exercises in basketball on technique, initially not even paying attention to accuracy and speed. Muscle memory should be replenished with basic movements, and only after that you can try to repeat the tricks of Kevin Durant or Stephen Curry. You can learn about a complex and very effective technique from the article “How to do a hook throw in basketball?”.
What is needed is automatism, since in real game conditions there will be no time to think about how to place a foot or place hands.
When I was finished, I drank a protein shake mid with glutamine powder, which helps with muscle recovery.
And I did: I took a day off here or there if I needed it; I added more weight when I felt good. When, after five weeks, I started to worry that I wasn’t going to dunk again, he kept me motivated. "Leg strength is the key. Squat deep. Ass to grass," he told me, unsympathetic to the known fact that squats are fucking terrible.
Even so, it depends on a lot of variables for those on the fringe. Many guys have excess weight that keep them grounded. Some days your legs just aren't up to it. Other days, you don't have the right shoes on, or a certain basketball is hard to grip, or a past injury is hampering you. Little things like that can keep you from basketball glory when you're oh-so-close to throwing down. 
To slip your hand over the rim and throw down a ball means to eliminate anything that might keep you from your vertical maximum. So your other hand should stay at your side to balance your body. 
"Your timing and vertical leap is the key." 
Take care of it--the rock often gets away from players mid-jump, making the attempt worthless. 
It's a shame, let's fix it. Below are 11 life hacks on how to hone your technique to increase the likelihood of a goal for your team. 
Your eyes should be on the hoop while dribbling and be aware of the position of your body in relation to the hoop. Then you will be able to take the correct posture, and the throw will be effective. 
When you are in a jump, the attacker will easily bypass you. 
The elbow of the throwing hand must be in line with the ring. 
The ball should seem to "roll" off your fingers. 
And be sure to strengthen your arms, legs and shoulder girdle, develop coordination. Regular exercises on uneven bars and horizontal bars will help you with this. 
So do both schoolchildren who have recently joined the section, and athletes from the best leagues in the world. It is extremely important to master the technique, but it is just as important to continue to work on it, to include basketball throwing exercises in training so that all movements are not only memorized, but also verified. 
The dunk will be a little more difficult, as physics intervenes. It is necessary not only to throw the ball, but to group well, to jump high in order to be as close to the basket as possible. In this case, it will be possible to simply put the ball into the ring with two hands or one. You can learn more about this from the article “What are dunks in basketball and how to do them correctly?”. 
The body has muscle memory, so learning something from scratch is easier than relearning. Incorrectly learned movements are reflected in accuracy. Sometimes even high-level basketball players spend several years to correct the wrong technical points that they found in school. 
The higher the trajectory, the more likely it is to hit the basket, and not the bow. In addition, according to the rules of the game, block shots can only be placed during the ascending phase of the movement. It turns out that the higher the highest point of the flight is located, the more difficult it is to intercept it. 
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/3534532/Screen_Shot_2015-03-23_at_11.19.42_PM.0.png)
