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Tips on how to dunk a basketball
Tips on how to dunk a basketball
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.
How To Dunk A Basketball: The Ultimate Guide
If you’ve ever watched an NBA dunk contest and thought to yourself, “I could do that,” then this post is for you. We’re going to break down dunking a basketball into simple steps. And provide some tips on how to train for it. Here’s our ultimate guide on how to dunk a basketball.
This blog post will cover every step of the dunk as well as ways you can train for it. Dunking seems like such an impossible task but doesn’t worry; we’ll break it down in easy-to-follow steps and provide some helpful training advice too!
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What is Dunking in Basketball?
Dunking is when a player jumps up and dunks the basketball in one fluid motion.
A dunk has to be performed over another person; if you can dunk on someone, then that’s considered a flagrant foul or an assault. Dunking is also referred to as “slam dunk” which makes it easy to remember what they’re called!
Tips on Preparing to Dunk a Basketball?
So once we’ve defined dunking, let us explain how you have been able to do this your entire life! You might think of yourself as being vertically challenged. But don’t worry about jumping high because there are some tips for increasing jump height below too.
It’s Time to Get Dunkin’!
Don’t forget that you can train for this by doing several different exercises which are explained in detail below. Now let us get dunking… Dunking seems like an impossible task but it isn’t, trust us!
Here are some simple steps detailing exactly what you need to do. It might seem intimidating at first especially if you consider yourself vertically challenged (short).
Or don’t know where to start with your training. We’re here for you though and will provide lots of helpful tips too so read on…
Stretching is Important
First off, stretch out those hamstrings and calves by doing some simple stretches. When you dunk a basketball, you’re going to be jumping. So your muscles must be stretched out and ready for action.
When You Dunk Your Whole Body Moves!
For one thing, dunking is not just an arm movement. When you dunk a basketball your whole body needs to follow through with the motion. So try practicing on some benches or steps first before attempting on the court if this sounds new to you.
Increasing Vertical Jump Height
Now that we’ve gotten our first dunk out of the way, let’s talk training advice for increasing dunk height. Several different exercises can be done but if you want an effective program then check out NBA player Kenny Gregory’s workout routine.
As he regularly trains with weighted balls to increase his vertical jump height:
- Hold a medicine or slam ball above your head while standing upright. Bring it down past one side of your face so it’s behind this ear and then dunk it.
- Take a medicine ball and stand with your back to the basket. Start at arm’s length away from the hoop, jump towards the basket, reach up high for a dunk while jumping off of one leg or both legs if you are comfortable doing so. Repeat this step by standing closer to the hoop each time. Until dunking becomes easy enough for you to do on just about any shot attempt – even without leaving your feet!
These are two of our favorite exercises that can be done anywhere anytime. This will help increase dunk height quickly but there are several other training tips too:
- Sprint as fast as possible over short distances (about 20 meters). Look down at where your feet hit when running; notice anything different? That’s right, your heels hit first instead of the middle or front part of your foot! This is because you are using quick movements to dunk a basketball.
- Jump rope for at least five minutes every day. You’ll want to jump up with two feet when turning the rope and if possible. Try doing it on one leg too (jump off both legs).
The Dunk – Step-by-Step
Grab a basketball, stand about three feet away from the basket, and make sure you have a run-up of about five steps.
Make Sure Your Fingers are Flexible and Grippy
When dunking the basketball, you need to hold it with your dominant hand while doing so! This means that if you’re right-handed then dunk the ball with your right and vice versa for left-handed players. You also need strong fingers which is why we recommend working on this during training too. Simply grip some tennis balls or roll them around in your hands at home/at work until they become softer. When dunking a basketball, you’re going to be putting all pressure down onto one finger. So avoid injuries by making sure yours are flexible and grippy enough before attempting any dunks!
Keep Your Spine Straight and Head-Up!
When dunking, you need to keep your spine as straight as possible.
If it’s curved then this could lead to back injuries from trying to dunk a basketball which is why we recommend keeping the above advice in mind too. You also want to make sure that when dunking a basketball you jump high enough so don’t forget about our tips on how to improve your vertical below either!
Bring The Ball To Your Upper Chest And Extend Your Arm Outwards
Keep bringing the ball upwards until you’re at chest level – some people prefer dunking with two hands but if that doesn’t feel comfortable for you then go and do one hand instead. Your dominant hand should be on the ball and your other arm will extend outwards. This is where you need to make sure that you dunk high enough so aim for the top of the backboard if this sounds like a new technique to you.
Bring The Ball Down And Extend Your Arm Outwards Again
Now dunking is going to involve repeating some movements several times, just keep in mind that every time we’re talking about dunking a basketball! Next up bring down your stretched-out, the non-dominant arm which has been holding onto the ball until it reaches eye level then follow through by extending it outwards again before bringing everything upwards once more.
Repeat these steps many times until eventually, they become second nature – dunking a basketball is not easy but with some practice, you will get it!
Bring The Dunk Down And Extend Your Arm Outwards Once More
Bring dunking down once more until your arm reaches the height of your waist then extend outwards one last time. Remember to keep everything straight and make sure that when dunking a basketball, you jump high enough so don’t forget about our tips on how to improve your vertical below either!
Practice Makes Perfect – Don’t Give Up Yet!
We know dunking seems like an impossible task especially if this is new for you – trust us though, we’ve been there before. Keep practicing these steps over and over again every day to dunk a basketball and make sure that your finger strength is up to scratch too!
Extra Tip
Now, when dunking the ball you can either bring it down in front of your face or behind depending on which feels more comfortable for you.
You also want to be careful with how high you jump when dunking as sometimes if we’re not used to dunking then this could lead to injuries.
Can I Train to Dunk a Basketball?
Absolutely! We’ve provided you with lots of great tips to dunk a basketball and now it’s time to put them into action. Remember that dunking is an art form – not everyone can do it which makes dunkers like Vince Carter or Michael Jordan legends in their game.
It might take some practice before dunking becomes second nature for you but once you get the hang of things, we guarantee there will be no stopping your dunks!
Technique for Dunking a Basketball
If dunking a basketball is something you’ve been working on for a while, then footwork might be your biggest problem. This will make or break any dunk attempt so it’s important to get this right.
Footwork
Keep both feet shoulder-width apart when standing away from the basket and jump off of one leg (the opposite leg should be slightly bent).
Try not to look down at where your feet land but instead focus solely on dunking the ball – if you find yourself nervous about dunking in front of an audience then practice doing it alone behind closed doors until perfect!
Watch Your Dunk
If dunking on a regulation-sized rim then you’ll want to dunk the ball from your chest and not your forehead – this is because if dunking on an NBA hoop, it’s about ten feet away but only nine feet for NCAA regulation rims which force players to jump higher to dunk successfully!
Extend Your Arms
Be sure that while going up for a dunk attempt, both arms need to be fully extended at all times! This signals the referee that you’re ready to go and nothing will stop you from completing such an amazing feat!
Repeat
Try performing several of these drills before attempting another slam dunk again so that when it comes time for game day or just a normal practice session, everything flows smoothly into one beautiful play.
You’ll find dunking a basketball is easier than ever and dunk contests will no longer be an issue!
Can a 5 Foot 11 Person Dunk?
Of course, dunking is possible for people of all heights and we’re willing to bet that dunk contests would be far more interesting if they were open to everyone – dunking a basketball should not be limited by height; it’s an art form!
Every time you see someone dunk, it’s like witnessing one of the best things in life. This doesn’t mean though that dunking is only meant for tall people as there are plenty of us out there who can do this too no matter what your stature may look like!
We don’t necessarily believe that dunkers are born but instead made through hard work and practice so let these tips on how to improve vertical get you started with your journey!
Conclusion
There are so many different ways for dunking but these tips should help get you started – good luck out there! Remember that dunking seems impossible but with practice comes great results which means dunkin’ in no time flat! Dunkin’ isn’t hard once you know how…
We hope that this guide has been helpful, remember: keep working hard, and one day soon enough all of your dunking dreams will come true!
Here are Some of our Favourite Basketball Sneakers
Here we will be giving more of an opinion, rather than facts.
Are the sneakers worth the price that they are being sold at? Should you upgrade from your current sneakers, depending on what boots you own? What features stand out on these sneakers? If any. Does it do the job? Speed, control, stability etc. Depending on your needs/preferences. We can also mention its durability, if we have collected enough data on the specific sneakers.
What did we expect vs. what we got. Is it maybe overrated/underrated?
Elite
Here’s our pick from the very best of the bunch.
Pro
On your way to the pro leagues? Here’s our pick.
Beginner
Want something to start with? Have a look at our pick.
How to learn how to spin a basketball on your finger
To skillfully spin a basketball on your finger, you need to learn a few simple techniques, find the ball and set aside 10 minutes of training per day. After a week of practicing your skills, you will master the technique of this trick and show it to your friends.
In the step-by-step instructions below, we will show you how to learn how to spin a basketball on your finger.
Tossing the ball correctly
You can train on the sports ground, near the house or even in the apartment, but in any place you need to take into account the environment. For example, when practicing a trick in a room, the ball can bounce and break fragile objects. When a place is found and inventory is prepared, you can begin training. Initially, you need to learn how to properly hold and throw the ball in the air:
- Hold the ball with the stripes vertical. Horizontal scrolling looks ineffective and it is very difficult to catch a projectile from this position.
- Select throw method:
- Two hands. You need to keep the ball not on the sides, but so that 1 hand “looks” at you, and the second from you. Having fixed the object, sharply spread your arms and slightly “throw” the ball up.
- With one hand.
To throw with one hand, place your fingers along the lines of the ball. It is important that there is free space between the palm and the inventory. Lightly squeeze the ball. Turn the brush outward until it stops, and then gently turn it back. At the last moment, you need to give additional rotation to the ball with your fingertips. But we do not recommend using a large one, because. this will upset the balance and the ball will fly away.
- Throw the ball parallel to the floor, do not allow the ball to wobble. It is important that when thrown, the projectile rises above eye level. When its bottom surface is visible, the ball is easier to catch.
These steps must be repeated until fully automatic. Usually it takes two days. When the throws are confident, you can move on to the second level.
Learning to catch the ball
Once you have learned how to throw correctly, try catching the ball with your finger. To do this, remember the following nuances:
- You need to catch the projectile on the nail, not the finger itself.
In this case, it is important that the brush is turned with the palm towards you. - The finger must be placed strictly in the center, at the junction of the vertical lines, otherwise the ball will slide off.
- When your finger touches the ball, gently and smoothly lower your hand down. So you will improve the cushioning, the inventory will not bounce, and you will not damage your finger.
This stage is one of the most difficult and requires patience on the part of the freestyler, athlete and just wanting to master the skill. When you learn how to catch the ball, at first it can control you: jump off and make you “run” after it to keep your balance. Be patient and keep practicing.
Once you are comfortable with a spinning ball, try to keep it spinning and spin it further. To do this, with light flapping movements, move your free hand along a tangent. But remember that strong twists can shift the center of gravity and the projectile will lose balance.
Tips
Here are some helpful tips from the pros:
- practice throwing a few times a day before moving on to other stages;
- workouts can be quite tiring, so take breaks between sets to give your hands a rest;
- use only a well-inflated ball;
- when accelerating the rotational movements, do not apply much force, otherwise the ball will slip off the finger;
- Trim your nails before practicing, this will increase rotation control;
- do not throw the ball very high: you can damage or break the phalanges;
- You can reduce the risk of wrist injury by warming up before practicing the exercise.
Knowing how to spin a basketball on your finger and approaching the matter responsibly, in a week you will be able to show a cool trick to friends or sports colleagues.
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 first from a distance of half a meter from the ring, gradually increasing it. Learn to throw the ball so that it hits the hoop without touching the edge.
Throw the ball with all fives and jump
Throwing Rules:
- Head in the center of the body - if tilted, accuracy is lost.
- Look at the ring: mentally build a trajectory. If you are far away, the ball flies in a curved curve with a maximum height of 2 meters above the hoop.
- 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.
