“I want to increase my vertical”…..Easily one of the most common pain points coaches hear from athletes. How can something as benign as how high one can jump, holds so much weight?
An impressive vertical can open up doors for athletes. It can take a below the rim basketball player, and make them a high flyer. It can make the difference between a volleyball player going DI, or to a smaller school.
But as important as a vertical can be, it is one of the most misunderstood and improperly trained aspects of sports performance. The internet is littered with so called “vertical coaches” and jump programs hawking promises such as, “Increase your vertical 8 inches in 4 weeks”. Complete Snake oil….Been on instagram lately?? …Flashy Exercises with no substance or scientific basis.
So with all that being said, what exactly makes up a great vertical jump? Today we will cut through the BS and give you the factors that affect vertical jump, and what those factors mean for training.