If you are a basketball player then you are probably doing everything you can in order to achieve the highest vertical increase in your jump possible. One person can have many reasons for the aim of jumping higher. No matter why you want to jump higher techniques are the same.

You maybe want to make your play more attractive, by doing some of those slam dunks that always makes it exciting. Or maybe you just want to be able to jump higher than your opponent when shooting or when trying to block a shot. Or maybe when you need to jump for the ball. If your opponents are taller than you are, you can make up for it with your jump easily.

Anyway, one of the first things required for jumping high is well developed leg muscles. You need to put an effort in different exercises for your legs and feet. These exercises can easily be done at your home but it doesn't mean they are not tiring. I don't need to mention how important it is for you to properly warm up before you start with these exercises.

After you are properly warmed up, you can start by standing on your toes and putting your entire feet on the ground. You should do this to start, then you can start by making short jumps on your toes while trying not to touch the floor with your heels. This workout will solidify your ankle and make your calf stronger. This will not make your jump much higher but it is very important to get used to this because it is very important for your ankle and calf to be able to endure the stress of continuous jumping, this will also reduce the probability of you being injured.

Also crouching and standing up will strengthen your quadriceps and back muscles as well as your knees. These muscles are giving you 90% of the power that makes you jump. When you can, you should also start jumping while standing up from the crouching position and then return to the crouching position as soon as you touch the ground. This workout is very hard but when you get to it you are on the good way to pull out maximum from your jump.

Of course, it is not enough to make your muscles strong, your muscles must also be agile and fast. One proof for this is the fact that bodybuilders are not known for their jumping abilities even though their leg muscles can be five times stronger than that of average basketball pro believe it or not. That's why you should try to develop your agility with good warm up and stretching exercises.

When you achieve the physical condition you aimed for, then you need to pay attention to some other details. You should always have comfortable basketball shoes designed for jumping. You wouldn't believe how much bad shoes can hinder your jump. Also you need to develop proper jump technique. It is very important to use every bit of your body while jumping, not only your legs for maximum vertical increase. Just keep this on your mind and don't panic, just relax and rest assured that practice makes perfect.

This short guide should show you how to achieve vertical increase in your jump, keep in mind that not all of these exercises and techniques might work for you so feel free to adjust them to best suit your needs.