Air Up There And1 or how to increase the vertical jump
Ever since the term “dunk” was born in 1936, millions of basketball players have tried to add this “move” to their repertoire or at least learn it. Back then, New York Times reporter Arthur Daley saw some McPherson Oilers basketball players take the ball over the basket and shoot it through the hoop. He likened this move to dunking a cookie in your coffee and the most popular move in basketball was born.
Since then there has been an incredible evolution of the “move” called dunk. Julius Erving, Michael Jordan, Vince Carter: they all took the dunk to the next level. Last year, TJ Fontenette aka The Air Up There from the streetball team called AND1
became the first man to complete a 720-degree dunk, that’s two full rotations in the air!
So nowadays all the kids want to make a mate long before they can make a tray. But why is the dunk so popular? Let’s ask Vince Carter, arguably the best dunker in the world:
“Because most people who watch or play basketball in their spare time can’t do those things. But they want to. A lot of guys have a killer crossover, they can all throw a behind-the-back pass and hit from midcourt. But how many people can throw a 360?
It’s simple: once you’re able to shoot, you never want to lose the feeling of going up in the air, shooting the ball through the hoop, nylon or chain net, hanging from the rim and watching your embarrassed opponent second. . I was trying to block you ago…
“Wetting the ball is better than sex!” – Shawn Kemp, one of the best dunkers in NBA history
This comparison gives you a rough idea of what kind of feeling it is to dunk. Ok, but now let’s take a look at why most people who play basketball and want to make a slam dunk don’t actually make it.
The most popular excuse is the following: “I’m too small!” And this one is definitely wrong. Why? Because if you’re over 5’7″ (that’s the height of the shortest NBA slam dunk champion, Spud Webb) and don’t have any chronic health issues (knees, ankles, back), you can definitely learn to dunk.
So if it’s not height, what’s the secret to dunks? Why don’t so many people, even those who play basketball regularly, learn to dunk?
Because the only thing they think about is how to increase the vertical jump. They simply ignore that there are some basic but decisive principles that determine your success and in addition to the specific exercises that you have to know:
1. Discipline. You have to constantly work on your jumping ability. Without discipline you will not reach your goals and you will lose your motivation.
2. Motivation. Wanting to make a mate is not enough! Face it: every basketball player wants to dunk. You have to have the right motivation. Dunking the basketball has to be a real goal for you, and an important one.
3. Training plan. Write a concrete training plan and stick to it. For example: week one: lose extra pounds, run, stretch; week two: squats/jumping jacks, calf raises/jumping jacks, jump rope too.
4. Specific goals. You must have specific goals. For example: Gain a few inches on your vertical each week. Simply check and note your progress. You can also focus on touching the rim first with one hand and then with both hands.
5. Patience. Many people think that they can learn to nail in two weeks or less. That’s garbage! Just look at the progress you make each week, your highlights (maybe you can already dunk a tennis ball?), and the motivation will last.
PS If you take everything seriously, you will get serious results!