The Vertical Jump is one of the most telling drills for athletes of any age. That's why we've included it in the Youth1 Athletic Competency Test (Y1ACT) and why the NFL and NBA measure it at their draft combines. So how do you get your jump skills on point to wow scouts and coaches? NFL.com and Stack.com have some answers for you.
Per NFL.com
The vertical jump is all about lower-body explosion and power. The athlete stands flat-footed and they measure his reach. It is important to accurately measure the reach, because the differential between the reach and the flag the athlete touches when he jumps is his vertical jump measurement.
Want to improve your vertical jump? Follow these workout steps, detailed in the video above.
Ascending Box Jump Workout
1. Place several boxes or platforms of ascending height in a row
2. Jump up on the smallest box making sure to use your arms to gain explosion
3. Jump down from the box then quickly jump up to the next box
4. Continue this until the final box
Per Stack.com
The Vertical Jump may seem simple, but you must pay careful attention to proper technique or you won't come close to your potential. Proper vertical jump technique first stores energy in your muscles, then releases as much of it as possible against the ground to propel you into the air. Work through the technique step by step to maximize your Vertical Jump and get noticed by coaches and scouts.
Step 1
Perform hip flexor stretches (demonstrated in video above) to facilitate full hip extension.
Step 2
Take two practice jumps, as the third and fourth jumps are often the best for most athletes. For the Combine test, you are allowed two official jumps.
Step 3
Align feet even with the Vertex cross bar just inside the measuring slats.
Step 4
Before the jump, stand as tall as possible once or twice by rising up onto toes and raising arms overhead. This increases the distance covered in the downward phase of the jump so the lower body can store more energy during the stretch-shortening cycle.
Step 5
Forcefully swings arms down and back, and drop hips into quarter-squat position.
Step 6
Explosively extend hips, knees and ankles, and propel off balls of feet to jump straight up.
Step 7
Continue extending dominant hip as you cock hips to the side. Extend dominant arm up and look at middle finger of dominant hand.
Step 8
Tap slat at the apex of the jump. Do not swipe at slats, as this decreases jump height.
Step 9
Land softly with bent knees.
Once you've got it mastered, take the Y1ACT and show the world what you got!
Photo by: SKLZ
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