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  1. #1
    Decent playground baller L3B120N J4M35's Avatar
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    Default How do you get Hops?

    how could I get hops? people say i look like i can dunk, but when i try to jump

  2. #2
    NBA Legend pauk's Avatar
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    Default Re: How do you get Hops?

    You can do stuff like running, plyometrics, squats etc. to increase your vertical (and speed/strength etc.) but how high it will be at its best is only up to your genetical capability.... remember that, everybody needs to remember that, dont go around thinking you can train yourself up to a 40" vertical leap.... if you have those genetics you will know that very quickly, trust me... no matter how hard you work your vertical there is a limit, for all humans... some have low, some normal, some high and some freakish...

    Dont worry about that whatsoever, worry about your basketball skills instead... THAT you can work up to no limit....
    Last edited by pauk; 02-28-2015 at 08:26 PM.

  3. #3
    Decent playground baller L3B120N J4M35's Avatar
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    Default Re: How do you get Hops?

    Quote Originally Posted by pauk
    You can do stuff like running, plyometrics, squats etc. to increase your vertical (and speed/strength etc.) but how high it will be at its best is only up to your genetical capability.... remember that, everybody needs to remember that, dont go around thinking you can train yourself up to a 40" vertical leap.... if you have those genetics you will know that very quickly, trust me... no matter how hard you work your vertical there is a limit, for all humans... some have low, some normal, some high and some freakish...

    Dont worry about that whatsoever, worry about your basketball skills instead... THAT you can work up to no limit....

    damnnn lol noone in my family is athletic

    thanks for the advice

  4. #4
    One of the Goodfellas NBAplayoffs2001's Avatar
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    Default Re: How do you get Hops?

    Quote Originally Posted by L3B120N J4M35
    how could I get hops? people say i look like i can dunk, but when i try to jump
    I personally don't buy your family has to be athletic. I know of someone whose 5'9'' with a 44 inch vertical (when he was working out everyday). He could dunk by himself without an alley oop. His father is slightly taller than him. None of his parents played competitive sports I believe.

  5. #5
    NBA Legend pauk's Avatar
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    Default Re: How do you get Hops?

    Quote Originally Posted by L3B120N J4M35
    damnnn lol noone in my family is athletic

    thanks for the advice
    No No i dont mean like that, i mean all humans are different, you may be able to develope a freakish vertical despite all your relatives jumping like scrubs :P... and your parents may had 50" vertical and you can not even develope 30".... you just never know.... its different from person to person...

    Just work hard and you will quickly see what you are gifted with.

  6. #6
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    Default Re: How do you get Hops?

    Quote Originally Posted by pauk
    Just work hard and you will quickly see what you are gifted with.
    ^Good stuff right there. I say do not be discouraged by what your genetics may or may not have given you. Amongst all humans, the thing most holding them back (when it comes to jumping higher - those wishing to do so) has to do with things under their control.

    It sounds reasonable to be true that one person working as hard as possible may have a different ceiling from another person working as hard as possible, but both ceilings are probably going to be impressive in their own right.

    I don't know if I did everything humanly possible to maximize my hops. At my peak, I was around a 35'' max vert (off the run, one foot takeoff). I don't really know what was helping and maximizing and what wasn't doing much, but starting in middle school, I had a pile of things I gave a shot:

    1. I'd jump in place a lot (sometimes just in my room, haha, so my brother couldn't make fun of me.

    2. I jumped a lot of rope

    3. I ran, stayed generally active (even if it was just playing football in my front yard) and tried to stay in good cardio-shape.

    Post-high school, I'd continue doing whatever I could - even what some deem lightweight work (running a mile or two multiple times a week outside of basketball) seemed to be worthwhile.

    4. I was constantly reaching for a higher area to reach. In sixth grade, it was grabbing the net, then as I got older, higher on the net, then backboard, then slapping board, then touching the spring box to the rim, then up and up.

    Perhaps most importantly, I was jumping a lot and trying to get higher a lot.

    5. Rode my bike a lot

    6. Played a ton of basketball

    7. I did calf raises and jump lunges but again, don't know how much they did or did not help

    8. Concentrated on lock down defense and fundamental defensive form. I felt the leg muscles used to play good defense were largely similar to the ones needed for strong jumping. Moreover, strong defense often seemed to get me to my second wind quicker, which allowed for higher maximum leaps.

    9. I pushed to continue jumping higher even when tired. I reasoned that's probably where the biggest increases were coming, pushing beyond my normal limit.

    There were a lot of times where I'd find myself in the open floor - gassed from a previous sequence and there would be nothing more I wanted to do than to just lay the ball in gently, jumping lightly. But oddly enough, when I fully exerted (even if I felt like my body was only 50% responding) I'd still be able to rise up well on many occasions. I think that's the body telling you something but your mind overcoming, or something.
    Last edited by Rake2204; 03-02-2015 at 07:10 PM.

  7. #7
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    Default Re: How do you get Hops?

    I think you are just born with it. Some people I know naturally just jump very high...Yes, you can train, a normal person with intense training can get from not dunking to dunking, but I doubt you will ever pull off those "trick" dunks unless you are naturally athletic.

  8. #8
    3-time NBA All-Star oarabbus's Avatar
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    Default Re: How do you get Hops?

    if you for REAL want to get hops: study this, and study it well. Half assing it probably won't help you much, but if you really follow the workout plans detailed here, it will increase your vert considerably. Well, I'm doing a strength training regiment right now which isn't geared towards vert. but when I get into the shape I want to be in, I'm going to follow the vert jump bible (caution: long):

    http://msuathletics.ru/books/bible/vert_jump_bible.pdf
    Last edited by oarabbus; 03-03-2015 at 04:16 AM.

  9. #9
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    Default Re: How do you get Hops?

    Sincere advice - don't.

    It is unlikely that you will ever get enough that it seriously helps your basketball game. All it does it stress your body out to overtrain that one area of physical development.

    Instead, the easiest way to get the highest "most natural" hops is simply to get your weight down and to add box jumps and light jump roping (not too excessive either).

    Work on your ball handling. This one skill helps you way more than any other at the for fun level of basketball. Being able to confidently dribble anywhere, create separation, etc will really take your game many levels higher.

    As a bonus, usually if you practice a lot of ball handling you will become a better shooter too since you are more comfortable with the ball in your hands.

  10. #10
    Good college starter Burgz V2's Avatar
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    Default Re: How do you get Hops?

    Quote Originally Posted by oarabbus
    if you for REAL want to get hops: study this, and study it well. Half assing it probably won't help you much, but if you really follow the workout plans detailed here, it will increase your vert considerably. Well, I'm doing a strength training regiment right now which isn't geared towards vert. but when I get into the shape I want to be in, I'm going to follow the vert jump bible (caution: long):

    http://msuathletics.ru/books/bible/vert_jump_bible.pdf
    this program actually helped me switch from a one leg jumper to a two legged jumper. probably same vert but I could finally dunk with two hands.

    Unfortunately couldnt continue due to a back injury but one thing i noticed was what they considered to be a "novice" athlete was by and large a much better athlete than the average basketball player. If you don't read the whole document you will seriously mess your body up. I did the beginner program and even though it didn't make me Zach LaVine, it did make me more explosive and my end to end speed increased drastically. But it is not for everyone.

    off-hand, you need a good balance of explosiveness, balance, core strength and really good mobility in your ankles and hips. Also need to be in really good shape. if you're 20+% body fat. most high flyers are under 10% body fat, either from genetics or from really good work in the gym+strict diet.

  11. #11
    XXL Im Still Ballin's Avatar
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    Default Re: How do you get Hops?

    Get your squat and deadlift 2x bodyweight atleast 1.75

    Do tonnes of mobility, focusing on ankles and hips... Hit the whole lot, flexion +int/ext rotation, extension +int/ext rotation... Fix up femur positioning if you have an externally rotated femur which most seem to have...

    After squat/dead achieved (full depth) transition into plyos/olympic lifting... Always be doing mobility... Do this for a few months, get that explosion

    Make sure you lean down BF% wise

    Start dunking... working on jumping technique etc... there should be plenty of drills etc on the net...

    Also do some single legged gym work as well... Mainly just for co-ordination and proprioception... Pistol squats are a great choice

    I used to be a state high jumper back in the day, can jump out of the gym, I'd guestimate if I leaned up my vert would be around 40... could probably do 37 at the moment... I was dunking at 5-9 when I was 15... Am now 6-1

  12. #12
    XXL Im Still Ballin's Avatar
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    Default Re: How do you get Hops?

    Quote Originally Posted by oarabbus
    if you for REAL want to get hops: study this, and study it well. Half assing it probably won't help you much, but if you really follow the workout plans detailed here, it will increase your vert considerably. Well, I'm doing a strength training regiment right now which isn't geared towards vert. but when I get into the shape I want to be in, I'm going to follow the vert jump bible (caution: long):

    http://msuathletics.ru/books/bible/vert_jump_bible.pdf
    That Higher Faster Stronger website is a gold mine for athletes

    Kelly Baggett is pretty much the man when it comes to athletic training.

    Future repped

  13. #13
    Good college starter Burgz V2's Avatar
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    Default Re: How do you get Hops?

    Quote Originally Posted by Im Still Ballin
    That Higher Faster Stronger website is a gold mine for athletes

    Kelly Baggett is pretty much the man when it comes to athletic training.

    Future repped
    might take a while

  14. #14
    5-time NBA All-Star
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    Default Re: How do you get Hops?

    According to Kelly Bagget, author of higherfastersports, power, which is an expression of vertical leap, is a byproduct of speed and strength.

    So naturally, it'd be wise to increase both.

    The methodology of the former is through plyometric work.

    The methodology of the latter through strength.

    So one can program their regime to include hill sprints, skip to my lous, bounds, depth jumps while concurrently loading up on heavier deadlifts, heavier front squats, clean and presses, heavier squats.

    And disregard the ankle weights altogether, for there's an inkling that it has deleterious effects on the tendons of the ankle.

    And to apply the former knowledge to its full explosive fruition, one should be wary of stretching the flexors, quads, glutes, and even perfecting the form of the penultimate jump, practiced by high jumpers, which can be viewed on youtube.

  15. #15
    Decent playground baller
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    Default Re: How do you get Hops?

    1. If you can barely lay the ball over a 9.5 foot rim, then it might not happen.

    2. If it's to improve your game, honestly I wouldn't do it. There is a huge difference in dunking for show and dunking in a game. And return on investment just isn't that high.

    3. Like most people have said, it's about your power production. Squats with an emphasis on speed is probably the best bang for your buck "exercise". Any form of jumping is good, but be careful not to overdo it. It's easy to overstress your body with plyo training, especially jumping because you wont feel it until later. I personally would avoid box jumps though, it's more of a hip flexion exercise unless your landing upright, in which it just becomes more dangerous than a typical vert jump.

    4. Finally, get your form down. That will help more than anything else.

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