It is the most celebrated shot in basketball. It is the dream of most averageplayers and it is an in-your-face “statement” that a good player makes to the other team. It is the slam dunk. We all know WHAT it is, and most of us WISH we could do it. But how do you dunk a basketball?

Before We Start

Before an average player can start thinking about dunking, he needs to take an inventory and be realistic. A player’s height and his athletic abilities are the two main factors in determining if he will ever be able to dunk. We’re not saying it isn’t possible, but there are very few 5-6 players that will ever be able to jump high enough to dunk. In fact, an average sized person will have to have above-average jumping ability in order to be able to dunk. Be realistic in your goals. At the same time, don’t limit how high you can jump before you even try. Many people have made spectacular increases in their jumping ability. It will take hard work, but you can reap the rewards.

Things you should evaluate before starting:

1.) Is your height a problem? This won’t change. You CAN improve your vertical leap, but you still might never be able to dunk a ball. But, that is okay! You should develop other areas of your game.

2.) Are you carrying too much weight? By carrying more weight than you should, you are limiting yourself right from the start.

3.) What are your athletic abilities? Some players are just gifted at being able to jump. It can be developed as well, but know where you are starting. Measure your vertical leap before you begin. This will show how you are progressing.

4.) What kind of shape are you in? Jumping uses muscles from the whole body. Having just strong legs alone is not the answer.

Let’s Get Started

Start by making sure you are in the best overall shape you can be. This includes all other body parts as well as your legs. In order to reach your ultimate jumping potential, you need to start in good shape overall. You use every part of your body while jumping, so it stands to reason that your entire body needs to be in shape. While this part of the process isn’t glamorous, it needs to be done. A solid foundation is needed for the best results. Begin here and you will be rewarded down the road.

For the remainder of the article on How To Dunk a Basketball, see our website on How To Increase Your Vertical Jump.