Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 3: Exercises
• Part 2 of 3: Working on your jumping power
• Part 3 of 3: The Highlight-Reel Dunk
• Tips
• Warnings

From Michael Jordan to Lebron, nothing creates more excitement in the audience than a hard dunk. Since the odds of actually scoring in a dunk are higher than in other attempts at scoring, this is certainly a move worth mastering. While it's helpful to be taller than average, even if you're a little shorter, you can learn the muscle strength and skill required to perform a dunk in a match. Look further at Step 1 for more information about this technique.

To step

Part 1 of 3: Exercises

1. Dribble to the basket. Take the number of steps allowed to the basket while pressing the ball firmly into the palm of your dunk hand and control your movement. Jump with your take-off leg (the leg opposite your shot hand) and extend your arm to the ring and push the ball down through the net.
   • Dunk with one hand first. The two-handed slam may be the most impressive move in basketball, but it requires a lot more jumping power. Build slowly towards this.
2. Use a Smaller Ball It is much easier, if you are just starting out, to practice dunking with a small ball, maybe even a tennis ball. This is much easier, especially if you are just starting out. It is easier to hold such a ball in one hand, so that you can focus all your attention on the jump. This makes the movement better and closer to the real thing. Continue training with a regular basketball while dribbling and shooting, so you don't get too used to a ball that is too small, but keep one nearby for a nice dunk in between.
3. Work on your ball control. Make sure you have a good sense of how to use the ball's inert mass to control it when your arm is outstretched. Even basketball players who can easily hold the ball in their hand sometimes lose control of the ball while dunk, so develop a feel for positioning and controlling the ball during the jump.
   • Practice approaching the ring and pushing the ball against it. Even if you are not dunking, this way you still practice the run-up and holding of the ball correctly while you jump to the ring.
   • Try a tennis ball or golf ball first, then a volleyball until you finally get along well with a basketball.
4. Land properly. It's a common mistake to focus only on the jump, which ends up the whole movement on your butt, and not only does that hurt, but pride takes quite a dent too. This happens even with the pros, so take the time to divide your attention throughout the movement, so a correct run-up, dunk and landing will make your scoring attempt more accurate and look better.
   • Visualize a successful dunk and a smooth landing immediately afterward. Try to land on both feet and bounce with your body so that the shock is absorbed. Think about other players.
   • Don't hang on to the ring. Hanging from the ring is usually not allowed, unless there is a danger of landing on top of someone else. Pulling or clinging to the ring too hard can damage the basket and cause you to lose balance, causing your legs to sway and land you on your back. So don't try to grab the ring after a slam dunk. Just dunk and keep going.
5. Practice dunking on a lower basket. Start with a height adjustable basket if you can use it. Hang the ring so low that you can get a feel for the dunking and then, if it gets too easy for you, adjust the height gradually until you get to the standard height.
6. Invest in a good pair of shoes. Most players find that high-quality shoes improve their ability to thin and more importantly, make sure you don't get injured during the run-up and landing.
7. Keep going. It's very common that your first tries don't look like anything, but grab that ball and try again. You will be amazed at your progress as you continue to practice dunking and build strength in your legs.

Part 2 of 3: Working on your jumping power

1. Jump higher. You need the jump power in your legs to overcome gravity and make your way to the ring. Picking up some strength exercises for your legs is indispensable to improve the flexibility of the leg muscles and provide a greater explosion of power, allowing you to jump inches higher in a short amount of time and bring the ring a lot closer. A good schedule to start with is the following:
   • 50-100 calf raises
   • 2-3 sets of squats and lunges
   • Sit against the wall for 3-5 sets of 60 seconds
2. Do some plyometric exercises. Plyometrics are exercises that use the weight and resistance of the body to build strength and are essential for gaining the strength necessary to jump higher. It takes time to learn to jump higher, but by engaging the right muscle groups you can improve explosiveness and the height of your jump without having to spend all the time in the gym.
   • Muscle groups that need to get stronger are: Leg muscles (quadriceps), hamstrings, glutes and calf muscles. The quadriceps flex the knees, while the hamstrings and glutes stretch the hips. The calf muscles rotate the ankles and give the first push in the right direction.
3. Train your flexibility. It doesn't help just to work on more leg strength. Your muscles also need to be supple and limber, giving you the bounce and momentum to thin out over the defenses. Improve your flexibility by stretching regularly, doing resistance exercises with an elastic band, and giving yoga a try.
   • Muscle groups that should be flexible: Hamstrings and hip flexors. Hamstrings that are too stiff will prevent your legs from extending during the jump. Hip flexors can stop the hips from stretching in the jump.
4. Go up stairs. Trainers don't just let you run up and down stairs. This exercise works the quadriceps, hips and calf muscles, improving the strength in your legs all round, as well as flexibility. It is also cheap. You can climb / run stairs at home, during recess at school or even outside on the bleachers.
5. Practice jumping on a basketball court. Bounce from one side of the field to the other and back again. Try three or more rounds, each time trying to jump as high as possible. Run up and jump to the net until you can do this 10 times in a row. You probably won't be able to do all of this in one day, but keep exercising until you are healthy enough. Keep jumping and keep your eyes on the ring.

Part 3 of 3: The Highlight-Reel Dunk

1. Do a two-handed slamdunk. Shaquille O'Neal was known for dunk the ball so hard with two hands that the backboard was shattered. Although this is no longer really possible with the current suspension method, a slam with two hands will still crush the opponent.
   • You really have to be able to jump really high to be able to dunk with two hands. Practice jumping up to the ring from stand and trying to get higher each time.
2. Add some flair with a double-pump. Assuming you can jump high enough to make this move, bring the ball up to your chest as soon as you get to the top of your jump, then convincingly turn it into a slamdunk in one quick motion. There are a number of players, including Tracy McGrady, who regularly do this while spinning 360 degrees in the air, a 360 dunk.
3. Turn on the windmill. During the run-up, bring the ball to your stomach and back again extending your arm behind your body and up in a circular motion, like a spinning windmill. At the top of your jump, your arm will move all the way around and throw the ball down through the ring. Dominique Hawkins, the Dunkmaster General of the 90s, blew the audience away with this spectacular dunk.
4. Chop the tomahawk. Whether with two hands or with one hand, the tomahawk dunk is performed in such a way that you force the ball into the ring from the neck, as if you were working with a tomahawk. "Dr. J" Julius Erving popularized this poster dunk, as did Darryl Dawkins, who splintered several backboards with a tomahawk.
5. Go between the legs. While not the first player to master this technique, it was Vince Carter who stunned the audience during the 2000 NBA dunk game by passing the ball under one leg during the jump, then dunk the ball with conviction. The fact that he almost touched the ring with his forehead didn't hurt either. If you have come this far with training your springs, you can also give this dunk a try.

Tips

• If you have the same build and height as Shaquille O'Neal, be careful with your demoralizing dunks over your opponents; you may crush the backboard, sending splinters of razor-sharp glass into the faces of your defeated opponents.
• If you are overweight, this can get in the way of improving your jumping power. Then try to lose weight and gain muscle mass at the same time.
• For people who find it difficult to push off with one leg, try this: As you approach the basket, lower your body and arms so that your center of gravity is low. Then come up to the ring in a blast of force and swing your arms up. With this you can gain inches in jump power.
• Eat enough calcium and protein, but make sure your diet is balanced. This aids in muscle growth and healthy bones.
• Make sure the ring and board are not loose. Should these come loose, you could be seriously injured.
• If you know you can jump high enough to dun, try a smaller ball you can hold in one hand and jump to the ring earlier than you think you should. By dropping off earlier, you can learn to make your vertical flight last longer. If you have come a long way with this, switch to normal basketball. For beginners, dunking with a tennis ball is an excellent workout.
• For most people who are not as tall as the tall NBA stars that you as a basketball player are often jealous of; look for videos of basketball players of average or shorter length who can dun. This proves that people who are less than six feet tall are quite capable of delivering an impressive dunk. Notable examples include Spud Webb, or Nate Robinson, the winners of the 2006 and 2009 Slam Dunk Competition. Drooling with envy is allowed.
• Watch videos of the greatest dunkers of all time, past and present including Nate Robinson, Michael Jordan, Derrick Rose, Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, Vince Carter, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Blake Griffin and Shaquille O'Neal.

Warnings

• Do not over-train yourself: Do not train the same muscle groups two days in a row, as this can cause injuries.