Increasing your vertical leap can help you become a better and more productive athlete as well as a more confident player. Jumping higher can help a basketball player get more rebounds, a football player catch passes over a defender and a soccer player attack a ball with his head. There are exercises and drills that can help an athlete leap higher and perform better in competitive sports.
Step 1
Run up hills to increase your vertical leap. This is a taxing exercise that will leave you tired and even exhausted, but it will build up the explosive muscles in your calves that will help you jump higher. Hall of fame football players Jerry Rice and Walter Payton ran up hills in the off-season to build leaping power, explosive strength and endurance. Rice was known for his ability to get up over the defense and then hit full stride quickly as he came down. Run up the hill for 200 feet, take a two-minute break, then run another 200 feet before coming down and repeating the drill.
Step 2
Run in a pair of jump soles to isolate and build up muscles in your calves. Jump soles attach to the front of your running shoes and force you to move with a forward lean that will provide significant exercise for your lower legs. One of the best exercises is to sprint in your jump soles. Go to your local high school or college track and sprint 25 yards, then walk for 10 yards. Follow this pattern for five 25-yard sprints. Take a two-minute break and repeat the drill.
Step 3
Jump over a 15-inch square box. Stand to the left of the box and leap over it to the right. Jump back immediately so you have returned to the starting point. Do 15 side-to-side jumps, then stand behind the box and jump over it so you are in front. Jump backward so you are behind it. Do 15 complete back-to-front jumps. Take a two-minute break and repeat. This is a plyometric exercise that will increase your vertical leap.
Step 4
Sprint while wearing a running parachute. While this exercise is primarily designed to help runners get faster, it also helps athletes jump higher. Attach a running parachute to your back as if it were a backpack. Sprint 100 meters wearing the chute, which will unfurl as you run. Then go back to the starting line and do it again. At the 50-meter mark, hit the release button on your harness so the chute drops off to eliminate the resistance, allowing you to run faster. It will also help your jumping ability.
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