Dunking especially relates to basketball. It is the process in which a basketball player jumps very high in the air and places the ball in the rim. In dunking, usually player jumps to the basket or sometimes above the basket.
There are many requirements to be a good dunker
- Strength Training
- Jumping Technique
- Basketball shoes to Support Dunking
Let’s Discuss one by one
Strength Training
Without the proper strength training, you cant jump higher in basketball or any other sport.
There is some specific exercise that strengthens your muscle that typically in dunking. Many famous trainers suggest that you should start your strength training with he legs exercise such as
- Squats
- Plank leg lifts
- Single-leg deadlifts
- Lunges
- Step-ups
- Stability ball knee tucks
- Box jumps
- Speedskater jumps
- Resistance band leg presses
- Bridge
All these exercises are efficient if you perform them correctly with the trainer. Some stretch exercises will also help your leg muscle to jump without any risk of injury. The famous stretch exercises
- Seated toe touches
- Chair Pose
- Warrior I
- Downward-Facing Dog
There are many other exercises for leg muscle strength, but you must consult your physio and doctor before doing any activity.
Jumping Technique
For the maximum limit of your jump, you should jump with your one feet take off i/o both feet. If you are a right-handed player, the right approach is to jump from your left foot and hold the ball in the right foot.
Your hand should be some inches above the rim for the perfect dunk-in. Some people practice without the ball, which has not recommended.
The landing is also critical to avoid any injury; It has strongly recommended that you land on both feet. Your legs muscle and your basketball shoes must be flexible enough to bear the landing impact.
Basketball shoes to Support Dunking
The good basketball shoes for dunking or jumping have supportive and bouncy cushioning, which supports you while taking off to jump high and bear the impact of landing. The traction of the dunking shoes must also be good because, at the time of take-off, your shoe’s traction plays a vital role in jumping higher and avoiding any injury due to slippage.
I have enlisted some dunking basketball shoes as below
- Nike Air Zoom BB NXT
- Air Jordan 36
- Adidas Pro Boost
- Nike KD 14
- Nike Kobe 5 Protro
- Puma Clyde All-Pro
- New Balance TWO WXY
- Under Armour Curry 8
- Nike PG 3
- Nike PG 5
- Nike Kyrie 6
- Adidas Harden Vol. 4
- Nike Lebron Soldier 13
- Adidas Dame 5
Conclusion
Nowadays, sports science is very competitive. You have to focus on all the points to compete with your opponent player, either strengthening your legs or flexibility of your leg muscle or the correct jumping and landing technique or the basketball shoes for dunking.