Athleticism can be almost as big an advantage as height in basketball, and while your players will stay the same height more or less, you can definitely have an impact on their athletic ability as a coach.
Fast-twitch muscle fibers are what give certain people that quick first step, or explosive jumping ability, and while plyometrics can’t give you more fast-twitch muscle, they can teach slow-twitch muscles to act like them.
Back N Forths
One great exercise you can put your players through is the back and forth. Simply place a small box or hurdle on the ground, and jump back and forth as quickly as you can, keeping the amount of time you spend on the ground to a minimum.
It’s also very important that they are jumping their absolute highest, as this will give them best results from the exercise.
Keep the reps to somewhere between 10-15 reps, and no more than 3 reps.
Side To Side Box Jumps
If you have a small box, that will work great, but otherwise if you get two players to secure a bench on it’s ends, that works as well.
Have the player stand with one foot up and the other down on the ground, and then bring the down foot up onto the bench, and put the other down onto the ground, going through the action as quickly as possible, just like the ‘Back and Forths’.
Multiple Box Jumps
This is a great drill, and works best if the “ boxes are of varying heights. Line up somewhere between 5-10 boxes, and have your players start at one end. They should then proceed to jump up onto, and then back down off each box, focusing here on springing right back up off the ground like a trampoline.
Once players have gotten comfortable with this, you can bump up the difficulty by having them go through it on one leg. This will do a great job of working the stabilizers in your knees and ankles as well.
If you need more tips to help with your speed and jumping ability, make sure to check out these other strength & explosion workouts!