Arguably the major aspect which makes Basketball electrifying is the different varieties of dunks performed by players. Millions of fans all around the globe want to emulate their idols and try to perform these insane dunks that we see year in and out especially in the NBA. If you look at the styles of players who dunk.
You will most likely find two different dunking approaches. But before that, there are some of the core necessities required for a beginner who wants to improve dunking.
- A good vertical jump.
- Polishing the skill and technique when it comes to dunking.
- A workout routine aimed to improve both the skill aspect of dunking as well as the physique aspect of the dunker.
Firstly we will be discussing the vertical jump aspect of dunking, various tips can be viewed online to improve a vertical jump but I will still summarize some of those tips below.
- Perform essential exercises to increase your vertical leap, these include Polymetrics, Full squats, Single leg squats, Overhead walking lunges and most importantly agility drills.
- Secondly, as it is often said that practice makes a man perfect. To hone the skills of improving your vertical jump, you should practice your jump following a professional training manual, so that you don’t end up hurting yourself in the process.
Secondly, the most informative point of our discussion in this article is elaborating on the different skills and techniques related to dunking and how a user can get good at them. There are three different dunking styles which are adopted by most professional players.
These include the one-foot jump which suits well to the lean and more athletic jumpers.
Second is the two-foot jump which is mostly adopted by the more powerful and strength-oriented jumpers.
The third style of dunking is an alley-oop, that doesn’t require the dunker to palm the ball.
At a Glance
One-foot dunk :
One foot dunk is mostly performed by professional point guards and small forwards but this is not always the case. This type of dunking favors those athletes who have a lean built and can generate a lot of agility and movement in a short time. One foot dunking essentially puts the whole weight of the body on a single knee whilst the dunker is taking off and vice versa at the time of landing, therefore, it is necessary to correctly perform this dunk technique.
For this purpose, the second to last step of the dunker often referred to as the penultimate step is usually longer than usual lowering the center of gravity. This is then followed by the body mechanics of the dunker i.e bending the knee relatively low to allow an explosive and sharp take off from the ground converting the ground explosiveness into the aerial ability of the dunker. Such type of dunking is relatively easier to perform during the early twenties of a person when there is more room to be agile.
Strengths :
- It can be performed easily as compared to other techniques.
- Better for blocking the basketball as it requires a small amount of flight time and has a more explosive output.
Weaknesses:
- One foot dunking requires a strong grip on the ball to be able to palm the ball.
- People having more weight, strength and age are more likely to put more than required pressure on a single knee which can result in knew problems.
Two-feet dunk :
This type of technique better suits players which have a body structure that is centered more around power and the strength aspect of their physical aspects. This technique involves sheer force and power that is distributed equally on both the knees and feet.It has several disadvantages as well as advantages. Mostly it is performed in professional sports by Centres and Power forwards. Their strong built and shear muscle powers allow them to be able to jump by generating a lot of force when on the ground and ultimately dunking pretty well. It is not a very common form of dunking and is more difficult than the one-foot dunk.
Strengths:
- Looks spectacular as it is not as commonly performed.
- Puts less load on the knees and ankles and therefore is better for the body.
- Mostly performed by people who are in their mid-thirties relying more on power as opposed to agility.
Weaknesses:
- It requires a little bit of time to generate power and strength.
- Therefore it is a little less effective when it comes to blocking quickly.
Alley-oop dunk:
Lastly, the alley-oop dunk is another variety of dunking which pretty different from the above-mentioned techniques. It doesn’t necessarily require a specific style of dunking neither the dunker has to focus on dribbling the ball before dunking it. Simply the dunker needs to focus on the raw approach that is finishing the dunking making it spectacular or otherwise ending with a failed attempt of dunking.
Strengths :
- Jump technique does not matter.
- Movement of arms is not restricted and can generate more agility.
Weaknesses:
- A good passer is required for high chances of completing the dunk.
Conclusion
If you are someone who has a lot of muscles and strength then two-feet dunk is ideal for you. Similarly
If you are at the age spectrum of 30 above and don’t want to add the extra weight on your one knee you should try doing the two-feet dunk. Alternatively for someone who has a lean and agile built one-foot dunking will not necessarily put the extra pressure on the knees and is an ideal choice for them. And for someone just enjoying dunking in general and experimenting, alley-oop is a perfect choice.
I hope this article will educate you to some extent about how to dunk and will be beneficial when you will start this exciting journey of dunking the basketball.