How to Dunk the Ball

A slam dunk is arguably the most impressive move a basketball player can make. A clutch three-pointer or behind-the-back pass is exciting in its own way, but the power of a dunk is unique. An emphatic dunk can get both the team and the crowd rolling. Unless you have been gifted with great height or abundant athletic ability, however, learning how to slam one home will take a bit of training.

Instructions

    • 1

      Try to touch the rim without the ball. It's important to see if you have enough elevation already, or how far you have to go, in terms of leaping ability. If you can already reach the rim, then you are in good shape. However, if you still have a few inches to go, start performing leg exercises such as squats and lunges to increase your vertical leap.

    • 2

      Perform lower body exercises to increase your strength and burst. Basketball trainers and coaches recommend Plyometric exercises to improve your vertical leap. Start by doing continuous squat jumps and repeatedly jumping up onto a 2-to-4-foot high surface. Over time, this will increase your much-needed explosiveness to get to the rim.

    • 3

      Lower an adjustable basketball goal to a height where you can dunk comfortably. Don't feel bad if it has to be set low. You have to start somewhere. Lowering the hoop lets you get acclimated to how it feels dunking a ball. It looks easy on TV, but there are a few things that can go wrong, such as losing control of the ball before you reach the rim. Get to the point where slamming the ball down becomes second nature.

    • 4

      Attempt your first dunk on a regulation goal. At this point, don't worry about dribbling, and get as long a running start as you need. The key here is to dunk successfully. This may take several attempts, but keep trying, as your leaping ability and familiarity with the ball while dunking should improve.