I’ve just quit smoking (today is day 9! Whooo!) and started getting more excersize. Not just going to the gym type stuff that I’ve always done but actually going to the park and running, throwing the football, playing basketball, etc.
I’m 6’5", so I suspect I’m physically capable of dunking, but I’m nowhere close to being able to.
First off, I can’t palm the ball. I have pretty big hands, even for a guy my size (they are the same size as my brother’s, who is 2" taller), but I just can’t seem to keep a grip on the ball. It’s like I’m almost there but not quite. Could this be a technique issue or is palming something you either can or cannot do based on the size of your hand?
Secondly, my verticle is almost embarassing. If I run and give it everything I’ve got - really launch myself into the air - I can just barely brush the rim with the tips of my fingers. I would guess this puts my vert around 22", since I can reach an 8-foot ceiling while flat-footed with about 2" of slack. I’m guessing 22" is below average. Where should I be? How can I increase it and is it a relatively quick process or are we talking several months?
:smack: I meant to put this in MPSIMS, though I guess it could almost go in GQ. Could a mod please move it to whichever forum you think is appropriate? Thanks.
Leg weights my friend, leg weights. Put 1 to 2 pound weights on each leg, and continue to practice dunking. Practice, practice, practice, then take the weights off and see how high you get.
get a really huge coffee mug, fill it with coffee and drop the ball in, it’ll probably be really chewy and rubbery, but it should also be high in fiber
…oh, you mean dunk it thru a basketball net, sorry, can’t help you there
Increasing the vertical - look up “jump training” or “plyometrics.” Take your time, don’t injure yourself.
Palming the ball - sounds like, with big hands, you should be able to. Maybe get a better stretch with the fingers, and keep trying. [I don’t have big hands. My thumb tip to pinky tip, with fingers stretched out, is 8 3/4". I can palm the ball badly sometimes. Never really worked at it.]
I am told that if you have a strong grip, you can “cheat” a little bit by squishing the ball in slightly at the fingertips when you grab it. I’m not sure I believe it, but the source is impeccable.
It’s gotta be technique. I just measured thumb-tip to pink tip and it’s slightly over 9 1/2". So if you can kind of palm, I should be able to do it with 3/4 more ", shouldn’t I? How far is it from your wrist crease to the tip of your middle finger?
7 3/4"
(Keep in mind that I can’t REALLY palm a basketball. I can palm a women’s basketball, though. Then, for me, the thumb, little finger, and ring finger seem to do most of the work.)
Next time you go to the court, see who can palm the ball, compare hand sizes … I agree, I think technique matters with borderline hand sizes.
In the meantime, here’s something you can do (even I can do this) - the other cheating palm: palm the basketball out to the side, arm outstretched, thumb down, repeat thumb down and pointing away from you. The thumb goes under the ball, and supports it somewhat. You should be able to hold it out there, one-handed.
Don’t know if helps develop a true palm, but hey, it’s something.
P.S. - Just thinking about my impeccable source. Her hands were around your size, I think. Possibly the thumb to pinky distance would have been a tad bit longer. She could palm a basketball. She grew up playing ball in Oakland, though.
I second the plyometrics. Here’s some sites about them. Probably be a good idea if you took them easy–seems like it’d be easy to overdo them and hurt yourself if you’re not careful.
As for the palming–maybe doing weights/exercises emphasizing a pinch grip would help?
Calf raises. Have a look at the size of the calf muscles on volleyball players.
One of the best volleyball players when I was in school did calf raises with his two 11 year old twin brothers on his shoulders. He was 5’5" and had a 45" verticle.
Wristing … yeah maybe in a game situation, but you’re working on palming! Wrist bends the other way in the cheating palm.
I better rewrite what I wrote earlier. A “cheating” way to palm the ball is to hold it so that your thumb is on the bottom, and partially supports the weight of the ball (so that takes some of the pressure off your fingertips).
Let’s see … how should I phrase this … I don’t have a basketball handy … well try this:
(1) Pick up a basketball. Do as much of a palm as you can with your right hand, and hold it over your head, arm outstretched. Even if you can’t totally palm the ball, it should stay, resting on your right hand.
(2) Rotate your right hand counterclockwise as much as you can
(3) Keep your arm sticking out, and lower the ball out to the side, shoulder level. As you lower, continue the counterclockwise rotation of your hand to keep the thumb underneath the ball. Thumb points away from the body, so it’s under the ball, and supports it somewhat.
You should find yourself holding the ball in one hand, and it stays. Then it becomes really obvious.
It’s easy … if you can get someone to show you … or get someone who can explain it right …
Based on what you said earlier, I bet you can dunk if you work at it, as long as you’re not too old.
Nearly 4 foot vertical … sounds like calf raises are in order.
This doesn’t work. In fact, it so doesn’t work that it’s funny. I’m actually sitting here laughing after a few times of dropping the ball as fast as if I had no hands.
I think I pulled a muscle in my pinky getting the 9 1/2" measurement earlier. It really hurts. Yes, it would’ve been too easy to just lie.
That’s funny. At least it’s entertaining. I should have told you to do all kinds of other stuff! Stand on one leg … rub your belly … pat your head …
Last try - totally different approach -
You’re sitting at your computer, when suddenly, a giant python leaps at you from behind the monitor. No time to duck, so you reflexively put up your hands to shield yourself - aaaa! a python! Now (maybe) your right hand is in front of your face. Your forearm is horizontal. The palm is facing away; you’re looking at the back of your hand. Your fingers are outstretched. Now rotate your hand a little to point your thumb straight away from you. That’s the hand orientation. Insert ball. Apply duct tape.
Don’t do this. You most likely will just mess up your knees without any meaningful gain.
I have a 9 1/2" pinkie to thumb tip ‘wingspan’ and I can palm the ball. It depends on what ball you have but if you have one with big grooves grab the ball with your thumb in one of the grooves and spread your fingers out from there.
To strengthen your legs plyometrics are a good start. So are calf raises and good old fashion squats. Doing ladders (start on the baseline sprint to the foul line, back to the baseline, to half court, back to baseline, to other foul line, back to baseline, other baseline and back to original baseline) will certainly help.
You also need to train yourself on how to jump. Start by grabbing the rim and work your way up touching higher on the backboard. You gotta figure out if you are best at two foot jumping or left/right foot only. Once you get high enough start dunking tennis balls and work yourself up with bigger balls (heh) till you get to a basketball.
