VERTICAL LEAP AND AGILITY

2008-07-02T07:51:00.000-07:00

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Athletes have different natural abilities. Some are explosive and so quick you don't know how to guard them. Some can jump out of the stadium without any effort and some are just so strong you cant get near them in the paint.

But natural ability does need to be balanced out and weaknesses need to be addressed. This does not mean you don't play to your strengths, but that you train you weaknesses harder so they can catch up to your strengths and improve your game.

A strong athlete who is not agile can do themselves damage if they can't change direction quick enough. If you had a big strong guy running down the court on full sprint and he couldn't pull up quick enough he is not far away from an injury. Same as if he needed to change direction quickly, if he is not quick enough he may literally break his ankle.

An explosive and agile athlete is great in some games but against bigger, stronger opponent with a more complete game, his lack of strength shows up and his performance suffers.

So, you need to train your weakness.

In the off season, if you are a strong guy who is always lifting heavy to get bigger and stronger, you should focus more on getting agile and explosive and less on strength.

If you are the explosive guy, you need to get bigger stronger for when you get pushed and shoved around. You also need to strengthen your body to keep away from potential injury.

Most importantly, your coach will give you more playing time if you are a more balanced and complete player.

If you have a weakness or muscle imbalance, get it addressed in the off-season. Once you have got the right mix of strength, agility and explosiveness, you can work on a balanced program to continue to improve both.

Travis Sawyer
Author, Strong Baller - Basketball Strength for High School & College Athletes