How to Improve Your Broad Jump With Two Drills

The broad jump is a staple of the NFL Combine. Year after year, the broad jumps get more and more impressive, some guys propelling their bodies 12 feet and change.

And now, some of my baseball and basketball guys are seeing the need to improve their broad jump at their camps and showcases.

Thing is, an impressive broad is more than just a jump…

It’s a testament to your first step explosivenessacceleration ability, and structural integrity.

That being the case, it’s important to have an impressive broad in your pocket no matter what your sport is, so you can WOW with your athleticism.

Let’s dive in to these drills to improve broad jump:

Overcompensation

It’s no secret that the lower extremities are responsible for a big bulk of the power in the broad jump. But, something most guys forget about is their arms.

And if they do include their arms, they don’t use them properly.

Here’s the thing: Longer levers = more power.

So, if your arms are bent, or not active at all, you’re losing inches on your jump.

To improve your broad jump, we have to get your arms involved.

In this drill, you’ll work to fix that by placing lightweight plates in your hands. This will work in two ways. First, teaches you to lengthen your arms and use them in your jump. Second, it allows you to propel yourself forward farther than you would without weights.

Here’s how it’s performed:

gifs website

  1. Start with weights in hand
  2. Snap the arms overhead, and stand tall
  3. Push the hips back and swing the arms back, as soon as the weights pass your hips, extend the hips and jump forward.
  4. Allow the weights to carry you forward and land in a balanced position with the weights in front of you.

Resisted Broad for Balance

Obviously adding resistance to a vertical or broad jump will give an athlete some extra inches when that resistance is removed.

In this drill, we’re not adding resistance for those purposes.

We’re adding resistance for balance.

I see a lot of guys who have a tendency to fall backwards when they land, which disqualifies their measurement.

Adding a slight resistance slightly tugs on the athlete, forcing them to land balanced, even with the resistance pulling them backwards.

gifs website

To perform this, all you do is complete a series of broad jumps with a light resistance band around you.

Always Prepare When You Can

As an athlete, if you know there’s going to be a test or trial at a camp or showcase, you should always be prepared to show you’re the king.

The broad jump is becoming more and more prominent at a variety of sports showcases, so do your diligence, and make your broad jump elite.

Want More Help With Your Broad?

As I said above, the broad jump is a reflection of your acceleration ability, which comes from your ability to produce power horizontally.

In my FREE Advanced Speed Series, I share a series of stretches that will help you increase your ability to produce power horizontally by releasing tight muscles that hold most athletes back.

Click the link below to get your FREE video series:

Click Me to Get the FREE Advanced Speed Series

 


overtimeathletes
overtimeathletes

The best sports performance training on the internet. We help underdogs become elite level athletes.