INSTANT

SHOCK 2.0
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SHOCK 2.0

SECRET #1 - THE ENERGY TRAIN SECRET

Step #1 – Perform a standing vertical jump but keep all your weight on the heels the entire time,
including during takeoff. Jump as hard as possible.

Step #2 – Now jump using only your toes. Don’t swing your arms, or bend at the hips,
and keep your legs completely straight. This will feel unnatural but is important to understand
how the energy transfer concept is applied

Step #3 – If you measure and add the results of these two jumps together, they will still be much less than
your normal vertical! Reason is, you need to use your full body TOGETHER to reach max vert.

- By combining the force of the upper body with the speed of the lower legs, they produce a high velocity result
that is much faster than the sum of what each part is capable of itself.

*This goes to show that when you maintain the energy train in your body you can produce a much greater vertical
than sections of your body working separate… the vertical jump is a FULL BODY movement
and you CANNOT break the energy train!
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SHOCK 2.0

SECRET 2 - CLOSING THE TRIANGLE

- At the final moment of takeoff, the hips should be violently extended, and brought through so that the angle between
the knee, hip, and shoulder, runs at a 90 degree angle to the ground

- Failing to completely extend your torso to the vertical position reduces the speed of the jump and also reduces your
peak vertical position costing you between 2 and 6 inches

How to work on this: Practice violently extending the hips during takeoff to achieve full extension and close the triangle.
Static stretch your hip flexors to remove the antagonist to hip extension.

- Exercises to fix hip extension - medicine ball throws, static hip flexor stretch

STATIC HIP FLEXOR STRETCH

OVERHEAD MEDICINE BALL TOSS

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SHOCK 2.0

SECRET 2 - CLOSING THE TRIANGLE

TWO FOOT CLOSED TRIANGLE Take off (CORRECT)

TWO FOOT OPEN TRIANGLE Take Off (INCORRECT)

ONE FOOT CLOSED TRIANGLE Take Off (CORRECT)

ONE FOOT OPEN TRIANGLE Take off (INCORRECT)

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SHOCK 2.0

SECRET 3 - OFFSET PLANT TECHNIQUE

- Plant the last 2 steps with the hips slightly diagonal to the jump direction, This allows you to better use leverage
to your advantage in the rigid forward leg, and give the rear leg a fuller opportunity to push and produce force

- The second to last step will fall under the hips while the last step rapidly shoots out in front of the body to
form the rigid lever in which to convert horizontal velocity to vertical velocity

- Rear leg hits on the ball of the foot, front foot hits a bit flatter

How to work on this: practice approaching at a faster than normal speed… this will force you into offset plant.

TWO FOOT JUMP OFFSET PLANT (CORRECT)

TWO FOOT HOP INTO PLANT (INCORRECT)

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SHOCK 2.0

SECRET 4 - RAISE CENTRE OF MASS CHEAT

- You can influence how high your center of gravity is at the moment of takeoff by the position of your head,
shoulders, arms (and in a 1 foot takeoff the knee drive)
- By raising the center of gravity at takeoff you are essentially jumping from “higher ground” and adding several
inches to your max vertical height

How to work on this: Practice finishing TALL at toe-off with arms above head, shoulder shrugged, head high.
On 1 foot takeoff knee drive should be strong and parallel to ground at stopping point

TWO FOOT JUMP FINISH TALL DURING TAKE OFF (CORRECT TOE OFF)

ONE FOOT JUMp FINISH TALL DURING TAKE OFF (CORRECT TOE OFF)
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SHOCK 2.0

SECRET 5 - LENGTHENING THE PENULTIMATE STEP

- Lengthen the 3rd to last step (second last stride/penultimate step) of your approach to drop the vertical
position of the hips without losing much speed
- In order to achieve high vertical velocity there must be a significant vertical distance that you bring
your ‘center of gravity’ (hips) through during the time you apply force into the ground
- Hips are lowest at bottom of plant and highest just before toe off… the distance between the two is
the time frame that you are able to accelerate the hips upwards and create a powerful vertical jump
- The greater this distance between the two is - the greater the potential is for the jump because there’s more
time to apply force into the ground and accelerate upwards.

How to work on this: practice lengthening the penultimate step using a 2 or 3 step approach distance
while maintaining control and speed.

LONG PENULTIMATE STEP (CORRECT)

SHORT PENULTIMATE STEP (INCORRECT)

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SHOCK 2.0

SECRET 6 - VALSALVA MANEUVER & EXTENSOR REFLEX

- Forcefully hold your breath during the takeoff to align the spine and create proper posture during a running
jump and allow the energy train to flow from your upper body down into your legs and elastic Achilles tendon

- Look up at the rim and tilt your head slightly backwards (don’t throw your head back!) to trigger the extensor
reflex which leads to higher jumping

How to work on this: Practice holding your breath during takeoff and looking up at the rim to force your head
to tilt slightly back

HEAD UP, HOLD BREATH, Eyes on Rim - Activate Extensor Reflex (Correct)

HEAD Down, Eyes Off Rim - Deactivate Energy Transfer (Incorrect)

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SHOCK 2.0

SECRET 7 - LAST TWO STEPS

- Last 2 steps are a quick “1-2” rhythm. If your last step is slow on the 1 foot takeoff it goes too far in front
of you and acts as a brake NOT a lever.
- Get to the balls of your feet as fast as possible NOT your heels to allow energy train to flow through
stiff Achilles tendon and into launch pads of your feet

How to work on this: practice getting the quick “1-2” rhythm of the last two steps while getting to the balls
of your feet and off your heels using only a 2 or 3 step approach distance.

FAST “1-2” Rhythm Last Steps - On Balls of your feet, Not Your Heels

- Tight, Rigid Achilles Tendon (back of lower calf)

- Take-off From The Ball of Your Foot PoweringThrough Your

Big Toe (One Foot Takeoff) Or Big Toes (Two Foot Takeoff)

- Ensure a quick “1-2-rhythm” during the one foot takeoff to

prevent “braking” effect or your takeoff leg being too far in front
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SHOCK 2.0

SECRET 8 - TOE OFF PLANTARFLEXION

- The faster you can direct force from the lower leg to the big toe, the higher you will jump
- Drive with hard plantar flexion as hard as possible through your big toe(s) on takeoff
… point your toe(s) at the ground – you need to have mobile ankles to do this well!

Exercises to work on ankle mobility – Crawl to crab walks

Exercises to work on big toe flexion – Barefoot walking up on toes and barefoot single leg calf raises

How to work on this: Practice driving through the big toe with strong plantar flexion (toes pointed down)

STRONG PLANTARFLEXION TOE OFF - TOES POINTING STRaIGHT DOWN AT TOE OFF

CRAWL TO CRAB EXERCISE

SHOE OFF WALKING EXERCISE

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SHOCK 2.0

SECRET 9 - PALMING THE BASKETBALL

- Work ball into palms of hands to remove moisture on hands

- Line the seams up with your fingers
- Refrain from soap with moisturizer before games
- Use the momentum trick if you can’t palm the ball during 1 foot 1 hand dunks

Exercises to increase hand strength – Tennis ball squeezes

How to work on this: Carry a basketball with you everywhere and a tennis ball to squeeze and palm

FIND THE SEAMS

DUNK WITHOUT PALMING - USE THE MOMENTUM OF THE BALL

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SHOCK 2.0

BONUS - SHOE SCIENCE

- Your shoes are your only contact with the ground... they are important!

- Shoes with strong rigid sole (some have a shaft inside) act as a lever to launch you UP while
running shoes with non-rigid soles act to launch you FORWARD NOT UP!

- Important to tie your shoes tight and have shoes that fit well so that you reduce the negative motion of
your foot sliding inside of your shoe during takeoff and change of direction moves

LEVER (RIGID) VS. FORWARD MOMENTUM (BREAKS IN THE SOLE)

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SHOCK 2.0

BONUS - HOW TO MEASURE YOUR VERTICAL

- Start with a piece of tape or chalk standing against a wall (preferably a gym, outdoors, or somewhere you can’t
damage)

-Standing next to the wall simply extend your arm overhead, placing the tape betwen your fingers,
and sticking it to the wall at the highest point you can reach

- Holding another piece of tape between your fingers, jump as high as you can and stick the tape at
the HIGHEST point you touch on the wall

- Next, grab a ladder, stool, chair, or buddy to hoist you up, grab a ruler or measuring tape and measure the
distance between the two pieces of tape. This is your aprox standing vertical jump height

MEASURING STANDING VERTICAL HEIGHT