What Is Vertical Jump Performance, and Why Does It Matter in Sports?

Vertical jumping requires the athlete to produce a large amount of force against the ground within a short period of time.

It is particularly relevant for actions such as:

• Rebounding and shot blocking in basketball
• Spiking and blocking in volleyball
• Heading in soccer
• Jumping events in track and field

Jump performance is influenced by multiple qualities:

Strength — the ability to produce force
Power / rapid force production — the ability to produce force quickly
Stretch-shortening-cycle ability — rapidly absorbing and reusing force
Jump-specific coordination — expressing those qualities during the actual jump

A 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis found that resistance, plyometric, and complex training all improve vertical-jump performance. Resistance exercise produced particularly large improvements in stationary vertical jumping, whereas complex training produced the greatest improvement in countermovement jump height.¹ A 2026 network meta-analysis similarly identified complex resistance-plus-plyometric training as a particularly effective option for countermovement-jump development.²

How Can Vertical Jump Height Be Improved?

Build Lower-Body Strength

The athlete first needs sufficient force-producing capacity.

Practical exercises may include:

• Squat
• Deadlift / Romanian Deadlift
• Split Squat
• Calf Raise

No single lift has to be considered mandatory. The larger principle is to develop enough lower-extremity force capacity to provide a foundation for jumping.

Resistance training alone can meaningfully improve vertical-jump performance and ranked particularly highly for stationary jump performance in the 2025 meta-analysis.¹

Add Plyometric Training

Strength alone does not fully train the ability to use force rapidly.

Plyometric options include:

• Pogo Jump
• Squat Jump
• Countermovement Jump
• Drop Jump
• Repeated Jump
• Single-Leg Jump

Plyometric training has a positive effect on vertical-jump performance across athletic populations. Meta-analytic evidence in volleyball players found meaningful improvements without evidence that very high training frequency or excessive jump volume was necessary.⁵ A separate meta-analysis in female athletes also found improvements in countermovement-jump performance.⁶

Combine Strength and Plyometrics

For most athletes, one of the strongest general approaches is:

Resistance Training + Plyometric Training

A practical example is pairing a strength exercise with a mechanically related explosive task:

Squat → Countermovement Jump

In female basketball players, both plyometric and combined training improved jumping, but a program combining full squats with repeated jumping produced larger improvements and better preserved force production.³

Similarly, in elite long jump athletes, 8 weeks of combined strength and plyometric training improved countermovement-jump height, vertical stiffness, and elastic-energy utilization beyond changes seen with strength training alone.⁴

Train the Type of Jump You Want to Improve

Plyometric adaptations are task-specific.

In basketball players, knee-flexed plyometric training improved squat-jump and countermovement-jump performance, whereas more knee-extended plyometrics preferentially improved drop-jump performance.⁷

Therefore, an athlete wanting to improve a countermovement jump should actually practice countermovement jumping.

The final progression should also reflect the sport:

• Volleyball → Approach Jump
• Basketball → Rebound / Block Jump
• Soccer → Header Jump
• Track & Field → Event-specific takeoff

Include Bilateral and Unilateral Jumping

The literature does not establish that unilateral plyometrics are universally superior, but a systematic scoping review found several studies favoring unilateral training and others supporting a combination of unilateral and bilateral approaches.⁸

For athletes who jump from both one and two legs, including both is a practical approach.

Simple Vertical Jump Training Program

1. Squat

Goal: Build lower-body force production.

2. Romanian Deadlift

Goal: Develop hip-extensor and posterior-chain strength.

3. Split Squat

Goal: Develop unilateral lower-extremity strength.

4. Calf Raise

Goal: Build plantarflexor force capacity for takeoff.

5. Countermovement Jump

Goal: Practice maximal vertical-jump performance with a countermovement.

6. Squat Jump

Goal: Develop explosive concentric force production.

7. Pogo Jump

Goal: Develop rapid ankle-dominant stretch-shortening-cycle ability.

8. Drop Jump

Goal: Develop fast force absorption and reactive force production.

9. Single-Leg Jump

Goal: Develop unilateral jumping power.

10. Complex Strength + Jump Pair

Examples:

Squat → Countermovement Jump

or

Split Squat → Single-Leg Jump

Goal: Integrate strength and explosive jump training.

11. Sport-Specific Vertical Jump

Examples:

• Volleyball Approach Jump
• Basketball Rebound Jump
• Basketball Block Jump
• Soccer Header Jump
• Event-Specific Takeoff

Goal: Transfer improved physical qualities to the athlete’s actual sport.

The broader progression is:

Build Strength
→ Develop Plyometric Capacity
→ Combine Strength and Explosive Work
→ Practice the Target Jump
→ Transfer It to Sport

Plyometric interventions lasting approximately 8-12 weeks are commonly effective, while some evidence suggests longer programs may produce greater adaptation.⁵,⁶ A 15-week combined resistance-and-plyometric program improved vertical-jump height by 8.8% in adolescent female volleyball players.⁹

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