Depending on your hand size, you should be at least 6-9 inches above the hoop for a true slam. You'll need up to six fingers for the fingertip push, but only enough to propel the ball over the rim. More than that and you're just wasting energy.
The higher you jump, the more air you push out of your feet when you release the ball. This makes it easier to throw a ball through the hoop from a great height. The more effort you put into your throw, the farther the ball will travel before it hits the ground.
You need strong legs and knees for this move because you're jumping up high in order to get the ball over the backboard. If you aren't able to land properly, you could injure yourself or someone else if you hit their basket while it's still in motion.
Have you ever seen anyone jump high enough to dunk? If you look around the world, there are actually very few players who can pull off this stunt. The highest I've ever seen was during a college game when he jumped about 20 feet straight up in the air then threw the ball down hard toward the basket! It was amazing to watch.
But even he couldn't shoot all the time so most players don't attempt to score every time they have the ball.
A typical dunk needs a player to pass a nine-inch-diameter ball past a hoop ten feet in the air. To do so comfortably, they must raise the tip of their hand about 11 feet into the air. This is called a "tip-in." Not all dunks can be tipped-ins; sometimes players will go for more distance if the ball was at chest height or above when it hit the floor.
The term "dunk" has become a generic term for any shot where there is significant forward movement after release of the ball. Such shots include free throws, putbacks, and three-pointers. The ability to make a dunk shows skill and strength in a player. Many players who cannot make a basket from beyond midcourt attempt dunking moves before throwing up a shot from near the free throw line. These are known as "half-dunks."
In basketball, a layup is any shot taken with both feet directly under the body, with or without a dribble. A field goal is worth three points, while a dunk is worth two points. A slam-dunk is when a player goes straight up into the air and either lands on two feet or sinks his teeth into the ball first. Most slams occur during open court situations when there is no defender available to stop them.
Your wrists must both be above the rim. If both wrists are over the rim, you will be able to dunk more successfully and easily. There will be no more contacting the rim with the basketball when attempting to dunk. It will be simple and straightforward.
The more hands you can use to reach for the sky, the better. But if your goal is to learn how to do a two-handed dunk, then getting as high as possible is not recommended. The risk of injury increases as you go higher. Instead, start by learning how to do a one-handed dunk and work your way up from there.
@CBSSports That wasn't a slam dunk. His hand never made contact with the rim.
The ability to throw a ball through a ring and hit a stationary target with enough force to cause it to go airborne is a rare skill among humans. So it's no surprise that most players who try to dunk fail miserably; they just don't have the hands-eye coordination needed to send the ball through the hoop while raising their arm high above their head.
The first recorded instance of someone successfully dunking occurred in 1972 during a college game between San Francisco State and Sacramento City College. The record shows that Joe Magana was able to lift his arm up over his head while throwing the ball toward the basket, causing it to go airborne before hitting the rim with enough force to count as a dunkelstein. Since then, more than 100 other people have been documented as having performed this feat during recreational or competitive settings.
The majority of these dunkelsteins were observed by members of the media, who estimated that only 1 out of 10 attempts was successful.
Dunking becomes more easy if you are near to 6-foot tall. To contact the rim, you'll need to leap around 24 inches, and to slam a full-sized basketball, you'll need to jump about 30 inches (assuming average arm length). Without instruction, very few persons in this height range will be able to dunk. However, with help from a friend or coach, this feat is within reach for most.
The higher you can jump, the farther you can throw a ball out of balance. This is because gravity works the same way no matter how high you are standing up! By jumping high before throwing, you use your energy more efficiently and get loftier into the air.
If you're too short to jump that high, don't worry: There are other ways to accomplish a dunk. For example, you could shoot the ball hard enough that it goes through the hoop while being supported by the backboard. Or, you could catch hold of the ball just before it hits the ground and toss it into the basket without jumping.
These are all valid methods for getting a ball into the net from outside the playing area. All things considered, dunking is best done by those who can jump high enough to make contact with the ball.
Second, a 6-foot individual will have longer arms (on average), which adds another 1 inch to their standing reach differential. Third, people of size tend to be stronger than those of normal height, so they can pull up from lower heights when jumping.
The best way to learn how to dunk is by doing it. However, before you try this at home, there are some rules that should be known. For example, you shouldn't dive headfirst into an attempt because it's likely to hurt yourself rather than impress your friends. And also, you shouldn't use a door as a backboard because someone might get injured trying to enter or exit through it.
Once you know what you're doing, it's not that hard to dunk. You need to have good balance, strength in your legs and hips, and enough elevation (i.e., floor space) under you to make the jump high enough to hit the basket. Of course, having an accurate shot is also helpful.
In fact, according to research conducted by ESPN, men can expect to dunk about 100 times in their lives. Women can expect to dunk about 10 times in their lives. While this may seem like a lot, it's actually quite unlikely to happen randomly.
While the height difference between a 5'9" and a 6'1" person is only 3 inches, it's actually a lot simpler to be around this height for two reasons. First, your arms don't have to be exactly 24 inches from your body in order to reach the top of the backboard. Second, as long as you're at least three feet off the ground, your body will experience less than half of its maximum potential jumping height.
The answer depends on how far up you want to be able to shoot the ball. If you can catch it with your hand above the rim, then you can shoot it. Otherwise, you're just wasting your energy. The best way to learn how high you can jump is by taking measurements of yourself when you're standing still. Then add one foot to each measurement and see what happens. For example, if your standing height without shoes is 29 inches and adding 1 foot makes you reach 30 inches, that's enough to clear the rim.
You should be able to shoot balls out of play from beyond the three-point line. This means you need to be able to jump at least 36 inches. The more important factor here is your leg strength. You need to make sure you can push off with both legs and get enough power to fly through the air.