Fix the penultimate step first
The second-to-last step of your approach should be long and low — it drops your hips so the last step can launch you. Most players shorten it and jump from an upright position, which throws away inches before they leave the floor. Twenty slow-motion run-ups is often worth more than a month of calf raises.
Use both arms, every time
A full double-arm swing can add measurable height. Arms go back behind the hips on the penultimate step, then drive up hard and finish above the head. If one arm is holding a ball in practice, alternate so the pattern stays symmetrical.
Stop testing on tired legs
Jump height is extremely sensitive to fatigue. Daily max jumping guarantees you test lower than your real number. Two or three sharp sessions a week with full recovery beats seven grinding ones.
The 14-day layout
- Days 1–2: Test properly, then approach technique only (sub-maximal)
- Days 3–4: Strength (squat/hinge/calf) plus low-volume pogos
- Days 5–7: One max-intent jump session, then rest
- Days 8–11: High intent, low volume — sprints and 5–8 jumps
- Days 12–14: Sharpen, full rest, retest under identical conditions
What to avoid
- High-box depth jumps before you have a strength base
- Weighted vests for jump training
- Training through knee or heel pain
- Skipping sleep — it wipes out short-term gains fastest
Two weeks does not build a new athlete. It reveals the one you already are.