Basketball Plyometrics is not just about having a higher jump. It is also about enhancing your footwork and passing ability during competition. 

In the basketball context Upper Body Plyometrics carry the same value as Plyometric Leg Exercises precisely because of this. This logic ordinarily applies for those who want to be complete basketball players and not just the chaps who want to increase their vertical jumps - normally for show.   

12 Plyometric Exercises For Basketball

- Beginner Workout Exercises

1- 

Drill Name: Squat Jump (Lower Body)

Reps: 10 Reps per Set

Sets: 2 Sets per session

Rest:  Break for 40 seconds between Sets

2- 

Drill Name: Split Squat Jump (Lower Body)

This is a classic workout for the quads, glutes, hamstrings and calves. Something which also contributes a considerable amount to an increased vertical is greater bone density, as it creates a platform on which you can generate, store and release more elastic energy and that then translates into greater power output during the jump motion.

There are few better examples of a drill that contributes to increased bone density than the Split Squat Jumps, which are also convenient because they can be performed at home. 

One of the worst things you could possibly do with this drill is go from 0-60 in one second. It is always better to raise the intensity of the drill gradually, especially if you're a beginner.

Reps: 10 Reps per Set

Sets: 2 Sets per session

Rest: Break for 50 seconds between Sets

3-

Drill Name: Side Throws (Upper Body)

You will increase the explosive power in your abdominal core with this workout. Because you rotate your torso during this drill, you also improve your agility and to some degree even your flexibility, both of which are key elements to jumping higher on a basketball court. 

Another fascinating element of this drill is the point at which you ought to release the medicine ball when throwing it against the wall and the point at which you catch it again. That contributes to better coordination and better reaction times from your body, in all directions too.

Jumping higher is also about maximizing that small window of opportunity which you have to explode into the air - or initiate that force that propels you upwards. This drill helps facilitate that progress.

Reps: 10 Reps per Set

Sets: 2 Sets per session

Rest: 30-second break between Sets

4-

Drill Name: Squat Throws (Upper Body) 

Beyond the obvious strength benefits of this exercise, it is also outstanding for enhancing balance and coordination in the upper body. 

Something sometimes lost on people when they train for basketball is that it is not just about the jump itself but also about assimilating the game situation as much as possible while training. 

Your body needs that familiarity.

There are few exercises that are better placed to prepare you for free throws and jump shots in a basketball game, as this drill mimics the movements that your body would ordinarily make under those circumstances. The fact you use a medicine ball to perform the drill simply enhances that feeling of actually competing in a basketball contest.

Reps: 10 Reps per Set

Sets: 2 Sets per session

Rest: 30-second break between sets

- Intermediate Workout Exercises

5-  

Drill Name: Jump/Reach (Lower Body)

This is a classic example of Jumping Plyometrics. This drill can count as your typical vertical jump test, when you perform a full countermovement before exploding into the air. 

Not only is there emphasis on the build-up and subsequent release of energy but there is also emphasis on the total use of your arms, to help propel you further into the air when completing the drill.

So, it should then go without saying that once you have taken off, you should reach as high as possible into the air with your hands.

Reps: 10 Reps per Set

Sets: 1 Set per session

Rest: No break required

6-  

Drill Name: Barrier Jump (Lower Body)

You will seldom find better routines to help improve agility and power in the lower limbs. The barrier you use to perform this drill can be anything from a plyometrics box to a hurdle. Benches are also a very common and useful option.

The emphasis with this drill will be on teaching your body to jump from a stationary position - the conventional squat jump is normally a most agreeable option for those performing the barrier jump.

Reps: 10 Reps per Set

Sets: 1 Set per session

Rest: No rest required

7- 

Drill Name: Overhead Throws (Upper Body)

This exercise is conducted to increase explosive power in the torso. Once again, we are looking at a drill that does not just seek to increase your strength and explosive power but it is also a drill that mimics the basketball game situation better than most. 

The latter would have to do with anything from passing a ball over taller players while competing on a basketball court, to shooting from long range. Both those things are hard to do without basic core stability, which is something that this drill incorporates well.

Reps: 10 Reps per Set

Sets: 2 Sets per session

Rest: 40-second rest between Sets

8- 

Drill Name: Explosive Start Throws (Upper Body)

This is a strength exercise for your arms, chest and shoulders. In basketball you do not just jump but you also need to pass while you jump. 

Many of those passes are executed from about chest high and when you do not have the basic core stability to do so, the quality of that pass can be severely compromised. So, this drill is not just about propelling your body into the air but it is also about maximizing the force you have to pass that ball once you have been propelled into the air.

Reps: 10 Reps per Set

Sets: 2 Sets per session

Rest:  40-second rest between Sets

- Advanced Workout Exercises

9-

Drill Name: Single Leg Vertical Jump (Lower Body)

To increase explosive power in the legs, while also improving your balance and take-off from one leg. Some basketball players are heavily reliant on being able to take off from just the one leg. 

While there are others who are heavily reliant on taking off from two feet when preparing to dunk. Both can be limiting on the basketball court and it is therefore a good idea to try and increase capacity in both of your legs. There are few better ways to achieve that workout balance than through this drill.

Reps: 10 Reps per set

Sets: 2 Sets per session

Rest:  30-second break between Sets 

10-

Drill Name: Alternate Leg Bound (Lower Body)

This is the perfect exercise to increase the strength in your legs, which is required to jump higher in basketball. Once again, it helps you strike that balance between power and speed, when completing the jump motion. 

Reps: Complete 50 yards

Sets: 2 Sets

Rest: 60-second break between Sets

11-

Drill Name: Plyometric Push-Ups (Upper Body)

When done right, this exercise can be outstanding for increased strength in the arms, chest and shoulders. It can be a difficult routine, so you should err on the side of caution when you feel that things are getting a little too tough. 

Likewise, we also always encourage taking on the challenge and this is an outstanding opportunity for you to do just that.

Reps: 10 Reps per Set

Sets: 3 Sets per session

Rest: 30-second break between Sets

12-

Drill Name: Bench Press (Upper Body)

Performed for outstanding results with the chest, shoulders and arms. For safety reasons, it is always prudent of you to perform this drill with a spotter and do not give into the temptation to do more than your body can handle because that will be counterproductive at the best of times. 

Reps: 15 Reps per Set

Sets: 3 Sets per session

Rest: 90-second break between Sets

Conclusion

The plyometrics workouts we have included here will definitely increase your velocity and they will also make you stronger. 

That means you are likely to jump higher than you ordinarily would, pass harder than you ordinarily would and beat basketball defenses easier than you ordinarily would. 

These drills will make you a more complete basketball player.