Vertical jump training should be taught to athletes at every level. It not only improves jump performance, but it also creates a more resilient body.

However, too many athletes and coaches are doing it the wrong way, and athletes aren’t seeing the results they desire. Or worse, they are experiencing injuries.

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The key is to start by learning landing technique. Admittedly it doesn’t sound as exciting as explosively jumping, but landing is the foundation of everything. If an athlete can’t land, he or she can’t jump. And odds are, technique deficiencies will lead other performance issues or injury.

A soft landing with the proper technique and joint angles allows the hips, knees and ankles to properly absorb the tremendous forces from the landing. If an athlete has a propensity for landing like an elephant, then something is out of whack, and more forces will be transferred to sensitive structures—the exact opposite of what we want.

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A soft landing absorbs more force in the body, allowing for greater gains in neuromuscular development . It also creates 25 percent less angular impulse in the ankle joint than landing stiff.

A movement through the hip complex and lower extremities, the Vertical Jump requires triple extension at the ankle, knee, and hip, and an explosive arm drive.

Here’s a breakdown of how I coach my athletes to land:

• Touch your toes first and roll back onto your heels, lowering into a quarter squat with bent knees and hips.
• Your feet should be about shoulder-width apart with your knees behind your toes; you shins should be approximately vertical.
• Sit your hips back similar to the athletic-ready position and keep your knees in line with your ankles and hips. Do not let them cave in.
• Keep your back flat, neck neutral and tighten your core.
• Your hands should be behind you, as if you were about to jump again.

To help reinforce this technique so an athlete can repeat it in live game situations, I film my athletes when they are landing, in slow motion if possible. It helps to more easily identify potential risks and deficits.

I use the following Landing Error Scoring System (LESS) to evaluate my athletes. A high LESS score indicates great risk and a lower LESS score indicates fewer movement pattern errors.

In the “Error Condition” column, note any conditions demonstrated or errors made by your athlete(s) if they scored YES on the LESS Score for each LESS item.

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Add the number of “YES” scores once completed. Although no significant number proves  you are at risk, this helps to see where an athlete is and if he or she improves from the training. A high score indicates areas of concern that should be addressed and added to an individualized training program to decrease the chance of a non-contact ACL injury.