Jump Equipment Reviews

March 10th, 2007

Our reviews of the top three vertical jump training equipment products.

jump soles Product Effectiveness: Excellent
After-Sales Support: Excellent
Guarantee: 1-year 100% (Jump USA website only)
List Price: $99.95 MSRP (119.90 w/ Proprioceptors)

Best Price: $89.95 Jump USA website

JumpSoles are our top pick for best overall jump training equipment. Jumpsoles are training platforms you attach to your own shoes which allows you to overwork the lower leg muscles, resulting in added inches to your vertical jump. The designers of the jumpsoles recommend you use the jumpsoles 1-3 times per week so that your muscles have plenty of rest and time in between workouts. The jump soles package come with a training video and manual which provides an 8-week program you can easily follow.

JumpSoles also offer the optional proprioceptor system, an excellent training concept found in no other training equipment. If you are serious about your vertical leap development and faithfully follow the provided jump sole training guide, you can realistically expect a 5 to 10 inch gain on your vertical leap, and perhaps more if you have not used a jump training program before. If you are serious about increasing your vertical jump, we definitely recommend the jumpsoles as an integral part of your training regimen. They take our number one spot due to their effectiveness, versatility and price. They also offer a remarkable one year guarantee from the date of purchase (only from Jump USA).

strength shoes Product Effectiveness: Very Good
After-Sales Support: Excellent
Guarantee: Defective Product replacement only
List Price: $134.95 MSRP

Best Price: $129.95 Perform Better website

Strength Shoes take the second spot in our reviews. Consisting of entire shoes with built-in platforms in the front, strength shoes place most of the bodyweight over the toes instead of the heels. The result is that the calf muscles are overworked (absorbing six times the normal bodyweight), causing them to grow bigger and stronger, and the athlete to become quicker and jump higher.

Strength shoes can be a good complement to any jump training you are currently engaged in. You can use them while doing a series of different exercises such as sprints, jumps and lunges. Your leg muscles will be worked out in a whole different way than by just exercising in regular shoes. Although buying a pair of strength shoes is not a small investment, it can realistically increase your vertical leap by 4 to 8 inches, if you use the strength training shoes properly.

sky king calf isolator Product Effectiveness: Good
After-Sales Support: Very Good
Guarantee: Defective Product replacement only
List Price: $99.95 MSRP

Best Price: $89.99 Hoops King website

The Sky King Calf Isolator comes in third on our list of top jump training equipment products. Of all the different products out there for increasing your vertical jump, the SkyKing Calf Isolator is a truly unique training system. You strap it on to your legs and conduct a series of stretching exercises which isolates your lower legs. These series of strenuous exercises helps build up your jumping foundation, focusing on your calf muscles and tendon strength in your ankles, resulting in an increase in your vertical jump.

One major advantage the sky king calf isolator has over other products is that you can use it anywhere. You don’t need to find a track or gym to use it; instead, you can use the sky king calf isolator in the comfort of your own home. Another key advantage is that there is virtually no impact on your legs. If you are pressed for time, you need only use it 10-15 minutes every other day to see positive results in your vertical jump. Following the training guide will realistically give you a 3 to 6 inch increase in vertical leap.

This review of verticle jump training aids is brought to you by Jump-Higher-Now.com.

Technorati Tags: , , , , ,

Know The Differences Between Pro and College Basketball

March 11th, 2010

To the untrained eye, a game of pro basketball and a game of college basketball can appear very similar, if not pretty much the same. Flip from game to game, and you see pretty much the same thing: a standard size ball, players on the court, a 10-foot hoop and the foul line 15 feet away from the backboard. Take a closer look, though, and you’ll start to see differences in college and professional play.

 

In the NBA, the game is played in four 12-minute quarter periods. The NCAA, in contrast, plays two 20-minute halves. While they play for different lengths of time, they do share an overtime period of five minutes.

 

The clock differs in the games as well, with a 24-second shot clock in the NBA, and a 35 second shot clock in the NCAA. For this reason, scoring in NCAA games can differ greatly from game to game as well as from team to team. Teams who employ a strong defense strategy with respect to the shot clock end up with games that score in the 50 to 60 point range. Teams that opt for an aggressive offense strategy end up with scores in the 80 to 100 range, not unlike scores posted in the NBA.

 

NCAA teams have 10 seconds in order to get the ball half-court after a basket; NBA teams are limited to just 8 seconds.

 

The court is the same size in both organizations (94 feet long by 50 feet wide), basket height, backboard distance and the foul line are all the same, as well. Look closer, though, when college and pro teams take a 3-point shot. In the NBA, a 3-point shot is taken from a distance of 23’9” (22” in the corners) and the NCAA has a 3-point shot always from a distance of 19’9”. NBA lane width is 16 feet and collegiate players’ lane is 12 feet.

 

 

There are yet more differences between pro and collegiate basketball; this discussion contains some of the basic differences in how the clock is handled as well as differences in 3-point shot differences. The differences discussed in this article are just the start; continue to read and research to learn even more about how basketball is played at the collegiate and professional levels. Knowing the differences between how the game is played at the professional level and at the college level can help you have a better understanding of what is going on at any given time during a game.

Fencing.Net is the web destination for the serious fencing enthusiast. Our extensive official fencing equipment store at http://shop.fencing.net/ features everything for the avid fencer. Don’t miss our Discussion forums where over 5,000 fencers from around the globe discuss all things relating to fencing. Post armory and equipment questions, share tips and ideas with fellow club owners and managers, or just hang out at our virtual water cooler for some off-topic chatter.

 

Technorati Tags: ,