Is there such a thing as “Hang Time”? The quick answer is “no” – science supports this. Whereas this will appear mind-boggling to many, it is the truth. But, in actuality, any basketball player (as well as “Air Jordan” himself) only makes it appear as if they are floating in the air.
Read below for particulars on what actually happens when any player jumps.
Coming down the court, a player jumps and the laws of physics take over. The laws state that the initial action causes an additional action that is equivalent in force but in the reverse direction. What this means in layman’s terms is that the player pushes against the floor and the floor exerts a force back. This action/reaction makes the player to leave the floor. When a player pushes harder on the floor, the floor pushes back harder causing the player to be propelled higher.
This action is compounded as a player is running while he is jumping. His center of gravity will go along a parabolic route throughout this process. A persons “center of mass” is located near their midsection. This means that, if the person were to continue in precisely the same position for the extent of the entire jumping action, his/her midsection (and consequently, full body) would follow this route. However as a player jumps while running, the center of mass is lifted – and manipulated.
By raising his knees, he’s raising his center of mass relative to his head. He does that on his way up. On the way down, of course, he lowers his legs back down and that, in turn causes the center of mass to come back down. This in effect raises his head in relation to the center of mass. The head does not follow the parabolic path. The head stays at one height.
So what you get is for a portion of the period in the air, the head stays at the same height, but ,all through the entire time the center of mass goes up and down.
In essence, the player’s head is the key to why we believe in hang time.
When one person looks at another, they tend to not look at the middle of their body. Instead, we usually look at the other person’s head. What happens at that instant is a bit of an “illusion”, but it truly is happening. The head stays in the same place for an unnaturally long time because the person changes his center of mass.
Well, if “hang time” is not genuine, how is it that one person can remain in the air longer than another person? The REAL solution is because that person JUMPS HIGHER. If you can’t increase your hang time then, you have to learn how to jump higher! How can you do this?
To get the most out of your vertical jumping exercises, you ought to consider a vertical jump training program. Check out these Vertical Jump Program Reviews to get more info.
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November 26, 2009
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