Hang Time - Is There Such a Thing?

Anyone that watches basketball has seen this (probably many times). Michael Jordan (or another favorite player) is running full speed down court, he jumps, soaring through the air for a tremendous slam dunk. And while he is doing it, the announcers are heaping praise on him for his "amazing hang time". The way they make it sound, he just stays up in the air while other players jump in their attempts to block the shot and fall back to earth as they watch him sail on.

Is this what really happens? If it is, what secret ability do these players have that let them do this while others cannot? If this is not what really happens, why does it seem that some players can indeed stay in the air longer than other players can?

It all happens so quickly in reality. Are we really seeing what we think we are seeing? Since this act of running and jumping is a "physical" activity, we will take a look at the "physics" involved in jumping. Are there things a player can do to help him stay in the air longer?

The law's of physics have not been changed for basketball players. As a player is coming down the court and going up for a slam dunk, they apply a force (with the muscles of their legs, ankles, and feet) against the floor. The floor pushes back with an "equal force" that propels them into the air. But one thing that we do know for sure - "what goes up must come down" (physics again). The force that the player exerted is not enough to overcome gravity, so they are pulled back down.

Why, then, is it that we say some people can stay in the air longer? What, if basketball can you do to have a longer "hang time?" To find out the answers and get a basketball detailed explanation of what REALLY happens, please check out the post on our blog at http://verticaljump.einfohound.com/free-vertical-jump-info/hang-time-is-there-such-a-thing/ We also have other information on how to increase your vertical jump including reviews of programs and basketball that are available to help you

Tom Beagle is a writer for EInfohound. Check out the followup to this article at verticaljump.einfohound.com/free-vertical-jump-info/hang-time-is-there-such-a-thing/. You can get more information on increasing your vertical jump at verticaljump.einfohound.com