Which is more important for success in basketball: jump height or quickness? Most basketball players, especially young players, will usually answer jump height. But if you closely analyze a game you will see that the success achieved from being able to jump high is only witnessed a few times during the game.
This is usually seen on a rebound, block, jump ball, and only on occasion, on a jump shot. However, when in the flow of the game with a lot of movement when working different plays, or keeping up with opposing team players in order to shut them down, quickness becomes more important.
Quickness involves the ability to quickly change direction, react quickly and be able to stop and go very quickly. Explosive acceleration with the arms and legs is paramount to being an excellent court player. These are the abilities that make it possible for you to get free, steal a ball, or to prevent your opponent from getting the ball.
Obviously, both jump height and quickness are important for success in basketball playing. You should train to become better in both but emphasize the qualities that are more suited to the position that you play. For example, guards need more quickness as opposed to jump height. Forwards need a good combination of both. The needs for a center will vary depending upon his or her height.
The key point here is that quickness requires more training than jump height. To develop your quickness you must develop more technical abilities such as learning how to execute a quick cutting action or change in direction. In addition, you must have the physical abilities such as strength and explosive power developed in the same manner as they are displayed in game play.
Development of these abilities should take place over many years in order to get full value out of the training and have it incorporated into your playing. It is impossible to learn the technical aspects of quickness or to develop their related physical abilities in one season of training. In fact I have never seen a player not able to improve even more regardless of how long he has been training for quickness.
For more information see Explosive Basketball Training.