Drop jump characteristics of basketball players based on the multi contact time jump test

In this study, we examined the drop jump characteristics of 27 male college basketball players using the multi-contact time jump test. The participants jumped off a 30-cm platform, and the time until their landing on the floor randomly varied from approximately 0.1 to 1.0 s in 0.1-s increments. Their jumping time was measured, and the jumping height was calculated. In this study, the countermovement time during the trial in which the maximum jumping height was achieved was defined as the optimum value of the countermovement time for the individual. Therefore, the participants’ optimal countermovement time was distributed from 0.4 to 1.1 s, and the mode was 0.7–0.8 s. The rebound drop jump index increased with decreasing optimal countermovement times. Cluster analysis of the relationship between the optimal countermovement time and jumping height showed that the patterns were classified into three patterns (Patterns 1–3). There was a significant difference in the optimal countermovement time for each pattern (p < .01). However, there was no significant difference in the maximum jumping heights among the patterns.