Drop jump

A drop jump is a jumping exercise in which a person drops from an elevated platform, lands, and immediately jumps upward. The initial drop provides a landing impact before the upward effort. In testing, stepping off rather than jumping upward from the platform helps define the starting conditions. The exercise is used in plyometric training and in assessments of jumping performance .¹

The landing and rebound involve a stretch-shortening cycle: active muscles undergo lengthening before the subsequent shortening action that helps propel the body upward. This sequence allows researchers to examine the transition from absorbing a landing to taking off. Ground contact time covers the interval between landing and the rebound takeoff, while jump height describes the ensuing upward displacement .²

Drop jumps can be performed with different priorities. A bounce technique emphasizes reversing the downward movement quickly, while a countermovement technique permits a larger downward movement to pursue greater height. These instructions can change both contact time and jump height. Consequently, a drop jump is not one fixed movement defined by platform height alone. Its technique and instructions are part of the task, and results from different versions need to be interpreted in that context .¹