Block jump and attack jump: why they're two different numbers

The block jump and the attack jump aren't the same movement, and they don't give you the same number. On attack you arrive with an approach that gives you speed to turn into height; on the block you start almost still, often after a lateral shuffle, and you have to jump on a timing someone else decides. For most athletes the bigger number is the attack jump. Mixing up the two values is the fastest way to lose track of what you're actually training.

The approach gives you centimetres, the block doesn't

On the attack jump you take three or four steps, hit the take-off point with horizontal speed and turn it into vertical drive. The load is deep, both feet land together, the arms swing with you. It's the highest jump you can produce, and it's the one everybody quotes when they talk about vertical jump.

On the block you have none of that. You start from a ready position, feet already under the net and hands high. There's no speed to recycle: you have to produce all the drive on the spot, with a shorter load and with arms that can't help you the way they do on attack, because they have to stay ready to cross the net.

That's why the same athlete has two separate numbers. It's not that you jump "badly" on the block: you're doing a mechanically different movement, with fewer ingredients available.

On the block the problem often isn't how high you jump, it's when

On attack you choose the timing: you watch the setter's ball and build your approach. On the block the timing is chosen by the opposing hitter. You can have the highest jump in the league and still get there late, or leave too early and already be on the way down when the ball comes through.

This completely changes what you need to train. A low block can come from not enough vertical jump, but very often it comes from reading and reactivity: how fast you can decide and load. Two different problems, two different solutions.

Before buying a jump program to raise your block, it's worth asking an honest question: when they hit over you, was your hand low or was it late?

The lateral movement eats into your jump

There's a third element almost nobody accounts for. You rarely block from a standstill: first you move sideways, with a shuffle or a crossover step, and you have to reach the take-off point already balanced.

If you arrive off balance, if your torso is still rotating or your weight is all on one foot, part of the drive goes into fixing your position instead of going up. The jump you make after moving is almost always lower than the one you make from a standstill, and the gap depends on how well you can brake and reorganise yourself.

Players who block high on lateral movement usually don't have a monstrous vertical jump: they have tidy feet and a clean stop.

What to train, depending on which number you're missing

• If it's the attack jump you're missing: work on converting the approach. Lower-body strength, the ability to absorb and give back speed, last-step technique. It's the classic approach-jump work.
• If it's the standing block jump you're missing: work on pure strength and on loading without an approach. The elastic spring helps you less here, so how much force you can produce from a static position matters more.
• If it's the timing you're missing: it isn't a legs problem. It's reading, hand position, decision. You train it on the court with your coach, not in the weight room.
• If you lose centimetres after moving: train the stop. Deceleration, changes of direction, controlled landings, single-leg stability.

How to measure the two numbers without mixing them up

The rule is simple: a number only means something if you know the conditions it was taken in. If you measure your approach jump in March and your standing jump in June and then compare them, you're comparing two different things and telling yourself a story that isn't real.

With the JHP jump test you upload a 2-second video and get your height in centimetres, calculated from flight time. It's free, the analysis runs in your browser and the video never leaves your device. Do two separate trials: one standing, one with an approach, and keep them as two distinct entries.

If you want to understand better why the two values don't add up and can't be compared, there's a piece dedicated to it: standing jump or approach jump. And if you're not sure how to film yourself, here's how to film your jump.

Then measure again weeks later, in the same conditions: same shoes, same court, same moment of the week. Measure first, then train, then measure again.

The JHP programs that help on both fronts

• Jump Higher Program — 10 weeks, bodyweight only, €60. The base jump path.
• JHP Gym Edition — 16 weeks in the weight room, €60. To build the strength your standing jump needs.
• Jumping Monster — 14 days of plyometrics, €40. For the reactive side and quick foot contacts.
• JHP Subscription — €99/year: 13 programs, WhatsApp support, cancel whenever you want. Full list on the JHP courses page.

In short

The attack jump and the block jump are two different movements: one uses the approach, the other starts from a standstill, on someone else's rhythm and often after a lateral shuffle. They're two numbers to measure separately and to train differently. And before you blame your legs, check whether the problem is your take-off timing: it happens more often than you'd think.

You might also like: How high you need to jump to block in volleyball · Vertical jump and height: does it matter more to be tall or to jump?