One foot dunking vs two foot dunking

[Euroleague]

One foot is easier .

It depends on each person. For me, two foot dunking was easier once I learned how to do it. One foot dunks only generally work when you have the time and space to do them. But you can always go up with two hands and dunk it hard from under the basket.

[Cocaine80s]

It depends on each person. For me, two foot dunking was easier once I learned how to do it. One foot dunks only generally work when you have the time and space to do them. But you can always go up with two hands and dunk it hard from under the basket.

Depends on how tall you are. If you're 6'5 + sure. But if you're shorter it's always easier to dunk off one leg in games

[senelcoolidge]

Depends on how tall you are. If you're 6'5 + sure. But if you're shorter it's always easier to dunk off one leg in games

I was 6'2" and preferred two foot dunking. Everyone is different.

[Euroleague]

Depends on how tall you are. If you're 6'5 + sure. But if you're shorter it's always easier to dunk off one leg in games

I'm 6-2 and for me two feet dunks were easier in games. Because it gave me more ability to hold the ball with two hands and power up strong through the basket.

With one foot dunks it always seemed like someone could knock the ball out from behind or meet you around the rim, if they timed it right. If it is something like on open court 1 on 0 after a steal, then one foot is easy.

I think it depends on each person.

I just remember getting blocked in half court on one foot dunk attempts, but with jumping off two feet in half court it would usually be a foul or basket.

[Cocaine80s]

I was 6'2" and preferred two foot dunking. Everyone is different.

What I mean is one foot dunkers have more chances to dunk compared to 2 footers

Unless youre very tall

[Cocaine80s]

I'm 6-2 and for me two feet dunks were easier in games. Because it gave me more ability to hold the ball with two hands and power up strong through the basket.

With one foot dunks it always seemed like someone could knock the ball out from behind or meet you around the rim, if they timed it right. If it is something like on open court 1 on 0 after a steal, then one foot is easy.

I think it depends on each person.

I just remember getting blocked in half court on one foot dunk attempts, but with jumping off two feet in half court it would usually be a foul or basket.

Yes but take someone at 6'2 whos a one foot jumper and he'll dunk more often than you

[Rake2204]

What I mean is one foot dunkers have more chances to dunk compared to 2 footers

Unless youre very tall

There's some guys at a guard size (6'3'' or below) who seem to be able to make two-foot dunking work for them better and more frequently than one-foot

[Pushxx]

I was cursed as being a two foot jumper, which just isn't as good in-game. The older I got I learned to do more off one foot, but dunking that way never worked for me.

[L.Kizzle]

I've never understood how some people found it easier to dunk off two. One foot was far easier for me. I don't think the dunks look as nice outside of tomahawks, but it was always much more comfortable.

One foot dunking, you just have so much more momentum. I figure that is why all high jumpers jump off one foot.

IF I was going up strong in the paint, it was always off of two feet.

[Rake2204]

IF I was going up strong in the paint, it was always off of two feet.

Do you mean for dunking or just finishing in general? Because I still rose off two-feet all the time when the situation called for it, I just usually couldn't dunk while doing so.

But then again, if I could get a clean line to the rim, there'd be no reason to gather with two if I didn't have to. Attacking downhill and using the momentum and horizontal force from a one-foot takeoff has been frequently beneficial when it came to finishing through folks. At times it was like trucking the catcher in baseball.

[Funktion]

Used to jump off one foot running start in early teens, found it easier to dunk with 2 feet more explosive in late teens, early 20s.

[ClipperRevival]

I just realized that all of Aaron Gordon's dunks in the dunk contest were done with two feet, whereas all of Zach Lavine's were done with one.

Yup. And there is a general correlation. Two foot dunkers are explosive off the floor, get good vert and jump near the basket (Vince, Nique, Richardson, Green, Gordon). One foot jumpers are more horizontal based and usually take off from farther away. These are more of the finesse guys (Drexler, Erving, Pippen, MJ, Lavine).

It was odd seeing Vince try that free throw line type dunk in 2000. You could tell he wasn't in his element. He is a vertical guy who needs to take off of two feet, near the basket. But tell him to jump from the free throw line off one foot and it doesn't look nearly as devastating.

Another reason why MJ was so great was because he was absolutely GOAT level at jumping both ways. FT line dunk with ease and the quick hop step and gather off two feet to go over guys in traffic. Some guys really prefer one way or are much better one way and that makes them less dangerous in in-game situations.

[Cocaine80s]

Yup. And there is a general correlation. Two foot dunkers are explosive off the floor, get good vert and jump near the basket (Vince, Nique, Richardson, Green, Gordon). One foot jumpers are more horizontal based and usually take off from farther away. These are more of the finesse guys (Drexler, Erving, Pippen, MJ, Lavine).

It was odd seeing Vince try that free throw line type dunk in 2000. You could tell he wasn't in his element. He is a vertical guy who needs to take off of two feet, near the basket. But tell him to jump from the free throw line off one foot and it doesn't look nearly as devastating.

Another reason why MJ was so great was because he was absolutely GOAT level at jumping both ways. FT line dunk with ease and the quick hop step and gather off two feet to go over guys in traffic. Some guys really prefer one way or are much better one way and that makes them less dangerous in in-game situations.

Dude literally every time you talk about 1 and 2 foot jumping you post the same shit about MJ. Like could you just talk about jumping without feeling the need to mention him for once?

[ClipperRevival]

Dude literally every time you talk about 1 and 2 foot jumping you post the same shit about MJ. Like could you just talk about jumping without feeling the need to mention him for once?

The truth must be told.

[Rake2204]

Yup. And there is a general correlation. Two foot dunkers are explosive off the floor, get good vert and jump near the basket (Vince, Nique, Richardson, Green, Gordon). One foot jumpers are more horizontal based and usually take off from farther away. These are more of the finesse guys (Drexler, Erving, Pippen, MJ, Lavine).

It was odd seeing Vince try that free throw line type dunk in 2000. You could tell he wasn't in his element. He is a vertical guy who needs to take off of two feet, near the basket. But tell him to jump from the free throw line off one foot and it doesn't look nearly as devastating.

Another reason why MJ was so great was because he was absolutely GOAT level at jumping both ways. FT line dunk with ease and the quick hop step and gather off two feet to go over guys in traffic. Some guys really prefer one way or are much better one way and that makes them less dangerous in in-game situations.

I think Carter may have been a little more legit off of one-foot than he sometimes gets credit for. His 2000 dunk isn't necessarily a great point of reference for his entire one-foot ability.

According to an interview earlier this week, he didn't know he had one dunk left (thought he was already considered a winner) so he hadn't planned a final dunk. As a result, he whipped up something he knew he'd have no chance of missing, because he wanted to go through the contest with zero misses to his name. And as you well know, taking off with two-hands, especially from 14.5 feet, is always going to look a little more awkward and less flighty than a one-hander.

I will say this, he often tended to take off from a half-step inside the line as opposed to having his foot planted on it. But even then, the variations he was able to add to those dunks seems to paint the picture of someone who could have performed a true free throw line dunk with relative ease.

I personally thought most of Carter's takeoffs from near the line showcased pretty outstanding elevation and style (aside from that two-handed): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSBn_TyRGH4

As for why he most often didn't seem to take off from the actual line, your guess is as good as mine. But throwing down with the kind of authority he did (and with the backward extension we saw on the high school clip) seems to again suggest he could have easily stepped back to the line.

Either way, I believe multiple accounts of a 14'10'' takeoff (with various forms of extra flare) help illustrate how deadly Carter could be off of one-foot as well, even if he preferred two-feet. He certainly was not a Jason Richardson or Dominique Wilkins in that regard (though I know you didn't say he was).