The Effect of Ankle Weights on the Jumping Performance of a Selected Group of High School Basketball Players

The purpose of this study was to ascertain what effects the use of ankle weights would have on standing broad jumping performance of selected high school basketball players. Three groups of twelve subjects each were used in this study. Each group was tested at the start of the experimental period, after six v/eeks of training and at the end of the twelfth training week. The test involved standing broad jumping performance measured to the nearest one-fourth inch. Comparisons were made between the means within each group on the pre-, mid-, and final tests. Comparisons were also made between the three groups by testing the significance of the differences between the group means on the pre-,_ mid-, and final tests. The null hypothesis was assumed in making comparisons with rejection at the .01 level. This hypothesis was tested with the t technique for the significance of the difference between means. The results of the comparisons showed that the use of ankle weights can result in a significant amount of improvement in jumping performance at the .01 level during the first six weeks of training, and that there may be little real value in continuing to use them after this time