Abstract
University of Belgrade, Faculty of Sports and Physical Education. The coaches have searched for ever a way to improve easily and rapidly the jumping ability of their athletes. The works of Verkhoshanski offered them a new aspect of training consisting of drop jumps. These drop jumps are characterized by the stretch reflex of muscular work. Such a reflex of muscular work understands that the concentric contraction during the rebound is preceded by a rapid eccentric contraction while preparing for the rebound. The researches proved that a jump performed this way is higher than the one performed form the squat position, i.e. when the performed muscular work is realized only in concentric regime. Still the reasons that provoke such a phenomenon are not clearly determined, since there are different approaches of certain researchers to this problem. Great number of studies researched the influence of training on improvement of maximal height of the jump while performing drop jump. It was concluded that the most correct approach is by progressive loading of athletes. In order to gain that in the best way it is necessary to determine the optimal height for the performance of the drop jump. It is also significant to choose the technique of performance, i.e. whether the drop jump is done by movement of grater or smaller amplitudes, with longer or shorter stay on the ground. Besides the aforesaid factors there are other than influence the efficiency of drop jump which have to be taken into consideration by the coaches when they create the training program. It was concluded that this method of training is an efficient asset for improvement of the maximal jump height. Non-researched areas that are pointed in this paper stretch reflex of muscular work, as well as the influence of training in the case of application of different drop jumping techniques. However, the influence of the muscular structure on the effects of training remains vague.