Jump high and snap those knees to your chest.
Land quiet on the balls of your feet with bent knees, never on locked-out legs.
The tuck jump is raw lower-body power. Your quads produce the explosive drive off the floor and then absorb the landing, while your glutes fire hard to extend the hips at takeoff and pull the knees up toward your chest. It earns its place as a no-equipment plyometric that builds the fast, springy quality slow strength work alone cannot, provided every landing stays quiet and controlled.
Keep sets short and crisp, stopping while every jump still feels explosive. The moment your height drops or landings get loud, the power quality is gone and you are just collecting fatigue.
Aim for hip height or above, pulled up fast at the peak of the jump. If you cannot get them near your chest, jump higher first rather than cutting the jump short to force the tuck.
You are probably landing on flat feet or stiff legs. Land on the balls of your feet with bent knees, absorb quietly, and reset your position before the next rep instead of bouncing straight into it.
