Abstract Background This study examined the relationships between impulse and kinetic variables during jumping and landing in elite young male volleyball players. Methodology Eighteen players were recruited and asked to jump on a force plate, which allowed for the direct extraction of jump and landing kinetic data. The data was then analysed using stepwise regression to explore the relationship between landing impulse and various kinetic variables. Results Our findings revealed a significant positive relationship between the peak rate of force development concentric (PRFD _CON) and impulse at landing (β = 0.537, p = 0.02). In a secondary analysis, we found that PRFD _CON (β = 0.497, p = 0.01) and time to peak power concentric (TPPC) (β = 0.424, p = 0.04) were also positively correlated with landing impulse. Importantly, PRFD _CON and TPPC were the variables that had the most muscular predictive power for impulse at landing. Conclusion These findings offer crucial insights into the biomechanics of jumping and landing in elite young male volleyball players, informing the development of more effective training programs. Our study identifies PRFD _CON and TPPC as critical factors for improving landing impulse, emphasizing the need to consider multiple kinetic variables when designing training programs for explosive skills. These insights can help optimize performance and reduce the risk of injury in elite young male volleyball players.