
How do you measure a vertical jump?
Steps To Measure Your Vertical Jump
- Stand Next To The Wall. Find a good jump area. ...
- Apply Chalk, Tape, Or Paint. Apply the chalk, tape, or paint on your middle finger. ...
- Mark Highest Spot While Standing. Stand straight, keep your feet flat, and do not tiptoe. ...
- Mark Highest Spot While Jumping. This step is the same as step 3. ...
- Measure, Measure, Measure. ...
- Repeat Step Four. ...
- Record Your Measurement. ...
How to measure vertical jump at home without equipment?
Vertical jump testers are used this way:
- Adjust the jump tester so that you can reach the vanes with your hand.
- Extend one of your arms as high as you can while keeping it tight against your ear.
- Walk through the jump tester a few times to get an accurate measurement. ...
- If necessary, adjust the jump tester to raise the vanes.
- Jump and hit the vanes. ...
How to measure a vertical jump?
To measure your vertical jump against a wall, you need to :
- Find a tall wall to use.
- Place a tape/ chalk on your middle finger and stretch your arm out.
- Reach as high as possible and place the tape/ chalk on the wall as a mark. ...
- Take another tape/ chalk and place on the middle finger as well and jump as high as possible placing the tape/chalk on the wall. ...
What are the best exercises to increase vertical jump?
The Best Exercises To Increase Your Vertical Jump
- The Squat. In order to jump well a person must have leg strength. ...
- Calf Exercises. The calves and the thighs are two of the most crucial muscles in a person’s body that will help contribute to increasing their vertical jump.
- Jumping Rope. ...
- Stair and Box Training. ...
- Plyometrics and Explosive Leg Training. ...

What is Vertical Jump?
A vertical jump which is also called a vertical leap is the phenomenon of jumping high upwards into the air. It is an important exercise for buildi...
How does NBA measurers vertical leap?
The professionals measure vertical leap using a measuring tool called Vertce
What range of vertical jump is considered good?
Good high school athletes can have vertical up to 28 inches. Anything from 28 to 32 inches is considered a very good jump.
Who has the highest vertical jump in NBA History?
Michael Jordan has the highest vertical leap of 48 inches
Is 40 inch vertical rare?
Only 10 percent of players can make it through 40 inches range. No matter how hard they try, 90 percent of the player cannot cross the 40 inches mark.
What is a vert jump rate monitor?
It converts hang time into your vertical jump height. The best example for a wearable device is Vert Jump Rate monitor. It’s a small device that comes with a belt which can be clipped to your shorts and can be connected to an app on your iPhone to track measurements in real time.
How Can You Increase Your Vertical Jump?
Now that you are aware of your measurements, you should be able to compare your vertical to other athletes.
Why do NFL players do vertical jumps?
On the other hand, The NFL utilizes vertical jump tests in order to see how athletic players are, and to measure the amount of jump certain techniques require (i.e. jumping after a ball). Similar to the NBA, the NFL also holds tryouts to conduct the tests. The only difference is that they only test the standing vertical jump.
How much does a Vertec cost?
2- A proper Vertec isn't inexpensive and would cost about $650 to calculate the height at home, not a light amount to pay.
How many times do you jump to touch the wall?
While standing in a still position next to the wall, jump as high as you can in attempt to touch the wall. It is preferable that you jump three times and tap the wall each time to get an accurate reading. The second mark you leave on the wall as you jump is called your vertical jump reach.
What is the NBA's vertical leap test?
The NBA measures players’ vertical leaps by holding the NBA draft combine, testing potential players for their skills and abilities. These auditions are conducted by NBA scouts prepared specifically for the NBA draft.
How many procedures are there in the NBA draft?
The NBA draft incorporates two different procedures in terms of testing:
What does the vertical jump test measure?
The vertical jump test measures the power of one’s lower body. This is because most sports like football, volleyball and many more use the lower body mostly.
What is vertical jump?
According to Wikipedia, a vertical jump is an act of jumping upwards. It is a common standard test of measuring the power output of an athlete.
Why is vertical jump important?
It is an important exercise for building both endurance and explosive power.
How much vertical jump does a man have?
The average vertical jump of a man is 16 to 20 inches while that of a woman is 12-16 inches.
How many inches can a high schooler jump?
Good high school athletes can have vertical up to 28 inches. Anything from 28 to 32 inches is considered a very good jump.
What is flag jumping?
This is where a mark such as a flag is placed at a certain place and athletes are asked to jump and try to reach the flag.
Why is it important to jump high in volleyball?
The ability to jump high is needed in sports such as basketball and even in volleyball for blocking shots in the volleyball net.
How to measure vertical jump?
6 Steps to Measure Your Vertical Jump. 1. Stand with your side to the wall. Find a good jump area. It should be a stable level hard surface . It should be in an area with a high ceiling or no ceiling at all and next to a clear plain wall. Stand next to the wall with your feet completely flat and your side next to the wall.
What is vertical jump?
The vertical jump is one of the key measurements taken to evaluate the athleticism of a player. It’s not just used in basketball but in many other sports such as American football. When teams are evaluating players before a draft, you will often see them checking their ability to get up in the air using a vertical jump tester.
How to make a jumper jump?
In the same way that you did in step 2, cover your finger with chalk or the masking tape. Jump as high as you can and at the peak of your jump, touch the wall with the hand that has the chalk or masking tape. This should leave a chalk mark or the tape higher up on the wall.
What is vertical jump in basketball?
Your ability to grab rebounds, block shots, rise up for jump shots and throw the ball down with a thunderous dunk all depend on your leaping ability. Have you ever measured how high you can bounce?
How to jump on a wall with your fingers?
3. Mark your jumping reach. In the same way that you did in step 2, cover your finger with chalk or the masking tape.
What is a jump area?
Jump area – a good flat level surface, next to a clear wall, in an area with a high ceiling or no ceiling.
Why do you want to see how high you can get off the ground?
Probably the most important reason to record it, is that you may be training and trying to increase your athletic abilities, one of which is your vertical jump. ...
How to calculate vertical jump?
Count the number of pegs you moved during your jumping. Each peg represents a 1/2 inch of a jump. So if you moved 15 pegs, for example, multiply 15 by 1/2. Add the result (7.5) to the initial 10-inch difference between your reach and the bottom peg, and you get 17.5 inches. This is your vertical jump.
How to find your vertical jump?
Subtract your standing height from your highest jump. This number is your vertical jump.
What is a vertec machine?
The vertec is a vertical jump machine that provides an easy and accurate system for measuring a vertical jump , and is a common choice for many sports organizations, including the National Football League (NFL).
What muscles do you need to jump vertically?
Vertical jumping requires powerful contraction and extension of all the leg muscles and the back muscles.
Which stick is used to hold pegs facing outward?
Even all of the pegs facing outward away from the vertec using the vertex stick.
How to measure reach?
Measure your reach using a tape measure against a wall. Try to reach as high as possible to eliminate any inaccuracy between reach and vertical jumping ability.
How to mark vertec?
If you have your own vertec, you may want to mark each peg with a number for easy calculation. Begin at the bottom with 10 and add a half to each peg. Use athletic tape to make a mark 10 inches below the bottom peg.
Why do you use two different jump measurements?
The reason that two different jump measurements are used is to give scouts the ability to rate big men and the small guys. For big men, the standing vertical is a way to gauge how high they can go up for rebounds.
How to measure vertical leap?
There are many ways you can measure your vertical leap but for this we’ll use the simplest way so you can do it anywhere. Look for a wall that has a high ceiling that’s higher than what you can reach at your peak jump. Stand against the wall with the side you can reach higher with.
How to calculate standstill height?
Subtract the height of your highest jump by your standstill reach. This is your standstill vertical jump height.
How to jump from standstill?
Next, position yourself so that you’re ready to jump. You’ll be jumping from a standstill, so you can’t take extra steps. Just bend your knees, jump as high as you can and make a mark on the wall. Do this standstill jump 2 more times for a total of 3 jumps. Usually 3 jumps are used though some tests use 5 jumps.
What is standstill vertical?
The Standstill Vertical. The standstill vertical is the same as what we’ve explained above where you don’t get to take any steps when you jump. Instead of a wall, they use an equipment called the Vertec vertical jump device. The device makes it easier for the draft combine administrators to measure the jumps.
What test is used in the NFL draft?
The NFL draft combine also uses the vertical jump test to measure the athleticism of its prospects.
Why is jumping high important in sports?
That’s because how high you are able to jump makes a big difference in athletics specially if you’re playing sports like basketball or volleyball where being able to rise above your opponents gives you an advantage.
How To Measure Vertical Jump, When You Are Home
Now lets provide the really simple and beginner friendly way to measure your vertical jump, but as mentioned, you don’t need any fancy stuff.
Measurement and Estimation
Take out the tape measure and use it to get the distance connecting your standing reach and vertical jump reach.
How to Measure Vertical Jump – NBA Draft Combine
This is something really popular realted to the more professional bsketball players and their skills to jump.
How to Measure Vertical Jump – NFL Combine
On the other hand NFL utilizies that test to estimate how athletic as a player you are.
How Does My Jump Height Performs According To Others ?
If, we haven’t mentioned there are a lot of ways to check how high your jump is. You can see around the internet the average jump heights based on some factors and you will get the chance to see how well your performing related to others.
How Can I Increase My Vertical Leap?
Now, you are familiar with the calculations and measurmets and you know how you are doing according to other players.
How to Measure Vertical Jumps – It Is Critical For You As An Athlete
As already mentioned your vertical jump is sign of your general athlete level.
How to measure vertical jump height?
Method 1: Using a Tape Measure. Take out the tape measure and use it to get the distance between your standing reach and vertical jump reach. The distance between the 2 points is your vertical jump height in inches. You may need a small ladder to step on to do this.
What is vertical jumping?
Vertical jumping ability is a measurement of leg power. More specifically, it tells coaches and scouts how much lower body power and explosiveness you have. So how to measure vertical jump?
How Can I Increase My Vertical Leap?
So now we know our measurement and we know how we compare with other athletes.
Why is vertical jump important?
Vertical jump is a measure of overall athleticism. That’s because your body needs to perform as a single unit to jump high. In one part of the chain is weak, you won’t be able to explode, produce upward distance to produce enough power. While not all sports require jumping, those ...
What is the mark you leave when you jump?
At the top of your jump, reach as high up as you can and touch the all. The mark you leave when jumping is your vertical jump reach (highest point you can reach with jump).
Who has the highest vertical in the NBA?
The highest standing vertical that has been recorded to date in the NBA draft combine has been 40 inches by D.J. Stephens.
What test is used in the NBA Draft Combine?
The more flags you can reach the higher the jump height. As far as testing goes, the NBA draft combine uses 2 different tests, these are: Standing or No Step Vertical – this is the same as what is described above, except they use the Vertec device instead of touching the wall.
How to measure jump height?
By applying simple physics, Jump Height is quantified by recording the Flight Time of a jump when the athlete is off the mat.
Who developed the vertical jump test?
Vertical Jump – Testing History. In the 1980’s, an Italian researcher named Carmelo Bosco began his career studying muscular mechanics and the effects of pre-stretching on force production. He subsequently developed a series of performance tests, predominantly based around the vertical jump. These are now referred to as ...
What did Bosco use to jump?
Of course, Bosco understood that there is more to vertical jump than height or maximal reach. What he need was ‘contact time’ and hence his use of a ‘contact or jump mat’
Why do jump mats have a constant height?
Note: Some Jump Mat products add a constant to their calculated Jump Height to compensate for shoulder rotation and give a number closer to what a Vertec might deliver.
What is the most common device for measuring vertical reach?
The Vertec is perhaps the most common device for measuring vertical reach. As can be seen from the Bosco methods above, it actually measures a different metric – that being ‘ultimate reach’. Adopted widely in the US, probably because of the prolific nature of Basketball and Football, where athletes need to grab or catch a ball overhead, it gives the ability to reach for that target well above the head.
What is a single jump squat?
Squat Jump (single jump) Athlete starts from a position where knees are bent at 90 degrees. Hands remain on hips through the entire jump (these graphics shows arms up at 90 degrees, which is not ideal) Athlete moves upwards, accelerating and rapidly extends his or her legs.
Why do athletes use drop tests?
Many research papers offer the suggestion that Drop tests and multiple Counter Movement Jump tests can give an indication of general athlete fatigue or overtraining. Some elite teams use such a test on a daily basis to monitor this aspect of their athletes’ training and performance load to avoid over training.

Why Measure Your Vertical Jump
Measuring Your Vertical Jump
- If you have access to a vertical jump tester or are able to purchase one, that’s great news! You will be able to take measurements with that. Testers are nice, but they can be quite expensive and it is nice to be able to check your progress at home. There’s a relatively simple way that you can do this and it doesn’t require any fancy equipment. Let...
Explanation of Measurement
- Since we are measuring how high we can get off the ground, you may be wondering why we are using our fingers instead of our feet. It really does not matter. You could, in theory, use your feet but it will be very difficult. First of all, it would be hard to mark and measure it unless we were able to take a picture at the exact high point. Second, when you jump, you probably do not keep your f…
Final Words
- Hopefully using the method above helps you to accurately check and record your vertical leap. By doing this you can compare to others and keep track of your own abilities. This one simple measurement, you can vastly improve your basketball skills Do you know any other easy ways to measure your jumping ability? We’d love to hear from you, so please leave your comments.