Vertical Jump Calculator

At the peak of a vertical jump your upward velocity is zero, and the climb takes the same time as the fall. Hang time t is symmetric, so t = 2 * v0 / g and h = v0^2 / (2g), which combine into h = g * t^2 / 8 with g = 9.81 m/s^2. A 0.5 second hang time works out to about 12 inches of vertical, a 0.65 second hang time to about 20 inches, and a 0.85 second hang time (NBA-level explosive jumper) to about 35 inches. The calculator runs that math in both inches and centimeters, and inverts it (t = 2 * sqrt(2h/g)) when you enter a jump reach instead.

Untrained adult men typically jump about 16 to 20 inches, and untrained adult women about 12 to 16 inches. Recreationally active adults usually hit the higher end of those bands. The calculator's skill rating uses those numbers as anchors: below 16 inches reads as below average, 16 to 20 as average, 20 to 24 as good, 24 to 28 as athletic, 28 to 34 as excellent, and 34 inches and up as elite. Age matters too, since vertical drops noticeably after about 30, which is why the optional age and sex inputs reshape the percentile estimate.

The NBA Draft Combine averages about 28 inches for the max vertical jump (running approach included) across all players measured. Standing vertical jumps average around 25 inches. Top performers each year reach 40 inches or more, with several outliers in the 42 to 46 inch range over the past 20 years. By position, guards typically jump highest because they are lighter, while centers can be 5 to 8 inches lower despite being far stronger in absolute power. The calculator notes the NBA context whenever your result falls in or above that range.

Evan Ungar set the Guinness World Record for highest standing vertical jump at 65 inches (165 cm) in 2024. He bettered an earlier mark of 63.5 inches and trained specifically for that one attempt rather than for in-game jumping. The record uses the Vertec-style reach difference protocol (standing reach versus jump reach), the same measurement the calculator's reach mode handles. NBA combine numbers are not directly comparable because they include a running approach and use slightly different measurement rigs.

The calculator uses a Sayers-style peak-power equation expressed in meters: P (watts) = 4.9 * sqrt(h_m) * weight_kg + 21.2 * h_m * weight_kg. Sports scientists use this kind of formula to estimate the explosive power produced during a countermovement jump, which correlates with sprint speed, change-of-direction ability, and overall lower-body explosiveness. Original Sayers et al. (1999) published a centimeter-based version, P = 60.7 * jump_cm + 45.3 * mass_kg - 2055, and the two forms produce comparable watt totals across the typical athletic range. Power is only reported when you enter a body weight.