How to Calculate Vertical Jump

There are a variety of ways to measure an athlete's speed and strength. Examples are the amount that can be bench-pressed, expressed in pounds, and the time it takes to sprint a specific distance. Vertical jump is a measurement that quantifies the jumping ability of an athlete. It is useful because a simple raw measurement of jumping height is inherently flawed by the height of the jumper, as taller athletes will of course have an advantage. The vertical jump calculation however, accounts for the different heights of athletes and expresses their jumping ability as an objective measurement.

Things You'll Need

  • Wall
  • Measuring tape
  • Chalk
  • Helper
  • Step stool
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Instructions

    • 1

      Have the athlete apply a generous amount of chalk to the fingertips on one of his hands. He or she should do this on the hand that they prefer to reach upward with when jumping.

    • 2

      Position the athlete right next to the wall, have them extend their arm and hand with the chalk up as high as possible, and touch the wall. The chalk will leave a mark that indicates the maximum height at which the athlete can reach when extended prior to jumping.

    • 3

      Measure and record this height from the floor. We will call this value "SH," short for standing height.

    • 4

      Apply more chalk to the fingertips of the athlete. Have the athlete jump as high as possible from the same position next to the wall, and touch the wall with his fingertips.

    • 5

      Measure and record the jump height from the floor also. We will call this value "JH," short for jumping height.

    • 6

      Subtract the value for SH from the value for JH to calculate the athlete's vertical jump. For example, to calculate the vertical jump of an athlete that had a standing reach of 78 inches and a jumping height of 109 inches, the equation would look as follows.

      JH - SH = Vertical jump
      109 - 78 = 31 inches