The Best Vertical Leaps

Vertical jumping is often used as a fitness test to demonstrate leg power in athletics and other sports. Such tests are generally conducted with the performer standing against a wall or a device to measure jumping height. Basketball players, volleyball players and American football players are known for their impressive vertical leaping abilities, and, indeed, it is athletes from these disciplines who have performed some of the best vertical leaps in modern history.

  1. Record Vertical Leaps

    • Kadour Ziani from Slamnation holds the world record for the highest vertical leap, at 61 inches, although other reports suggest his best leap was closer to 56 inches. This is more than twice as high as the average NBA vertical leap, of 28 inches. Reggie Thomson of Jumpsoles holds the second position with a leap of 56 inches, and Michael Wilson of the Harlem Globetrotters recorded the third-best vertical leap, of 51 inches.

    Best Vertical Leaps in the NBA

    • Basketball players are known for their impressive vertical jumps, especially when throwing down a slam dunk or rejecting a shot. With vertical leaps of 48 inches, Michael Jordan and Darrell Griffith share the record for the best-ever vertical jump in the NBA. The diminutive Spud Webb has the third-highest leap, of 46 inches, and Dee Brown and Harold Miner both managed a vertical leap of 44 inches.

    Best Vertical Leaps in the NFL

    • American football players often accomplish high vertical leaps when they jump to catch the football during a play. Wide receiver Randy Moss recorded the NFL's best-ever vertical leap, of 51 inches; free safety Gerald Sensabaugh had the best vertical leap ever measured at the NFL Combine, when he got 46 inches of air in 2005. Defensive lineman Jevon Kearse, weighing in at an imposing 265 pounds, had one of the best vertical leaps for a man that size; it measured 40 inches.

    Best Vertical Leaps in Volleyball

    • Volleyball is all about leaping, whether it be dashing to the far corner to prevent the ball from touching down or leaping straight up to spike a cheeky high ball. Leonel Marshall, an ace of the Men's Cuban National Volleyball team, reportedly once sprang 50 inches into the air from a standing position. Max Tuioti-Mariner (the father of University of Colorado offensive lineman Max Tuioti-Mariner Jr.) is said to have recorded a 45-inch vertical jump during the South Pacific Games.

    Best Vertical Leaps in Athletics

    • Bryan Clay, the renowned U.S. decathlete, achieved a vertical jump of 43.5 inches during a SPARQ testing exercise. He also achieved a height of 42.3 inches with a one-step vertical jump. Australian Olympic 400-meter sprinter Sean Wroe soared 33.5 inches during his vertical jump test.