How to Calculate Standing Reach

Your standing reach is the simple combination of your height plus the length of your arms. It is often used in sports statistics to help outline an athlete's natural talents and attributes. The standing reach is very rarely used on its own as it is often combined with, and used to calculate, a person's maximum vertical jump height. These are very important statistics in sports or positions where height and jumping ability are prized, such as basketball or football receivers. Your standing reach is very easy to calculate and is the first step to determining your vertical jump.

Things You'll Need

  • Chalk
  • Pencil
  • Magic marker
  • Double-sided tape
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Instructions

    • 1

      Remove your shoes. You should be barefoot without any additional height added to determine your natural standing reach. Certain shoes and other footwear can add up to an inch to your standing reach, skewing the results.

    • 2

      Stand with your chest or back against a blank wall. You need to be pressed against the wall as flat as you can be. Do not stand on your toes; rather you should be standing with your feet completely flat.

    • 3

      Reach up straight over your head as high as you can. Keep your arms straight and have your feet absolutely flat and together. Make sure you are still pressing against the wall as flat as you can.

    • 4

      Have a friend mark the position on the wall where your longest fingers reach. They will need to stand on a chair or stool to do this. Do not stand on anything that can shift or roll easily. Have them use a pencil, chalk or some other means of making a temporary mark.

    • 5

      If you do not have anybody to assist you with the measurement, hold a piece of chalk, or other means of marking, with the tips of your fingers when you stretch up. Use the chalk to mark approximately where your fingers reach. This is easier to do if you are facing the wall with your chest pressed flat. You can also use a piece of double-sided tape stuck to the tip of your finger to make the mark.

    • 6

      Use a measuring tape and measure from the floor directly up to the mark made on the wall. This number is your standing reach.