How High Do You Need to Jump to Dunk? The Numbers in Centimetres
Every dunk figure in metric: the 305 cm rim, the 320 cm one-hand target, and the vertical you need at 165, 170, 175, 180, 185 and 190 cm of height.
Basketball's measurements were set in feet and inches, which makes every dunk guide awkward if you think in centimetres. Here is the whole thing converted properly, with no rounding sleight of hand.
The calculator itself runs in metric — set the Units field to centimetres and every input and output switches over.
The reference numbers
| Landmark | Imperial | Metric |
|---|---|---|
| Regulation rim | 10 ft / 120" | 305 cm |
| Bottom of the backboard | 9 ft / 108" | 274 cm |
| One-hand dunk target | 126" | 320 cm |
| Two-hand dunk target | 129" | 328 cm |
| One-hand rim clearance | 6" | 15 cm |
| Two-hand rim clearance | 9" | 23 cm |
| Running approach bonus | ~4" | ~10 cm |
The formula is unchanged, just in different units:
Required Vertical (cm) = (Rim Height + Clearance) − Standing Reach
= 320 cm − your standing reach in cm
Vertical needed by height in cm
Standing vertical for a one-hand dunk on a 305 cm rim, with standing reach estimated at height × 1.33:
| Height | Est. Standing Reach | Standing Vertical | With Running Approach |
|---|---|---|---|
| 165 cm (5'5") | 219 cm | 100.6 cm | 90.4 cm |
| 170 cm (5'7") | 226 cm | 93.9 cm | 83.7 cm |
| 175 cm (5'9") | 233 cm | 87.3 cm | 77.1 cm |
| 180 cm (5'11") | 239 cm | 80.6 cm | 70.4 cm |
| 185 cm (6'1") | 246 cm | 74.0 cm | 63.8 cm |
| 190 cm (6'3") | 253 cm | 67.3 cm | 57.1 cm |
| 195 cm (6'5") | 259 cm | 60.7 cm | 50.5 cm |
For reference, an average untrained adult jumps around 50 cm, and a typical NBA standing vertical is about 71 cm.
Useful conversions
- 1 inch = 2.54 cm
- 1 foot = 30.48 cm
- A 30-inch vertical = 76 cm
- A 40-inch vertical = 102 cm
- A 60 cm vertical = 23.6 inches
- A 90 cm vertical = 35.4 inches
If someone tells you they have a "40-inch vert," that is 102 cm — genuinely elite, and much rarer than the internet suggests.
Where the estimate goes wrong
The height × 1.33 reach ratio is a population average, and real standing reaches scatter around it by 5–10 cm in either direction. At 180 cm, a 5 cm error in your assumed reach moves your required vertical by the same 5 cm — which is often the difference between "close" and "not close."
So measure your reach against a wall in socks, in centimetres, and feed the real number in. Run your numbers in metric and you will get your required vertical, your dunk gap, and how far you are from touching the rim and backboard — all in centimetres.
Ready to run the numbers?
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