Dunk Calculator
Vertical Jump

Vertical Jump Calculator

Work out your vertical from the highest point you can touch, see how it scores against real benchmarks, and find out exactly what it unlocks — net, backboard, rim, or dunk.

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Metric: fill in Height (cm) and enter every other length in cm

ft

Imperial only — whole numbers (4–9)

in
cm

Metric only — use this instead of feet and inches

in / cm

How high you touch flat-footed. Leave blank to estimate from height

in / cm

Optional: sharpens the reach estimate when standing reach is unknown

in / cm

Optional: your best jump-touch, run-up included — we derive your vertical from it

Optional: pick what you can reach at a hoop and we work the height out for you

ft / cm

Feet in imperial (10 = regulation), centimetres in metric (305)

in / cm

Leave blank to see only what's needed

Optional — select your unit (lb or kg) in the field below

Unit for the body weight entered above

How to measure your vertical jump

Your vertical jump is one subtraction: the highest point you can touch on a jump, minus the highest point you can touch standing flat-footed. Everything else — hang time, takeoff velocity, whether you can dunk — falls out of those two measurements.

Stand side-on to a wall in bare feet or thin socks, press your shoulder up, and mark the highest point your fingertips reach. That is your standing reach. Then jump and mark the wall at the top of your jump, taking three attempts and keeping the best one. The difference between the two marks is your vertical.

Measure both marks the same way every time. Shoes add an inch or two, a run-up adds three to five more, and a reach measured with a lazy shoulder can be off by two inches on its own — enough to move you a whole tier. If you only ever compare against yourself, consistency matters more than absolute accuracy.

Working out your vertical without a jump mat

You do not need equipment. If you know a fixed height you can touch — the rim at 120 inches, the bottom of the backboard at 108, the top of the net — the calculator above runs the subtraction backwards for you. Enter that touch height and your standing reach, and it returns your vertical.

A measured touch is usually the most honest number you can get, because it already contains your real jump and whatever approach you took. That is why no run-up bonus is added on top of it: the bonus is already in the measurement.

Standing vertical versus running vertical

A standing vertical is a flat-footed jump from a standstill. A running vertical uses a one- to three-step approach, which converts horizontal speed into lift through the final plant step and typically adds three to five inches.

Both numbers are real, they just answer different questions. Combine testing reports a standing vertical because it isolates raw explosiveness. Whether you can dunk in a game is a running-vertical question, because nobody dunks from a standstill if they have a choice. When someone quotes a vertical without saying which one it is, assume the larger, more flattering number.

What your vertical jump actually unlocks

Benchmarks for adult men, with milestones worked for a 6'0" player with an average 95.8" standing reach on a regulation 10-foot rim. A longer reach shifts every milestone down; a shorter one shifts it up. Run your own reach through the calculator above for your version of this table.
VerticalTierWhat it unlocks at 6'0"
12–18"BeginnerTouch the net. The backboard arrives at 12.2".
19–25"IntermediateTouch the backboard, then the rim itself at 24.2".
26–32"AdvancedHang on the rim. A one-hand dunk opens up at 30.2".
33–40"EliteTwo-hand dunks from 33.2". Windmills become plausible.
41"+ProSlam dunk contest territory — roughly Spud Webb's 46".

Vertical jump questions, answered

The numbers people ask for most, using benchmarks for adult men. Your own standing reach decides what any given vertical is worth — run it through the calculator above.

What is a good vertical jump?

For an adult man, anything above 24 inches is above average, 28 inches is roughly the NBA average, and 32 inches or more puts you in the top few percent of recreational athletes.

  • Context matters more than the raw number: a 28" vertical on a 6'4" frame dunks comfortably, while the same 28" at 5'8" does not reach the rim.
  • For women, the equivalent bands sit roughly six to eight inches lower.
  • Untrained adults typically test between 14 and 20 inches, which is why a first training block often produces the fastest gains you will ever see.

What is the average vertical jump?

Untrained adult men average roughly 16 to 20 inches, trained recreational athletes land in the low-to-mid 20s, and NBA players average about 28 inches standing and closer to 35 inches with a running approach.

  • The NBA Combine measures both a standing vertical and a max running vertical, which is why two very different figures get quoted for the same players.
  • Averages are a weak guide for dunking, because standing reach varies far more between people than vertical does.

How do I calculate my vertical from my touch height?

Subtract your standing reach from the highest point you can touch on a jump — if you touch the 120-inch rim and your standing reach is 92 inches, your vertical is 28 inches.

  • Enter the touch height in the "Highest Point You Can Touch" field above and the calculator does this for you.
  • Because a measured touch already includes your run-up, no approach bonus is added on top of it.
  • Useful reference heights: rim 120", bottom of the backboard 108", top of a regulation backboard 150".

How much can I add to my vertical jump?

Most untrained adults add 10 to 15 inches over three to six months of structured training, and progress slows sharply after that.

  • The first gains come from strength — squats and deadlifts — because you cannot express power you have not built.
  • Plyometrics such as depth jumps and bounds convert that strength into fast force, which is what a jump actually is.
  • Technique is the cheapest inch available: a full arm swing and a proper plant step are worth two to four inches on their own.

Frequently asked questions

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