Vertical Jump Calculator
Your vertical jump height from standing reach and jump reach, or from flight time (h = g t² ÷ 8), in cm and inches, with an optional peak power estimate by the Sayers equation.
Result…
How it's calculated
From reach: h = jump reach − standing reach From flight time: h = g × t² ÷ 8 (g = 9.80665 m/s²) Take-off speed = √(2 × g × h) Sayers peak power (W) = 60.7 × h (cm) + 45.3 × body mass (kg) − 2055 1 in = 2.54 cm; 1 lb = 0.45359237 kg
A vertical jump test measures how high you can raise your body from a standing start. The classic method is the jump-and-reach (Sargent) test: mark your standing reach on a wall, jump and touch as high as you can, and the gap is your jump height. Jump mats and phone apps instead time how long you are in the air; because a body in free flight rises for half that time and falls for the other half, the height is g × t² ÷ 8. Jump height and body mass together give an estimate of peak leg power. Sayers and colleagues (1999) fitted the equation used here on 108 college-age athletes and non-athletes jumping on a force plate.
Your numbers, step by step
About the Vertical Jump calculator
This vertical jump calculator works out your jump height in centimetres and inches in one of two ways. With the jump-and-reach test it is simply jump reach minus standing reach. With a jump mat, force plate or phone app that times you in the air, it uses h = g × t² ÷ 8, because a body in free flight rises for half the flight time and falls for the other half. It also gives your take-off speed and, if you enter body mass, an estimate of peak leg power from the equation in Sayers and colleagues' 1999 study: peak power (W) = 60.7 × jump height (cm) + 45.3 × body mass (kg) − 2055. Athletes, coaches and PE teachers use it to track explosive strength between tests. The steps show each subtraction, square root and conversion with your numbers.
How to use it
- Choose how you measured under “Measure from”: “Standing and jump reach” or “Flight time”.
- Pick the “Length unit”, cm or inches, and enter your “Standing reach” and best “Jump reach”, or the “Flight time” in milliseconds.
- Leave “Estimate peak power” on “Yes” and enter your “Body mass” in kg or lb for the Sayers estimate, or switch it off.
- Read the jump height in both units, the take-off speed, and the peak power in watts and watts per kg.
Worked example
An athlete has a standing reach of 228 cm and touches 280 cm at the top of the jump, so the jump is 280 − 228 = 52 cm (20.5 in). That needs a take-off speed of √(2 × 9.80665 × 0.52) = 3.19 m/s and about 651 ms in the air. At 80 kg body mass, Sayers peak power = 60.7 × 52 + 45.3 × 80 − 2055 = 4725 W, or 59.1 W per kg. With a jump mat instead, a flight time of 560 ms gives 9.80665 × 0.56² ÷ 8 = 0.384 m, which is 38.4 cm or 15.1 in.
Updated
Questions people ask
How do I measure my vertical jump at home?
Stand side-on to a wall, reach up with one arm and mark the highest point with your fingertips. Then jump from a standstill and touch as high as you can. The gap between the two marks is your jump height; take the best of three.
What is the formula for jump height from flight time?
h = g × t² ÷ 8, with g = 9.80665 m/s² and t in seconds. A flight time of 0.5 s gives 9.80665 × 0.25 ÷ 8 = 0.306 m, about 30.6 cm.
Why does my jump mat read higher than my wall test?
The flight-time method assumes you land in the same body position you took off in. Tucking your legs or landing with bent knees keeps you in the air longer and inflates the height. The two methods also measure slightly different things, so compare results only within the same method.
How accurate is the Sayers peak power equation?
The study reports a standard error of estimate of 355 W, and it was fitted on squat jumps by college-age men and women. Treat the watts as a rough estimate; for very small jumps or light bodies the equation can give zero or less, and the calculator then says it is out of range.
What are the limits of a vertical jump result?
Jump height depends on warm-up, footwear, arm swing and fatigue, so test the same way each time. Power from jump height is an estimate, not a force-plate measurement. If you have joint pain or an injury, check with a physiotherapist or doctor before testing. To compare strength by body weight, see the power-to-weight calculator.