Stand with your dominant side against the wall for a more natural jump and reach.
Write down your maximum reach measurement before you move into your jumps.
Remember to land safely on both feet to avoid injury. Try to position yourself so that your jump mark is directly above your reach mark. [5] X Research source
Remember to reapply tape or chalk to your finger and mark the wall each time you jump. Limit yourself to a handful of jumps. Otherwise, fatigue sets in and your measurements will continue getting lower. [7] X Research source
You now have 3 helpful measurements—your standing reach, your jump reach, and your vertical jump. If you only need your vertical jump and not your standing or jump reach, just measure the distance between your reach mark and best jump mark. Some people prefer to record the average of all their jumps instead of their best jump. [9] X Research source
A jump of 20–24 inches (51–60 cm) for men or 16–20 inches (41–50 cm) for women is considered an above average vertical jump. [12] X Research source Anything over 28 inches (70 cm) for men or 24 inches (60 cm) for women is considered excellent.
The vanes are the plastic flags or pegs at the top of the Vertec. They’re spaced out in 0. 5 in (1. 3 cm) increments. Consider placing weights around the base of your Vertec to stabilize it during your jumps. Most Vertecs or similar measuring equipment extend up to 12 feet (3. 7 m) tall.
Afterward, use your pole to move the vanes underneath your standing reach toward the inside of the Vertec to get them out of the way. Alternatively, raise the height of the vanes so that the lowest one is just barely above your middle finger tip when you raise your arm. [15] X Research source If preferred, measure your standing reach against a wall and subtract this measurement from your jump reach later.
This also ensures your reach goes straight up instead of having to reach forward slightly.
Make sure not to take any steps or get a running start before your jump. This leads to inaccurate measurements. Land safely on both feet to prevent injury.
Rest 1 minute between jumps to avoid fatigue.
Divide the number of vanes by 2 to get your vertical jump in inches. Most Vertecs measure in inches, but there may be some that use centimeter increments.
Jumps ranging 20–24 inches (51–60 cm) for men or 16–20 inches (41–50 cm) for women are above average. [22] X Research source Jumps over 28 inches (70 cm) for men or 24 inches (60 cm) for women are considered excellent.
