Quick answer
Vertical jump = jump touch height − standing reach. A standing reach of 230 cm and a touch at 290 cm is a 60 cm vertical jump. With body mass, the Sayers formula estimates peak power: 60.7 × jump (cm) + 45.3 × mass (kg) − 2,055 W.
Enter standing reach and jump touch height, and optionally body mass. The calculator returns the jump height and peak power.
Related tools: Pace Calculator: Pace and speed from a distance and a time. One Rep Max Calculator: Estimate your one-repetition maximum from a heavier set. Lean Body Mass Calculator: Estimate lean body mass with the Boer formula.
How to use the Vertical Jump Calculator
- Enter standing reach (cm) (above 0).
- Enter jump touch height (cm) (above 0).
- Optionally, enter body mass (kg, optional) (above 0).
- Press Calculate to see the result, and use Reset to start again.
| Input | What to enter | Allowed values |
|---|---|---|
| Standing reach (cm) | A number | > 0 |
| Jump touch height (cm) | A number | > 0 |
| Body mass (kg, optional) (optional) | A number | > 0 |
Formula and method
Formula
jump = touch height − standing reach; Sayers peak power (W) = 60.7 × jump (cm) + 45.3 × mass (kg) − 2055
IEEE-754 double precision; shown to the decimals indicated.
Peak power is shown when you enter body mass. Informational estimate, not medical advice. Talk to a qualified health professional about your own situation.
Worked examples
These examples are verified: each one is an automated test case that the live calculator must reproduce exactly.
Example 1
Inputs: Standing reach (cm) = 230; Jump touch height (cm) = 290.
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Vertical jump | 60 cm |
| Peak power (Sayers) | — |
Example 2
Inputs: Standing reach (cm) = 225; Jump touch height (cm) = 280; Body mass (kg, optional) = 75.
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Vertical jump | 55 cm |
| Peak power (Sayers) | 4,681 W |
The first line is the headline result (vertical jump). Below it the vertical Jump Calculator lists peak power (Sayers), which describe the same case from other angles. IEEE-754 double precision; shown to the decimals indicated.
Measuring correctly
Stand side-on to a wall, reach up flat-footed and mark your highest reach, then jump and touch as high as you can. The difference is your vertical. Take the best of several attempts.
Benchmarks
Average adults jump 40 to 50 cm; trained athletes exceed 60 cm, and elite basketball players 90 cm or more. Peak power estimates are rough and depend on body mass. The touch must exceed the reach.
How the result changes with jump touch height
Holding every other input at the first worked example, this table changes only jump touch height. It shows how sensitive the answer is to that one value; each row was produced by running this calculator.
| Jump touch height | Vertical jump | Peak power (Sayers) |
|---|---|---|
| 290 | 60 cm | — |
| 580 | 350 cm | — |
| 1160 | 930 cm | — |
What happens with invalid input
These messages are produced by the calculator itself, so you know what to fix.
- Jump touch height (cm): entering "220" shows "Jump touch height must be above your standing reach." beside that field and no result.
- Standing reach (cm): entering "0" shows "Standing reach (cm) must be greater than 0." beside that field and no result.
Choosing between the Vertical Jump Calculator and similar calculators
Each row shows what a related calculator on this site asks for and what it returns, so you can pick the one that matches your question.
| Calculator | You enter | It returns |
|---|---|---|
| [Pace Calculator](/fitness/pace-calculator/) | distance and distance unit | Pace per km |
| [One Rep Max Calculator](/fitness/one-rep-max-calculator/) | weight lifted and repetitions | Estimated 1RM (Epley) |
| [Lean Body Mass Calculator](/fitness/lean-body-mass-calculator/) | units, sex and weight | Lean body mass |
| [Rise Over Run Calculator](/fitness/rise-over-run-calculator/) | rise and run | Slope (rise ÷ run) |
| [Winning Percentage Calculator](/fitness/winning-percentage/) | wins, losses and ties count as | Winning percentage |
Background: fitness estimates
Fitness formulas are estimates whose accuracy depends on the input. One-rep-max formulas such as Epley and Brzycki give different answers, and predictions from hard sets of a few repetitions are better than from sets of ten or more. Age-based maximum heart rate formulas can be off by 10 to 30 beats a minute for an individual; Tanaka's 208 − 0.7 × age is generally preferred to 220 − age but is still an estimate.
Pace models built from a race result assume a maximal effort and work best for distances from about 5 km to the marathon. Use the output as a guide, not a prescription.
Assumptions and limitations
- Touch must exceed reach
- Not a diagnosis
Estimates from formulas describe averages. They are not a training or medical prescription; check with a qualified professional before changing your exercise or diet.
If a required value is empty, not a number, or outside its allowed range, the form marks that field with a message and shows no result instead of a misleading number. The automated checks deliberately try invalid entries for jump touch height (cm) and standing reach (cm) to confirm this.
Frequently asked questions
How can I improve my vertical?
Strength training, plyometrics and technique.
Is it the same as standing and reach?
Reach is measured flat-footed.
What is a good vertical jump?
Above 60 cm is strong.
What does the Vertical Jump Calculator calculate?
Vertical jump height from standing reach and jump-touch height. It returns Vertical jump and Peak power (Sayers).
What formula does the Vertical Jump Calculator use?
jump = touch height − standing reach; Sayers peak power (W) = 60.7 × jump (cm) + 45.3 × mass (kg) − 2055. Peak power is shown when you enter body mass.
What do I need to enter in the vertical Jump Calculator?
You enter Standing reach (cm) and Jump touch height (cm). Optional: Body mass (kg, optional).
How is the result rounded or limited?
IEEE-754 double precision; shown to the decimals indicated. Touch must exceed reach.
What are the limits of this calculator?
Touch must exceed reach. Not a diagnosis.
What is an example of a vertical Jump result?
With standing reach (cm) 230 and jump touch height (cm) 290, the vertical jump is 60 cm.
Where does the method come from?
The method follows: Sayers SP et al., Cross-validation of three jump power equations, Med Sci Sports Exerc 1999;31:572.
Can I rely on this calculator for a decision?
Estimates from formulas describe averages. They are not a training or medical prescription; check with a qualified professional before changing your exercise or diet. For this calculator in particular: Touch must exceed reach.
Related calculators
- Pace Calculator — Pace and speed from a distance and a time.
- One Rep Max Calculator — Estimate your one-repetition maximum from a heavier set.
- Lean Body Mass Calculator — Estimate lean body mass with the Boer formula.
- Rise Over Run Calculator — Slope, grade and angle from rise and run.
- Winning Percentage Calculator — Winning percentage from wins, losses and ties.
- Golf Handicap Calculator — World Handicap System index from your recent scores.
Sources
- Sayers SP et al., Cross-validation of three jump power equations, Med Sci Sports Exerc 1999;31:572
Content last reviewed 2026-11-04. Formulas and worked examples are checked by automated tests against independently computed values.