Want to know how high you jump? Upload a video and find out

All you need to know how high you jump is a 2-second video: upload it to the free JHP test, mark the moment you leave the ground and the moment you land, and you get your jump height in centimeters, calculated from flight time. No gear beyond the phone already in your hand, and the video never leaves your device.

How the test works, step by step

1. Film your jump. Two seconds is plenty.
2. Upload it on the vertical jump test page.
3. Mark the frame where your feet leave the ground and the one where they touch down again.
4. You get the result in centimeters.

You don't need to be good with tech. You just need a clean recording of the jump, and below I explain what that means.

Where the number comes from: flight time

The test doesn't "see" how high you went. It measures how long you stayed in the air.

It's basic physics. If you take off and land in the same spot, the height your center of mass reaches depends only on flight time, following h = g × t² / 8, where g is gravitational acceleration and t is the total time in the air.

It's the same principle contact mats use in testing labs: what changes is the tool you use to detect takeoff and landing, not the math.

What that means for you

Two practical consequences, and you should know them before you treat the number as gospel:

• You have to land the way you took off. If you land with your knees much more bent than at takeoff, you stay in the air a bit longer and the number comes out inflated.
• Accuracy depends on frames. The higher the frame rate, the more precisely you can mark takeoff and landing. A recent phone is more than enough.

How to film the video so the number means something

• Side view, phone completely still (prop it up, don't hold it) and feet always in frame.
• Good light. In dim light the phone stretches exposure times and the frames go blurry exactly where you need them sharp.
• Hard surface. Hardwood or concrete, not carpet or mats: they soak up the push and change the result.
• Same shoes, same spot, same time of day every time you retest. Conditions matter as much as the jump.
• Always the same kind of jump. If the first time you did a standing countermovement jump, do the same one later: comparing a standing jump to one with an approach makes no sense.

One last detail, obvious but decisive: test when you're fresh. A test at the end of a session doesn't tell you how high you jump, it tells you how tired you are.

Measure first, train, then measure again

The number on its own is worth little. It's worth something as a starting point.

The method is always the same, and it doesn't change from beginner to pro:

1. Measure today, under standard conditions, and write the number down.
2. Train with a program that has a set length, without changing it every two weeks.
3. Measure again at the end, under the exact same conditions.

Only comparing step one and step three tells you whether what you're doing works. Without the "before", the "after" is just a feeling.

One practical tip: don't retest every week. Your jump swings with fatigue, sleep and training load. Leaving a few weeks between tests makes the difference far easier to read.

Who it's for

For volleyball, beach volleyball and basketball players, where spiking, blocking, jump serving and shooting all depend on how high you get. But also for anyone who just trains and wants hard data instead of the feeling that "I think I'm jumping higher".

If you coach a team, it's also a fast way to get everyone's number with no contact mats and no budget: one video each, same protocol for all.

After the test: the JHP programs

Once you have your number, the question becomes what to do to raise it. These are the JHP programs, all with a set length:

• Jump Higher Program — 10 weeks of bodyweight jump training, no equipment. €60.
• JHP Gym Edition — 16 weeks in the weight room on maximal strength and power. €60.
• JHP Vertical Upgrade — 36 sessions across 12 weeks. €67.
• Jumping Monster — 14 days of intensive plyometrics, 116 exercises. €40.
• JHP Team Performance — 4 weeks built for teams and coaches. €50.

With the JHP subscription you get 13 programs and WhatsApp support for €99/year, cancel whenever you want. Everything else is in the JHP courses collection.

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