Vertical Jump – Calculating True Jump Height

In a biomechanical review, performance measurements can be gathered in a variety of different ways. Furthermore, different technologies can utilize different predictions to convert indirect measurements into direct predictors. In some cases it can be very strong, in others it can be misleading or even cheated. DARI offers solutions that can not be cheated.

During a vertical jump, often times jump height is a desired measurement for outcomes. This is a performance metric a variety of professionals would use in their understanding of this movement. If you use a force plate as your technology of choice, you will not directly measure jump height. You will have to predict it in different ways. One of those ways would be “flight time”. The time spent in the air can be converted to predict your jump height.

Knowing this is the direct measure, you find athletes (or people being tested) will artificially hike their legs (tuck) and allow their body to appear in flight longer than it would have during natural movement. This technique is an artificial way for the person being tested to improve their reported jump height.

These are ways to game the system to improve your performance.

With DARI, this is not possible. Collecting and analysing both kinematics and kinetics at the same time, DARI can utilize the best data for the analysis. In this situation, DARI measures jump height by the displacement of their center of mass (COM) based off their standing height. Removing all possible error measurements during vertical jump testing.

No need to coordinated arm swing
No need for subjects to tuck their legs.
No need for measurement set up for baseline jump start height.

Natural movement with no cheating.

To find out more about DARI data regarding jumping please feel free to reach out:
info@DARImotion.com