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Originally Posted by
Yngvi
The average I most commonly see for men is 18"
However, the test can be gamed.
When standing and reaching up for the initial mark, many athletes who pride themselves on a high vertical will slouch, bend their knees a little, flex the ankles and hips slightly, or fail to fully extend the arm and shoulder to its highest extended point. They also will attempt to get away with a little hop, one step or a drop step before the jump to increase their number.
In some studies, they even inexplicably will allow the athlete a running start to the standing vertical jump test.
All in all, the test looks like it can be gamed for about a 4" difference if the athlete sees it as important. or maybe a 6"-8" difference if the test personnel want to help the athlete game the test.
Claims of 46" are highly unrealistic, even for Micheal Jordan; The best I have seen ever recorded in a semi-reliable way is just over 41"
I may decide to risk injury to myself by unnecessarily doing a test, but I would recommend against it for everyone else who is not actively competing in athletics.
On the other hand, maybe the main reason we are all here is just to figure out how high Rip's vertical jump is at 64.