Find the vertical jump you need to dunk, based on your height and standing reach — free and instant.
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Dunking comes down to one number: can your standing reach plus your vertical jump clear the rim, with enough margin to control the ball? This dunk calculator estimates the vertical jump you need based on your height, reach, and the rim you're dunking on.
The math is straightforward: standing reach + vertical jump ≥ rim height + clearance. Your standing reach is how high your fingertips reach with your feet flat and arm extended overhead. A small clearance margin (we use about 6 inches) accounts for actually controlling the ball above the rim rather than just barely touching it.
A regulation basketball hoop sits at 10 feet (120 inches). Youth and some recreational hoops are lower — commonly 9 feet (108 in) or 8 feet (96 in) — which is why this calculator lets you choose the rim height you're actually playing on.
Vertical jump is trainable. The biggest gains usually come from a mix of these approaches, done consistently over months rather than weeks:
A 28–30 inch vertical jump is a strong recreational-athlete benchmark. Most adult male dunkers land somewhere around a 24–30 inch vertical combined with a reach a few inches above their fingertip-to-floor height when standing. Shorter players generally need a proportionally bigger vertical to compensate for a shorter standing reach.
It depends heavily on your standing reach, not just your height. At roughly 6 feet tall with an average standing reach (about 96 inches), you'd typically need a vertical jump in the 24–30 inch range to clear a regulation 10-foot rim with enough control to finish the dunk.
A common estimate is standing reach equal to about 1.33× your height, though arm length varies significantly between individuals. Measuring your actual standing reach against a wall or door frame gives a far more accurate number than any formula.
An average adult vertical jump (16–20 inches) usually isn't enough to dunk on a regulation 10-foot hoop unless standing reach is unusually high. Most dunkers train specifically to push their vertical into the 28+ inch range, or play on a lower hoop.
Yes, significantly. Jump height depends on the power you can generate relative to your bodyweight. Reducing excess bodyweight while maintaining or building leg strength is one of the more reliable ways to add inches to your vertical.