Jump Testing
Vertical jump testers in the Vertec style, where the athlete swipes the highest coloured vane they can reach at the top of the jump: a 3.6m model with pole reset, a 3.8m model on a weighted base, a wall mounted version adjustable to 80cm, and a 3.6m electronic model that reads which beam your hand passes through, then displays the height straight on to an infrared display. Standing long jump is measured instead on a 3.6m electronic mat.
How the vertical jump testers differ
They all measure the same thing, the height of the highest vane you touch, so you can calculate the difference between standing reach and the highest point of a jump. They differ in how they are mounted, how high they reach, and how the result is read.
- 3.6m, pole reset. Free standing on a three footed base, adjustable from 1.7 to 3.6m, weighing 16kg, in thickened stainless steel and ABS. The vanes are reset with a telescopic pole between attempts. It's relatively light and easy to move around.
- 3.8m, water weighted base. The tallest of them, adjustable from 1.3 to 3.8m, weighing 10kg, in painted steel and ABS, on a wheeled and weighted base. This model supports the highest jumpers of the fixed stand models, though a wall mounted model could be set up even higher, for extremely tall and high jumpers.
- Wall mounted, 80cm adjustment. Weighing 7kg, bolted into concrete, with a rope reset instead of a pole. It takes no floor space and cannot be knocked over, but the installation height is fixed, so the range of possible measurements is fixed at 40cm vane height + 80cm adjustment height. Thus it is better suited to a similar group of individuals, such as a team. For a wider range of individuals, such as children and adults, 2 wall mounted models could be installed at differing heights.
- 3.6m electronic, infrared. Adjustable from 1.5 to 3.6m, weighing 10kg, in painted aluminium alloy, on a wheeled base filled with water for stability. Infrared sensors read the beam that your fingers pass through, then the height is displayed onto a digital display, so nobody needs to count vanes or reset the device between attempts.
The long jump mat
The mat measures standing long jump rather than vertical. The mat is 360cm long in orange and black, and two infrared bars sit across it on magnets. Those magnets grip metal circles that you stick to the underside of the mat at the positions that suit your athletes, and the display is then told where the bars are, in 5cm steps. The mat reads the heel of the rearmost foot. An attempt where the athlete falls backwards would have the number change to the furthest back reading, so it is suggested to record 3 attempts, to select the best of three.
Which one to choose
Start with where the tester will live, and how many athletes go through it in a session.
- A dedicated testing corner, or no floor space to spare. The wall mounted model takes up no floor space and cannot be knocked over. Fix it at a height that suits the group you test most often, and remember that the range it can read is the 80cm of adjustment plus the 40cm of vanes, so testing both children and adults is a job for two units at different heights.
- Testing in more than one hall. The 3.8m model on a weighted base has wheels and water ballast, so it rolls to the next hall and steadies itself when it gets there, and the water can be emptied out before it is moved. The 3.6m pole reset model is levelled on the three feet of its base each time it is set down.
- Very tall athletes, or very high jumpers. The 3.8m model reaches highest of the free standing testers. A wall mounted unit bolted high on the wall can be set higher again, because its range starts from wherever it is fixed.
- Squads, research, or any session with a queue. The electronic model reads the beam the fingers pass through and shows the height on its display, so nobody counts vanes or resets anything between attempts. Tell the panel the stand height in 5cm steps before the first jump.
- Standing long jump instead of vertical. The electronic mat measures the horizontal test, reading the heel of the rearmost foot.
The vertical models all adjust in 1cm steps and all produce the same score, the highest point touched minus standing reach, so a result from one can be compared with a result from another as long as each is set up and levelled the same way every time.
Common Questions
What is the difference between a Vertec and an electronic jump tester?
A Vertec is read by eye and an electronic tester reads the jump height automatically, when the jumper's fingers pass through a beam. The electronic model then displays the height onto a display. On the three mechanical models the athlete swipes coloured vanes at the top of the jump, then you count the highest one moved, and reset the vanes with a pole or a rope. The infrared model removes both the counting and the resetting.
How high do these testers measure?
The free standing models cover 1.7 to 3.6m and 1.3 to 3.8m of frame height, with the vanes above that. The wall mounted unit has 80cm of adjustment from wherever it is fixed, in combination with the 40cm of vanes. The electronic model adjusts from 1.5 to 3.6m and its sensor bars read up to 360cm. On the electronic model the panel has to be told the stand height in 5cm steps before it reports a jump correctly.
Which one suits a school or university hall?
It depends on whether the tester stays in one place. A wall mounted unit takes no floor space and cannot be knocked over, which suits a dedicated testing room, but it needs a hammer drill, four expansion bolts into solid concrete, and clear height above the mounting point. So the wall mounted model can be considered safe from tipping, but has to be set up semi-permanently - it is easy to half disassemble, but not fully. The two free standing models move between halls and are levelled on their feet each time. They're light enough to carry without much trouble. The 3.8m model has a wheeled and weighted base for easily moving it around.
Do the jump testers need calibrating?
The free standing Vertec has calibration instructions in the manual - set the frame to 190cm and level the base, then check that a tape measure shows 191cm from the ground to the 1cm vane. If it does not, then adjust the feet until the height is accurate, and level it again. The wall mounted model works differently, because its mounting height is unique to the installation: set the frame to 0cm, measure to 1cm below the 1cm vane, and add that figure to every reading.
