Does anyone have some good guidelines of decent numbers for a kid's vertical jump? I watched my son during a workout this morning and he was jumping up onto a platform which was 30 inches high (from a standing position). I was shocked! He's a 5'9, 14 year old freshman and I didn't know he had springs like that! But maybe that's pretty average?
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I think it's above average. My kid's very athletic, and he's the same age and height and he can touch a basketball rim, so that's probably a similar vertical jump.
But to heck with these kids, have you seen JJ Watt jumping on a 55" box??
Oh my gosh! That is insane!
I know a kid older than mine has been jumping up onto a box/platform that is over 40 inches high - and he wears a weight belt. So my perception is tainted by that!
Thanks for the feedback!
Son was at a camp this Summer at an ACC school. Director of fitness gave a talk and said they would like to see 30" and above when players enter their program. Some research online would suggest some elite (and famous) athletes are even below that.
Don't know where it is now but this summer had a video of my son doing a 50 inch box jump. He does a 38 inch vertical leap. He is 5'9".
What baseball skill does that translate to or indicate?
What baseball skill does that translate to or indicate?
Exactly. Inquiring minds want to know.
Anywho, it is common knowledge that white men can't jump.
Probably accelleration and speed.
Interesting, BucsFan!
I'm assuming for a pitcher that it is increased leg strength... for an outfielder it might mean increased speed, jumping, etc? Mike Trout comes to mind for me.
Maybe others here can enlighten me?
Box jump (how high and how quickly one can get legs/feet up) quite a bit different than vertical, of course. Former will always be higher, often much higher. Both are one of several tests of overall athletecism. No specific baseball skill measured.
...and to clarify, the 30" or more mentioned at ACC camp was standing vertical, not box or platform Jump.
What baseball skill does that translate to or indicate?
Outs. If he is an infielder, it can increase his athletic horizontal and vertical range significantly. Some of these MIFs have incredible leaping ability. If he is an outfielder it allow him to better scale fences and walls. His pitching teammates will love him!
Standing vertical jump and standing long jump are good measures of lower body explosiveness. Although it's primarily lower body muscles it does include some core. Getting out of the box, stealing, lateral quickness (IF), getting a jump on the ball (OF), pitching (stride and hip rotation mechanics), throwing velocity (OF, P, C), and even some hitting power (hip turn) would be the baseball related skills it relates to. I'm probably missing a few.
Originally Posted by sowilson:
Standing vertical jump and standing long jump are good measures of lower body explosiveness. Although it's primarily lower body muscles it does include some core. Getting out of the box, stealing, lateral quickness (IF), getting a jump on the ball (OF), pitching (stride and hip rotation mechanics), throwing velocity (OF, P, C), and even some hitting power (hip turn) would be the baseball related skills it relates to. I'm probably missing a few.
Does that mean you’d choose a player with a good vertical jump other skills sight unseen, over a player with a poorer vertical jump but great proven skills?
I’m not at all trying to say that its not a nice piece of information to have, but it sure sounds a lot like choosing pitchers based only on their height or numbers on the gun, over those who have a proven track record.
Does that mean you’d choose a player with a good vertical jump other skills sight unseen, over a player with a poorer vertical jump but great proven skills?
I’m not at all trying to say that its not a nice piece of information to have, but it sure sounds a lot like choosing pitchers based only on their height or numbers on the gun, over those who have a proven track record.
Why do you jump to rediculous conclusions right off the bat, on darn near every subject you respond to? There is nothing in my post that can be interpreted by a sane person as suggesting that I would take a person with better power numbers over someone with "great proven skills". Nock it off.
Explosiveness is part of the game (as it is in football, basketball, and most other sports). I would want to see how someone improves over time as that is an indication of how much work they're doing and how dedicated they are in training. Vertical jump (when you take in consideration a person's weight) is just a measure of power. A more explosive individual may have more upside potential than someone with a better, current skill set. It's just a metric, and something easy to measure.
Does that mean you’d choose a player with a good vertical jump other skills sight unseen, over a player with a poorer vertical jump but great proven skills?
I’m not at all trying to say that its not a nice piece of information to have, but it sure sounds a lot like choosing pitchers based only on their height or numbers on the gun, over those who have a proven track record.
Why do you jump to rediculous conclusions right off the bat, on darn near every subject you respond to? There is nothing in my post that can be interpreted by a sane person as suggesting that I would take a person with better power numbers over someone with "great proven skills". Nock it off.
Explosiveness is part of the game (as it is in football, basketball, and most other sports). I would want to see how someone improves over time as that is an indication of how much work they're doing and how dedicated they are in training. Vertical jump (when you take in consideration a person's weight) is just a measure of power. A more explosive individual may have more upside potential than someone with a better, current skill set. It's just a metric, and something easy to measure.
+1 on that... ridiculous response.
Was pretty clear that all sowilson was doing was responding to your initial question...
What baseball skill does that translate to or indicate?
Which he provided a whole list of examples. smh
Originally Posted by sowilson:
Why do you jump to rediculous conclusions right off the bat, on darn near every subject you respond to? There is nothing in my post that can be interpreted by a sane person as suggesting that I would take a person with better power numbers over someone with "great proven skills". Nock it off.
There's no reason to get your panties in a bunch! Just exactly ridiculous conclusion did I jump to? You made a statement, I asked a question about it so I could better understand where you were coming from. Not only did I not jump to some wild conclusion, I even stated that I agreed it would be a nice piece of information to have, and noted that choosing someone by that alone over a proven track record wasn’t a good thing.
So where did I say anything that came close to accusing you of anything, called your sanity into question, or tried to take from you the ability to state anything you wanted to?
Explosiveness is part of the game (as it is in football, basketball, and most other sports). I would want to see how someone improves over time as that is an indication of how much work they're doing and how dedicated they are in training. Vertical jump (when you take in consideration a person's weight) is just a measure of power. A more explosive individual may have more upside potential than someone with a better, current skill set. It's just a metric, and something easy to measure.
I agree that it is just a metric, but I’m wondering how that particular metric would help the coach of the players current team. I can see how it might be an influence on say a college making a scholarship decision or a ML team thinking about making a contract offer, but what would it do for say a HS coach to know about everyone on his team?
That’s the problem with thinking about “upsides” as opposed to current ability. Sometimes people get so carried away with the future, they keep opportunities away from players who are already performing.
If you could, would you please supply the data you have on the vertical jump for your players from year to year. I’d really be interested in seeing how they progress or not.
It might help a coach even at the high school level decide who has the athleticism to be an above average shortstop or center fielder. And OF COURSE a player has to have baseball ability first especially hitting ability.. But I guarantee in most cases at the higher levels the best athlete on the team is the CF or SS. There are guys who are just real good baseball players who don't show that kind of athleticism but a lot of times the guy who can physically do above average athletic feats takes the job or certainly these two jobs.
Generally the SS and CF wanna-be's are separated at the college and certainly at the major league level by this athleticism. Of all the college SS is a given year, there might be a handful who are athletic enough to play SS at the higher levels and invariably it with be the guys with explosiveness, jumping ability, and and all the things mentioned above so eloquently by sowilson as well as the arm strength required. A player can be a decent centerfielder in high school without having all the fast twitch muscle that a great vertical requires, but forget about it in a good college or at the professional levels. The Trouts, Mays, Bobby Bonds who did a 25 ft long jump in high school, Mantles, Griffy's and Beltrans all had tremendous jumping ability as did Kirby Pucket (for a stout little guy), Devon White, Tori Hunter and others. I bet every great CF and SS such as Ozzie who would do a complete backflip running out to his position had a great vertical jump as well. Great teams want great players in those positions not average guys. Part of the problem with the Cardinals in this World Series was that they were running a ML average guy (or worse) out at SS and it cost them in the end.
So it tells a coach or organization who might have the sheer raw athleticism to field and make the spectacular plays not just be steady on the normal plays. Not really that hard to fathom.
Originally Posted by Three Bagger:… So it tells a coach or organization who might have the sheer raw athleticism to field and make the spectacular plays not just be steady on the normal plays. Not really that hard to fathom.
Hmmmm. Sounds like what I was saying but in a different way. It’s a nice piece of data to have. 
Vertical jump, could be the thing that gets you on the school roster and on the field.
Doing a nice back hand at SS then going into a Web Gem Vertical Jump with the thorw out at 1st or 2nd..
http://new.berecruited.com/ath...s?photo_id=100286991
That will catch a scout or coaches eye...
What baseball skill does that translate to or indicate?
Do you have a better link. That one appears to be dead.
Do you have a better link. That one appears to be dead.
Do you guys have any ideas on how one can increase their vertical jump?
Don't know where it is now but this summer had a video of my son doing a 50 inch box jump. He does a 38 inch vertical leap. He is 5'9".
Kobe Bryant's vertical is 38" and the NBA average is 28" just sayin.
