Set your standing reach — or estimate it from your height — and the calculator gives the vertical you need to touch the rim, grab it, and dunk with one or two hands. Add your current vertical to see exactly how many inches are left.
Vertical needed10, 9 & 8-ft rimsInches to go
Why reach beats height
Two players the same height can be four inches apart in standing reach, and that is four inches off the vertical each one needs. Measure your reach if you can — the height estimate is only a fallback.
Your numbers
Vertical needed to dunk
33 inches
You need a 33-inch vertical to dunk on a 10 ft rim — about 9 inches more than you have now.
117 inYour jump-touch
9 inStill to find
10 ftRim
Verdict
You are 9 inches short. That is a long project on a 10 ft rim — worth training toward, and worth checking your number against a lower rim in the meantime.
Touching a 10-foot rim means your jump-touch reached 120 inches. Subtract your
standing reach and what is left is your vertical. Using the 1.33 height-to-reach estimate:
Height
Estimated standing reach
Vertical to touch the rim
5'6"
88 in
32 in
5'8"
90 in
30 in
5'10"
93 in
27 in
6'0"
96 in
24 in
6'2"
98 in
22 in
6'4"
101 in
19 in
Rim touch is the first rung, not a dunk: the ball still has to clear the rim in your hand, which is
about six more inches for a one-hander. Measure your own reach and the number above stops being an
estimate — arm length varies by several inches at the same height.
Standing reach by height, and the vertical each finish needs
Estimated standing reach is height × 1.33. The last four columns are the vertical
you would need on a regulation 10-foot rim at that reach.
Height
Standing reach
Touch the rim
Grab the rim
One-hand dunk
Two-hand dunk
5'0"
80 in
40 in
42 in
46 in
49 in
5'1"
81 in
39 in
41 in
45 in
48 in
5'2"
82 in
38 in
40 in
44 in
47 in
5'3"
84 in
36 in
38 in
42 in
45 in
5'4"
85 in
35 in
37 in
41 in
44 in
5'5"
86 in
34 in
36 in
40 in
43 in
5'6"
88 in
32 in
34 in
38 in
41 in
5'7"
89 in
31 in
33 in
37 in
40 in
5'8"
90 in
30 in
32 in
36 in
39 in
5'9"
92 in
28 in
30 in
34 in
37 in
5'10"
93 in
27 in
29 in
33 in
36 in
5'11"
94 in
26 in
28 in
32 in
35 in
6'0"
96 in
24 in
26 in
30 in
33 in
6'1"
97 in
23 in
25 in
29 in
32 in
6'2"
98 in
22 in
24 in
28 in
31 in
6'3"
100 in
20 in
22 in
26 in
29 in
6'4"
101 in
19 in
21 in
25 in
28 in
6'5"
102 in
18 in
20 in
24 in
27 in
6'6"
104 in
16 in
18 in
22 in
25 in
6'7"
105 in
15 in
17 in
21 in
24 in
6'8"
106 in
14 in
16 in
20 in
23 in
6'9"
108 in
12 in
14 in
18 in
21 in
6'10"
109 in
11 in
13 in
17 in
20 in
6'11"
110 in
10 in
12 in
16 in
19 in
7'0"
112 in
8 in
10 in
14 in
17 in
A 0 means the reach already clears that finish flat-footed. These are estimates from height alone —
measure your standing reach and vertical for the real numbers.
How high do I need to jump to dunk?
Subtract your standing reach from 126 inches — that is a 10-foot rim plus about 6 inches of clearance for the ball in one hand. A player with a 7-foot-6 (90-inch) standing reach needs roughly a 36-inch vertical. A 6-foot player with a 96-inch reach needs about 30 inches.
How do I estimate my standing reach?
Standing reach is usually about 1.33 times your height, so a 6-foot (72-inch) player estimates to roughly 96 inches. Arm length varies a lot between players, so measure it if you can: stand flat-footed against a wall, reach up with one arm, and mark the highest point your fingertips touch.
Can a 5-foot-10 person dunk?
Yes, but it takes an elite vertical. A 5-foot-10 player estimates to a 93-inch standing reach, which leaves about 33 inches to a one-hand dunk on a regulation rim. That is above the college-athlete range, so it is reachable with serious training but rare without it.
Is a two-hand dunk harder than a one-hand dunk?
Yes, by about three inches. A one-hand dunk only needs the ball and one palm over the rim, while a two-hand dunk brings both wrists over — roughly 9 inches of clearance instead of 6. Almost everyone gets their first dunk one-handed.
Does hand size matter for dunking?
It changes the technique more than the height. Large hands let you palm the ball and dunk cleanly at the clearances above. If you cannot palm it, you will usually need to two-hand it or throw a lob to yourself, both of which ask for a few extra inches.
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