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Dunk Calculator

How high do you need to jump to dunk?

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 needed 10, 9 & 8-ft rims Inches 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

Rim height

A regulation rim is 10 feet. Youth and middle-school hoops step down.

Reach up flat-footed against a wall and mark the highest point your fingertips touch.

Only used if you have not measured your reach.

Leave it at zero if you do not know. Measure it here.

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.

FinishTouch neededVertical neededYou
Touch the rim 120 in 27 in 3 in short
Grab the rim 122 in 29 in 5 in short
One-hand dunk 126 in 33 in 9 in short
Two-hand dunk 129 in 36 in 12 in short

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Vertical needed to dunk by height

One-hand dunk on a regulation 10-foot rim, using the standard height-to-reach estimate. Your own reach is what actually decides it.

HeightEstimated standing reachVertical needed
5'6"88 in38 in
5'8"90 in36 in
5'10"93 in33 in
6'0"96 in30 in
6'2"98 in28 in
6'4"101 in25 in
6'6"104 in22 in

See how a vertical develops with age in average vertical jump by age, or measure your vertical first.

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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