If you're looking to get an accurate reading on your explosive power, the just jump vertical mat is probably the simplest tool you'll ever use. I remember the first time I saw one at a local combine; it looked like nothing more than a plain black rubber mat with a small handheld computer attached. But once the athletes started hopping on and off, I realized why every serious strength coach has one of these in their kit. It removes all the guesswork and human error that usually comes with measuring a vertical leap.
Getting Real with the Just Jump Vertical Mat
Let's be honest, trying to measure your vertical jump by yourself is a massive pain. You're either taping pieces of paper to a wall and trying to slap them with chalky fingers, or you're squinting at a Vertec pole while someone tries to guess which plastic vane you actually moved. It's clunky, it's messy, and half the time, the measurements are off by a couple of inches because you didn't reach high enough at the start.
That's where the just jump vertical mat steps in. You literally just stand on the mat, jump as high as you can, and land back on it. The little handheld unit chirps at you and instantly displays your jump height. It doesn't care how long your arms are or if you have a massive standing reach. It cares about one thing: how long you were in the air.
Why Ditch the Old Wall Marks?
I used to be a big fan of the "chalk on the wall" method because it was free. But after using the mat for a few weeks, I can't go back. One of the biggest issues with traditional testing is that athletes often "cheat" the reach. If you don't fully extend during your standing reach measurement, your vertical jump score looks way better than it actually is. It's a common trick, but it doesn't help you get any more explosive.
The beauty of this mat is that it measures flight time. It calculates the exact moment your feet leave the surface and the exact moment they touch back down. Since gravity is a constant, it uses a simple physics formula to determine exactly how high you must have traveled to stay in the air for that long. It's objective. You can't trick the mat by reaching higher or lower; you just have to jump.
The Tech Behind the Beep
Now, you might be thinking, "Is a mat really that accurate?" It's a fair question. The just jump vertical mat has been a staple in the industry for decades because the math holds up. While some high-end force plates might give you more data points—like peak force or rate of force development—the Just Jump gives you the number that actually matters to most people: the height.
The handheld unit is pretty straightforward. It's got a small screen and a few buttons to toggle between modes. Besides the standard vertical jump, it can also calculate things like your "leg power" index, which takes your body weight into account. This is actually super helpful for coaches who want to see if an athlete is actually getting more powerful or if they're just losing weight.
Using It for More Than Just Max Vertical
One thing I didn't expect when I started using the just jump vertical mat was how much I'd use it for other drills. It's not just a one-trick pony for testing your max leap once a month. You can actually use it to measure a series of four jumps in a row.
This "4-jump mode" is incredible for testing reactive strength. It tells you how high you jumped on average across four consecutive bounces and, more importantly, how much time you spent on the ground between them. If you're a basketball player or a volleyball player, your "second jump" is often more important than your first. If you spend too much time "loading" on the ground, you're going to get beat to the ball. The mat gives you that data instantly so you can work on being quicker off the floor.
A Few Things to Watch Out For
I'm not going to sit here and tell you it's 100% perfect for every single scenario. There is one "cheat" you have to be careful about: the "tuck." Because the mat measures time in the air, if you pull your knees up to your chest and delay your landing, the mat thinks you jumped higher than you did.
I've seen kids try to game the system by pulling their legs up like they're doing a cannonball into a pool. To get an honest reading, you have to land with your legs relatively straight (with a natural bend to absorb the impact, of course). As long as you're consistent with your landing technique, the data is incredibly reliable. If you're a coach, you just have to keep an eye on your athletes to make sure they aren't turning a vertical jump into a tuck jump.
Comparing it to the Vertec
If you've spent any time in a college weight room, you've seen the Vertec—the tall metal pole with all the colorful plastic vanes. It's the "official" way to measure jumps in the NFL Combine. So, how does the just jump vertical mat stack up against it?
In my experience, the mat is way better for everyday training. The Vertec is huge, it's a hassle to move, and it takes forever to reset the vanes after every jump. The mat, on the other hand, rolls up into a small bag. You can take it to a park, a driveway, or any gym in the world. Plus, the mat usually reads about 1-2 inches higher than a Vertec because it doesn't require the coordination of swiping the vanes at the peak of your jump. As long as you know that and stay consistent with one tool, it doesn't really matter which one is "right"—what matters is the progress you see over time.
Is It Worth the Investment?
Look, these mats aren't exactly cheap. They're professional-grade equipment, so you're looking at a bit of an investment compared to a roll of tape and some chalk. But if you're a coach or a dedicated athlete, it pays for itself in the time you save and the quality of the data you get.
There's something psychological about seeing that number on the screen. It turns a boring training session into a competition. When I pull the just jump vertical mat out during a workout, the intensity in the room immediately spikes. Everyone wants to beat their previous score by half an inch. You can't get that same level of "instant feedback" with a wall and a piece of tape.
Final Thoughts on the Just Jump
At the end of the day, the just jump vertical mat is a classic for a reason. It's rugged, it's portable, and it gives you exactly what you need without a bunch of unnecessary bells and whistles. It's become my go-to for checking in on my explosive training progress.
Whether you're trying to dunk for the first time or you're a coach trying to manage a roster of forty athletes, this mat simplifies the whole process. You don't need a PhD in biomechanics to run it, and you don't need a whole afternoon to get your testing done. Just drop it on the floor, plug in the remote, and start jumping. Just remember: keep those legs straight on the landing, or you're only lying to yourself!