For Strength Coaches, PTs, and Athletic Trainers who want to bridge the gap between science and practice.
Why Force Plate Metrics Matter
As strength coaches and rehab professionals, using force plates during jump testing gives us more than just a height.
Force plates how athletes produce force, where, and what patterns they rely on under fatigue or injury.
This guide breaks down the 10 worthwhile jump testing metrics every coach should understand, so you can move from data collection to data-informed decisions.
Want to Go Deeper?
If this guide opens your eyes to the power of force plate testing, you’ll love the Jumping with Force Plates Course.
Inside, we cover:
- 50+ video lessons across 4 modules
- Testing protocols, case studies, and athlete profiles
- Data interpretation for performance and rehab
- Decision-making frameworks for coaching and return-to-play
It is designed for coaches and clinicians who want clarity and confidence using force plates in the real world.
The Top 10 CMJ Metrics You Should Know
1. Jump Height
- A key performance outcome, calculated from take-off velocity.
- Reflects how much vertical displacement the athlete achieves.
- Good for tracking improvements but doesn’t explain how the jump was executed.
2. Jump Momentum
- Combines body mass and take-off velocity.
- More accurate for comparing outputs across athletes of different sizes.
- Especially valuable in return-to-play assessments and positional profiling.
3. Time to Takeoff (TTO)
- Measures the time from movement initiation to take-off.
- Helps identify whether an athlete is using a fast or controlled strategy.
- Shorter TTO is often associated with more explosive movement patterns.
4. RSI Modified
- Reactive Strength Index = Jump Height ÷ Time to Takeoff.
- Captures an athlete’s ability to turn a quick dip into vertical power.
- Higher values suggest efficient force transmission and neuromuscular sharpness.
5. Peak Braking Velocity
- The maximum downward (negative) velocity reached during the countermovement.
- Indicates how aggressively an athlete drops before transitioning to propulsion.
- Helpful in understanding jump intent, strategy, and potential compensations.
6. Braking Impulse
- Total force × time applied during the downward phase (often referred to as the "eccentric" phase).
- Indicates how much load the athlete can absorb and control.
- Valuable for identifying athletes who “ease in” vs. aggressively load.
7. Propulsive Impulse
- Measures the force × time during the concentric phase.
- Closely tied to jump height — reflects explosive output.
- More reliable than peak force alone for tracking development.
8. Force at Zero Velocity
- Captures the force at the instant the athlete switches from down to up.
- Crucial transition point for understanding joint stiffness and tendon loading.
- A key marker in return-to-play and fatigue monitoring.
9. Center of Mass (COM) Displacement
- Measures the vertical distance the center of mass moves during the jump.
- Helps you understand whether an athlete uses a deep or shallow countermovement.
- Useful for tracking jump strategy and changes in approach due to fatigue or injury.
10. Net Impulse
- The total vertical impulse contributing to takeoff.
- Combines both the duration and magnitude of force application.
- Acts as a “big picture” performance indicator over time.
A Quick Note on Asymmetry
Asymmetries are beyond the scope of this guide, as we’re focused on single-value metrics here.
That said, asymmetry data can be incredibly valuable, especially in rehab, return-to-play, or unilateral jump testing.
Just know: asymmetries are more nuanced than most think.
The side-to-side gap must be interpreted within context, including jump strategy, limb dominance, sport demands, and injury history.
From Data to Decisions
With just these 10 metrics, you can:
- Identify performance patterns
- Monitor fatigue and recovery
- Track adaptations to training
- Make better calls in rehab and return-to-play
But most importantly, you’ll stop guessing and start coaching with confidence.
The true power of force plates lies in your ability to interpret the data and translate it into action.
And like any skill, it starts with mastering the basics.
Ready to Level Up?
If you’re serious about using force plates in your performance or rehab setting, the Jumping with Force Plates Course is your next step.
🚀 Inside you’ll get:
- A proven approach for testing and interpreting CMJ data
- 50+ videos, real athlete case studies, and practical breakdowns
- A coach’s lens — not just science for science’s sake