What Does It Take to Dunk at 170cm?
Dunking at 170 centimeters—about 5 feet 7 inches—isn't a myth. It’s rare, sure. But rarity doesn’t mean impossibility. Look at Spud Webb. He stood at 170cm on a generous morning and won the NBA Slam Dunk Contest in 1986. Then there’s Anthony Robles, not a basketball player, but proof that functional athleticism crushes limits—born with one leg, became a national wrestling champion. So why do we act like vertical leap is purely a height game? The thing is, dunking isn’t about standing reach. It’s about how high you can get from your standing reach. And that depends on three things: jump height, arm length, and timing. A 170cm man with long limbs and explosive quads? That changes the equation.
Vertical Jump: The Core Metric
Most recreational players have a vertical jump between 45 and 60cm. That’s not enough. To even graze the rim at 305cm, you need at least 85cm of vertical—maybe more, depending on wingspan. But here’s where people get it wrong: they assume vertical leap is fixed. It’s not. I’ve seen guys gain 15cm in three months. Not magic. Science. Plyometrics, eccentric loading, rate of force development. It’s a bit like overclocking a processor—same hardware, smarter programming. And that’s exactly where raw effort meets biomechanics.
Arm Length Matters More Than You Think
Standing reach is the silent variable. Two guys at 170cm: one has a 185cm reach, the other 198cm. The difference? 13cm—nearly half a foot. That’s the gap between needing a 90cm vertical and a 77cm one. And that’s huge. The average male has a wingspan roughly equal to height. But not everyone. Some exceed it. Look at Muggsy Bogues—160cm, 188cm wingspan. That’s a 28cm bonus. Even if you’re 170cm, if your arms stretch to 195cm, you’re already ahead. Measure yours. Don’t guess. This isn’t vanity. It’s data.
The Training That Actually Works: Beyond Just Jumping
You can’t just "jump more" and expect results. That’s like saying "breathe faster" to run a marathon. The body adapts through specificity. What matters is how you train. Not just volume. Not just willpower. But method.
Plyometrics: The Foundation
Plyos build explosive power. Depth jumps. Box jumps. Bounding drills. But—and this is critical—not all plyos are equal. A 50cm box jump with poor landing mechanics is worse than useless. It’s damaging. You need progressive overload. Start low. Master form. Then increase drop height. A proper depth jump starts with a 30cm box, drop to the ground, immediate max vertical takeoff. Rest 90 seconds. Repeat 4 sets of 6. Do this twice a week. In eight weeks? Gains. But only if you’re not skipping recovery. Because recovery is where growth happens, not during the workout.
Strength Training: Quads and Calves That Explode
Vertical jump is 70% lower body power. The rest? Coordination, timing, arm swing. Your quads generate force. Your calves add that last millisecond of snap. So squats—back, front, jump squats—are non-negotiable. But so are calf raises. Not the lazy kind. Weighted. 5 sets of 25. Slow eccentric. Fast concentric. And that’s where most people sandbag themselves. They do bodyweight calf raises and wonder why nothing changes. Surprise: your calves are built for endurance. To transform them into launchers, they need load. Try 80kg for 20 reps. Then go higher.
Flexibility and Tendon Elasticity
Let’s be clear about this: jumping isn’t just muscle. It’s tendon recoil. The Achilles and patellar tendons store energy like springs. Stiff tendons = faster release. But stiffness comes from load and proper stretching. Dynamic warm-ups pre-workout. Static stretching post. And eccentric heel drops—slow lowering off a step—for Achilles resilience. Do them barefoot. Feel the stretch. That’s where the adaptation lives.
Dunking vs. Rim Touch: Know the Difference
People don’t think about this enough: touching the rim is not dunking. It’s a milestone. But not the finish line. To dunk, you need clearance. Not just to reach. To fit the ball through. That adds 15–20cm to your required vertical. A guy who can touch the rim might still be 10cm short of a clean dunk. So set the right benchmarks. Film yourself. Use a measuring tape. Don’t rely on feel. Because feel lies.
The Role of the Ball and Technique
You can cheat physics a little. Palm the ball. Use one hand. Approach at an angle. But even then, clearance is tight. A smaller ball? FIBA size 6 is 72.4cm circumference—smaller than NBA’s 74.9cm. Helps. So does dunking off one foot. Most 170cm dunkers use a running start. Not straight up. They convert horizontal speed into vertical lift. It’s a bit like pole vaulting—momentum redirected upward. And that’s exactly where technique offsets height.
Indoor vs. Outdoor Rims: An Unfair Advantage?
Here’s a dirty secret: outdoor rims often sag. Just a little. Maybe 5cm. That’s massive. A rim at 300cm instead of 305? That’s a game-changer. Some guys train indoors, test outdoors, and boom—first dunk. It feels real. It is real. But know your conditions. Because in a gym with a regulation rim, that same jump might fall short. Data is still lacking on average rim deflection, but anecdotal reports suggest 3–6cm is common under load.
Plyo vs. Weight Training: Which Is More Effective?
It’s not a clean answer. But if you had to pick one? Weight training builds the engine. Plyos teach it to fire fast. You need both. Yet—most beginners skip strength and go straight to jump squats. Big mistake. Without a strength base, plyometrics are inefficient. Think of it like this: a weak spring can’t store much energy. So start with squats at 1.5x bodyweight. Then layer in plyos. As a result: faster gains, lower injury risk.
Time and Consistency: The Real Barriers
You won’t jump 90cm in three weeks. Eight months? Maybe. A study from the Journal of Strength and Conditioning found untrained athletes gained 8.3cm vertical in 10 weeks with structured plyo + strength. But elite gains? 15–20cm. That takes 6–12 months. And consistency. Training 4x/week. Sleeping 8 hours. Eating enough protein. Most people quit at month three. That’s where the real filter is—not genetics, but grit.
Age and Recovery: A Factor After 25?
After 25, recovery slows. Tendons stiffen. Hormonal shifts reduce muscle synthesis. But that doesn’t mean you can’t improve. It just means volume must drop. Intensity stays. A 30-year-old might train plyos twice a week instead of three. But with heavier loads. Because explosive power isn’t just for kids. Look at LeBron at 38—still above the rim. Genetics help. But his recovery protocols? Cryotherapy, sleep tracking, personalized nutrition. We’re far from it, but even basic recovery—foam rolling, hydration—matters.
Frequently Asked Questions
How high do you need to jump to dunk at 170cm?
Depends. If your standing reach is 220cm (typical for 170cm with average arms), you need about 85cm of vertical to touch the rim. For a full dunk? Closer to 95–100cm. That’s elite athlete territory. The highest recorded vertical is 128cm (Michael Wilson, NBA Dancer). But most dunkers cap at 110cm. So you’re aiming for the top 0.1% of jumpers. Not impossible. But not casual.
Can a 170cm man dunk without training?
Almost never. Natural athleticism helps. But even Spud Webb trained relentlessly. His vertical was 135cm. That didn’t come from playing pickup. It came from obsession. Without structured training, your odds are near zero. But with it? Measurable progress. Suffice to say: raw talent opens the door. Work walks you through.
Are there short dunkers outside the NBA?
Yes. Plenty. In rec leagues, college intramurals, dunk contests. Not household names. But real. France’s 165cm Laurent Sciarra dunked in Pro A. Japan’s 173cm Yuki Togashi—close. And countless unknowns on YouTube. They exist. They’re not anomalies. They’re proof that explosive power can beat height.
The Bottom Line
You can dunk at 170cm. But you need more than hope. You need metrics. Training. Patience. And that’s where most quit. Not at the jump. At the grind. I find this overrated: the idea that genetics decide everything. Yes, it’s harder. Yes, you’re fighting physics. But human potential isn’t linear. We’ve seen 160cm wrestlers dominate 200cm opponents. We’ve seen amputees run faster than able-bodied sprinters. So why not a dunk? The problem is, people want shortcuts. There aren’t any. But the path is clear. Build strength. Master plyos. Optimize recovery. Measure everything. And when you finally slam it—no matter how ugly—know this: you didn’t defy science. You used it. Honestly, it is unclear how many 170cm guys have dunked. But it’s more than zero. And that’s enough.