HJ coach wrote:
If high jump was just about vertical jumping ability, then why do they run at the bar?
Yea, why not just sit at the bar and order a beer?
Jokes aside, let's look at geometry. I'm 5'11, in high school I could clear 5'11" HJ. I was measured 32" vertical (standard 1 step against the wall). I can stand on the floor and reach up and touch an 8' ceiling. So math wise that means I (used to) only need 24" vertical jump to touch the rim. The extra 10" was enough to stand and jump and dunk a volleyball. Back in the 70's I could do that easily.
Now even though I could get my entire body over 5'11" that means my shoulder is maybe 6'6" off the ground when I clear.
I just measured my arm length at 33", so that only puts the tip of my hand at 9'3".
So we know that someone with a 32" vertical jump can clear a 5'11" bar.
So this is where I disagree with the "you don't have to be able to palm the ball" theory. I can't palm a basketball, never could, so that meant the only way I could really "dunk" was with a running start where I could use both hands.
So could I technically dunk a basketball, yes, but only in a gym where I wouldn't get called for a foul when leaping with both hands, i.e an uncontested "slam".
Could Vlasic or Stones get high enough to dunk? No doubt. Could they really "dunk" in the manner we call a dunk? I'd say it depends on the size of their hands.