Elitetrack: Sport Training & Conditioning

I was wondering what everyones impressions are on this device.  I want something that can test vertical very quickly and how fast my jumpers are getting off the ground on plyos.  I also see there is a feature that you can say go and it starts a timer and when the athlete hits the mat it records their time.  Could I use this for 30m sprints?  Thanks for your help. 

VJ - It is fine for what you are looking for .  . . a base number. Just make sure they land with their legs straight to keep the numbers consistent. I actually had to have the athletes practice how to land on the mat. Legs straight, toes up. It doesn't feel pleasant when you do it right. So I wouldn't test very often.

I have never used it for 30m sprints but I would assume it is a lot like running to first base. You end up having to either reach your stride (bad) or cut a stride short (bad) and neither gives you a completely accurate assessment.

I've had some problems with the timing mechanism.  However for explosive jumping it seems to do the job.

You can definitely cheat the just jump mat but if you regulate usage it can be an accurate and reliable method of testing the VJ. I wouldn’t try using it for 30m sprints though. Get timing gates for that.

I believe there was a research article in the most recent issue of NSCA’s Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research that indicated that a jump mat was MORE accurate than a vertec….I could be wrong but I vaguely remember reading that somewhere. In the end it ultimately comes down to test administration.