VERT sensor wants to do the impossible — teach white men how to jump

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Vertclip. Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
The VERT fitness sensor could be your secret weapon on the court.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

LAS VEGAS — I love basketball, but I have a weakness — I can’t jump.

Cult_of_Mac_CES_2015I’ve hit the gym. I’ve tried jumping exercises.

None of it has worked, but a new fitness sensor called VERT might be the first wearable that finally helps me get above the rim, thanks to its workouts, which are designed to help you improve your leaping ability, while also preventing injuries on the court.

The simple VERT sensor can be worn on your favorite pair of gym shorts. It tracks not only how high you jump, but also the total number of jumps in a game so you can see if your legs are getting progressively weaker. All data is synced over Bluetooth to the accompanying VERT app, or you can view your most recent stats on the sensor’s LCD screen, too, and there’s an Apple Watch app in the works.

“I’m so excited about Apple making wearables mainstream,” said VERT founder Martin Matok. “We’ve been working for two years on our jumping algorithm and now that the Apple Watch is coming out, every coach and athlete is going to tap into more wearables to unlock new levels of performance.”

VERT launched this month and costs $125 per sensor. Schools can order them in bulk, and the devices comes with a number of games and activities that you can run though to improve your strength and conditioning — and hopefully add a few more inches to your vertical.

It’s not just for basketball, though. You can use it for jump-rope training or to improve your skills at volleyball, BMX or even to see how high you launched off the vert ramp while skateboarding.

The personal application of VERT is great for vertically challenged guys like me, but VERT’s also doing some exciting things in the world of pro sports.

The tiny jump sensor is now the “official jump technology” for NCAA women’s volleyball, allowing spectators to see how high players leap to spike the ball, but I can’t help but think it’d be best served in the NBA, where fans would be able to see how high LeBron flies each time he slams down another monstrous dunk.

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