A contact mat closes a switch the instant an athlete lands and opens it the instant they leave — turning flight and contact times into real jump height, contact time, and Reactive Strength Index. Plyomat is a precise, affordable polyurethane switch mat paired with the Controller 3.0. No subscription, ever.
A contact mat — also sold as a switch mat, jump plate, jump pad, or plyometric mat — is a jump testing mat built around a simple idea: a pressure switch under the surface. When an athlete stands on it, the switch is closed. The instant they leave the ground for takeoff, the switch opens; the instant they land, it closes again. A controller does nothing but time those transitions, and from that timing comes everything else.
Two measurements fall straight out of that switch. Flight time — how long the switch stays open between takeoff and landing — converts to vertical jump height through basic projectile physics: the longer the hang, the higher the jump. Contact time — how long the switch stays closed between landing and the next takeoff — is the other half. Divide jump height by contact time and you get Reactive Strength Index (RSI), the single best field marker of explosive, elastic athleticism.
The whole approach lives or dies on timing precision, which is why the mat is only as good as the controller behind it. Plyomat's Controller 3.0 times ground contact to 0.001 seconds and runs about two weeks per charge, so a contact mat that costs a fraction of a force plate still produces trustworthy RSI and reactive data.
Vertical displacement computed from flight time on every contact — repeatable, objective, no tape on the wall.
Ground-contact time resolved to 0.001 seconds by the Controller 3.0 — the foundation of reactive strength.
Jump height ÷ contact time, calculated automatically on drop jumps and repeated hops. Learn about RSI →
Left/right asymmetry and Dynamic Reactive Index flag imbalances early — useful for return-to-play screening.
The Plyomat 3.0 app is free with no subscription — roster, reports, leaderboard, and live display on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Windows, and web.
The switch mat is tough polyurethane built to take a weight room — not a fragile lab instrument.
The 28×14″ mat packs in a bag; connect up to four with 2 m cables for wider takeoff and landing zones.
Track each athlete's reactive profile across 8 assessment modes and sessions to program with real data.
Lab-grade timing at field price — a contact mat measures when, a force plate measures how hard.
| What you need | Jump-and-reach / Vertec | Force plate | Plyomat contact mat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vertical jump height | Approx. | Yes | Yes |
| Contact time & RSI | No | Yes | Yes (0.001s) |
| Force curve detail | No | Yes | No |
| Portability | Yes | Rarely | Packs in a bag |
| App included | No | Add-on | Free, no subscription |
| Price | $ | $$$$ | From $200 |
Put a Plyomat contact mat under your athletes and turn flight and contact times into jump height, RSI, and asymmetry — for the price of a tape measure on the wall.
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