Does being tall give you an advantage?

[zoomzoomdave]

I was wondering if being tall gives you an advantage in swimming because alot of the olympic male swimmers today are over 6 feet.

What do you guys think?
:D

[Steve]

Whereas many of the world-class swimmers are well over 6 foot, being under that height does not mean you can not swim fast. Former Olympian Mike Barrowman is about 5' 10". His world record in the 200 m LC breaststroke stood from 1992 to 2002. When I heard him speak at a clinic in 1993, he made a point to tell all the kids to work hard (smart) and not to be intimidated by taller opponents.

[Bert Petersen]

Janet Evans, Napoleon Bonaparte, Mel (you know who you are), Anthony Nesty, etc, etc, etc. Size of heart is the most vital !!

[Tom Ellison]

Bert hit the nail on the head...YES, size does make a huge difference...BUT, the great Don Sholander and many other world class swimmers are NOT huge...HUGE in HEART is ALWAYS a winner....Janet Evan was not the tallest swimmer of her time...but let's face the facts....her records still stand....YEARS later...She had more grit then most ten people I know. I'll take grit, hard work and heart over size ANYDAY! Size helps, but it is NOT the most important factor in winning....
Kindest regards,
Tom Ellison

[zoomzoomdave]

I think Ed Moses is barely under the 6 foot mark too. Jeez...can't wait for my next growth spurt...I only have a couple of more years of growing left. I ONLY need 5 more inches to make the 6 feet. :o

POWER TO THE SHORT PEOPLE!:D

[cinc310]

Janet has some company with other ladies. Diana Munz is even shorter. Her parents were figure skaters and told her to do a sport where there is no judging. As Ion stated, Angel Marino. Misty Hyman only 5'6" and breastroker Alexi Spann only about 5'4". Breastrokers tend to have people different sizes. Eric Vengt sorry for misspelling is a top distance freestyler and a very good breastroker and a 400 meter Imer, I think only 5'10". Mark Spitz was slilghtly below 6 foot which is on the short size for today 's swimmers. But like the rest of you I think that height has its advantages as well.

[cinc310]

Also, I remember all the top 9 and 10 year old boys and girls that could out swim me at 15 years old that were under 5 feet. Many girls at 12 years old can almost qualify for senior nationals and many 12 year old girls are under 5'5"

[greenhairchica]

No I dont think height matters we have 5 girls on my team that are 12 and dont exced the height of 4'7 but they can out swim me a 12 year old 5'41/2! fast!:)

That's the truth guy's:D

[Paul Smith]

I agree, height is WAY overated! :)

[Damage Inc]

Sure height is good for sprinters, but who wants to be a sprinter.
Go the distance. Endurance rules!
Barry 5'8"

[Light]

well, I think height matter ONLY when you get up to a certain speed... Below that speed, the "boat" is not travelling fast enough for height to be of concern... I am a casual swimmer, and I usually swim a lot faster than ppl who are taller than me, simply because they have horrible technique...

I am suspecting that height has less of an effect in breast stroke than in say freestyle... maybe it's that speed issue... maybe it's the whole streamline issue...

However, there are other things that "comes" with height... feet/hand sizes are usually one of them, all can affect the speed of swimming...

[alexknibbs]

An old saying has it that "a good big 'un, will always beat a good little 'un."

But then another saying goes, rather pithily, that ... "It's not the dog in the fight ... it's the fight in the dog ... (that matters)."

[sparx35]

if you were 50 m long then you could do a length instantly!

[sparx35]

big feet=fins too

[lefty]

The saying is "Its not not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog..."

But I will disagree with all of you (partly because I like to do that!).

Height is very important, and it is not a coincidense that the 95% of the top swimmers are tall. Can a short swimmer be very very good. Absolutely. But can a 5' 9" sprinter hold the world record (male). Realistically no.

Natural talent and a little work will achieve more than little talent and lots of hard work. Sad but true.

[Tom Ellison]

Wow, is the big feet thing for real..I went to the Pro/AM Kerr-McGee swim meet in Oklahoma City the past few years to watch my son swim and noticed a guy swim a 19.22 in the 50 SCY free. He had VERY LARGE FEET! MOST of the male swimmers that were swimming very fast times had very large feet.

[cinc310]

At the elite level I would say yes, in sprint freestyle never saw short people. But think of thise chinese women with steriods that are only 5'7" and 5'8" can defeat American and European and Aussie women that are at least 5'10" in 50 meter freestyle because the steriods gave them more upper-body strength. On the other hand, think of this, women in their 45 to 49 age group world records are not much faster than the top 10 year old girls in USA swimming. And these kids are mainly under 5'0" and don't have the same amount of upper-body strength as a middle age women does. So, maybe because 10 year old girls weigh a lot less there able to equal women that may be a foot taller than them and have more upper-body strength.

[Light]

ever tried to swim with flippers (let's pretend the answer is yes :P)...well, big, flexible, feet with strong kicks does that... Yeah, certainly when it comes to physical stuff, genetics can provide unfair advantages...but without hard work those advantages are nothing...

[jerrycat]

in both swimming and rowing (especailly rowing), I was always a munchkin. My parents, standing at 5'11 (mom) and 6'3 (dad), I arrived at 5'4. In pictures with them I look like little person. But, the shortness never stopped me, and only encouraged me to whip the snot out of the big girls (especailly in rowing, who the only woman on my team faster than me was in the last olympics).

So, height, smeight.

Go short people!

:D

PS, Janet Evans still rocks.

[Tom Ellison]

Funny you should mention Janet Evans! I believe she was one of the greatest (if not THE greatest) swimmers of our time....and...I believe they are going to be shooting at her 1500 free record for MANY YEARS TO COME....She had a great deal of grit....as her 1500 free time indicates.

[seltzer]

1) Feel for the water

2) Flexibility

3) Height

Height is obviously a factor (afterall, swimmers are pretty tall compared to the "average" population) but it takes a back seat to feel for the water and flexibility.

Add Dave Berkoff and Ray Carey to the list of under 6 foot swimmers who had great swimming success.

[Light]

someone actually posted a funny post about if someone is 25 ft tall, they'd touch the end of the pool right away... :P That does remind me though, since swimming (let's say freestyle) is a totally "horizontal" sport, doesn't taller swimmer get that few inches of advantage (esp in short 50 sprint)? Might not be much, but when the diff in time is usually in hundreds of seconds...hmm...makes you wonder... Of course, the skill has to be so perfect so that this few inch would come into play...

[kaffrinn]

I always think of backstrokers and free-sprinters as thin and tall, with butterfly and distance swimmers being about medium tall and any body shape, while breaststrokers tend to be a bit shorter and stockier but still very powerful!

Not a scientific observation...and not the case every time....just my general impression.

[gull]

If height doesn't matter, why do we try to maximize distance per stroke?

With sailboats, hull speed increases with the length of the waterline.

[cinc310]

Actually, the shorest swimmers are distance freestylers. Diana Munz is the shortest on the national team and Mr Eric Vendt is the shortest male. On the other hand, the Aussie men are tall for distance freestylers. And their are tall breaststrokers, Kristy Kowal comes to mind.

[Light]

yes, I've noticed that breaststrokers comes in all sizes and forms, and it seemed that's why some view breaststroke as the most "technically interesting", as in, different, stroke of them all, because genetics has less of a part to play in it...(unfortunately my less than adequate underwater breaststroke does not provide me the experience stated above.. :P)

I think that the longer the distance a freestyle swim is, the less the height thing has an effect. With "perfect technique", the height thing only comes into play during the peak velocity of a short sprint, which is not really reached in distance swim...in sprint swim yes, but then sprint is only a small part of the events available...

[cinc310]

Has anyone ever heard of a 7 foot swimmer at the elite level. The ex-basketball player Kiki Vanderway was once an age group swimmer and held 11-12 year olds backstroke records before he switch from swimming to basketball And he is 6'10. Maybe, height at a certain level you lose your flexabilty and some motor skills for effective swimming.

[gull]

Tim Duncan (7 foot tall power forward for the San Antonio Spurs) was a middle distance swimmer on St. Croix before a hurricane destroyed the pool, at which point he switched to basketball. I believe he had competed at the Junior Olympics. However, he's unusually well coordinated for a big man in the NBA.

[Leonard Jansen]

In freestyle, I seem to recall seeing that physics limits the maximum speed that a person can achieve "on top" of the water and excluding dive/turn effects, to be about 1 body length per second. At higher speeds than this, one has to overcome the bow wave, which comes at a enormous energy cost. Therefore, all other things being equal, a taller person does have an advantage, at least as far as potential top end is concerned.

- LBJ (5'11", distance free type)

[Matt S]

Under the nothing new under the sun category, Napoleon Bonaparte actually had something to say that applies to this discussion:

On the one hand, "God is on the side of the big battalions."

On the other, "The moral is to the physical as three is to one."

I think the answer is that both statements are true, up to a point, and the interesting part is when these factors cut in opposite directions. That is when we get to see the really interesting races. Of course, it is best to be tall AND highly motivated...

Matt

[Fritz]

I would say being tall gives you a potential advantage. Especially at the highest levels of competition where each swimmer is highly trained and fine tuned. In masters swimming I'd say the playing field is more level and the potential advantage can be more easily negated.

[Light]

one body length per second? That'll be, like, 6'5'' per second for the top swimmers! Yikes, 8 second 50 ft swim eh? :P Yes yes I know it's the theoretically maximum... However nobody gets even CLOSE to that speed, so there must be other factors (again, taller swimmers with bigger body parts used in propulsion?) :)

[Light]

I agree with the potential advantage point of view... I mean, sometimes it sickens me (not really, but awes me beyond disbelief) how big some guys can get, and how strong they can get, with no weight training whatsoever... I bet all the mr. strongman competition ppl started out much bigger and stronger than an average joe, and then they worked on it to get even stronger... Sometimes mother nature can be.... helpful... :)

[Phil Arcuni]

What do you need to be a top competitive masters swimmer? The following:

1) A good swimming background as a youth. I know I sound like Ion, but he is correct - how many top ten swimmers in the younger age groups (less than 60 yrs if male, 50 if female) did not swim as youths?

2) Lots of Quality yardage. Lots of yards, and good yards, with a good coach (which may be the swimmer.)

3) Some combination of physical characteristics that put the swimmer outside of average. These can include height, strength, flexibility, big arteries, big feet, strong heart, ability to remove lactic acid, . . .

4) Graceful aging. In the older age groups this may mean just making it. But it also means avoiding serious accidents and diseases, including lifestyle diseases.

The best swimmers need all four, so of course the top swimmers are typically taller and stronger. I am taller than the average american male, but my wife's first comment when she saw me next to Tall Paul and Bill Specht in a 100 fly heat was that "You didn't look like you belonged." (I didn't win, either.)

I think this list is necessary and sufficient. I do not know what people mean by 'heart' (metaphorical) or 'moral', these do not win races. It's easy to give it all in a race and still lose, and easy for the loser to be morally superior or more deserving ethically than the winner, or for the loser to work harder in workouts.

I know it is PC to say that anyone can do it if they work at it, but it is not true.

[cinc310]

Well, it depends upon your swimming generation. In my day back in the 1970's there were no 6'0" women. Shirley Babashoff was a little over 5'10". Her height was not the only advantage to why she was the best US swimmer of the 1970's. She workout harder than most swimmers in practice. Now in the previous generation Debbie Meyer was the Janet Evans of the day. She was at the most 5'6" and won the 200 and 400 and 800 meter freestyles in the 1968 olympics. John Naber came along and male swimmers started being 6'5" and above. And as for childhood swimming, the better swimmers like Shane Gould and Laurie Val when they were younger still dominate against people that didn't make nationals or the olympics. In my age group, I sure that the three top breaststrokers that have most of the records swam in nationals during the early and mid 1970's. And in women I would say its 55 and over genration would be included as well, many of the top 55 to 59 swimmers swam as kids or started master swimming at young ages. Yet, there are some of us who don't make the top ten and swam as kids. Also, the Netherlands that produced Inky and Hoogie also has one of the highest average heights. Males at 5'11" and females at 5"6" and half.

[laineybug]

Hey, some of you statistical guys and gals out there here is a study for you. At the next Master's National have everyone complete a survey with questions such as height, weight, current age, years swimming masters, age at which began swimming masters, years swimming age group, age at which began swimming age group, event(s) times(s), etc. Then throw it all into a regression equation and see what falls out. Humm, you could even get more wild and crazy, with VO2 max, circumfrence of arms, legs, chest, etc.

Lainey

[mattson]

And don't forget body fat percentage, how many hours of sleep they had, what did they eat the night before, how long were they awake before the meet started, are you in a bad mood because your sports team lost, good mood because a teammate just had a great swim, etc.

(Just wanted to point out that there are a lot of variables that can affect your swim.)

[dorothyrd]

Had to laugh at your description of the little Hercules. I swim with a fellow who is a foot taller then me and I am nipping at his heels. Now he is 51 and I am 42, so neither of us are young pups. Yes he gets me at the turns because of height, but I play your game of good streamline and actully catch him before I break the surface because his streamline is not as good. Alas, he then buts his long stroke into play and I then have to catch him at the next turn as well.

I am getting closer, instead of lapping me on the 400 IM, he only beat me by 5 seconds, and on the 500 free the differential is only 15 seconds instead of minutes like it used to be. Yep, I am the pup yapping at his heels!

[laineybug]

didn't think about the mood issue... oh and don't forget shaved/unshaved, length of taper, average yardage during taper, average yardage during regular season practices, type of suit worn during event, practice with fins? type of fins, degree of flexibility of various joints, etc.

Now as motivation to complete this '20 page questionaire' and to submit to all the measurements necessary, there should be a big, hyped social, free to those swimmers who turn in a questionaire at the door. There should also be a drawing from the questionaires for a terrific door prize.

Lainey

[Leonard Jansen]

Instead of a regression equation, it sounds as though a Pearson Correlation Coefficient test would be better.

Even more interesting might be to feed the information into a neural network and then perturb each of the input variables by several percent and see which one(s) give the largest percentage output change.

Sorry - my math/comp sci geekiness is showing...

-LBJ

[laineybug]

But, don't you think that it is more likely to be a combination of variables that best predicts speed... simple correlations wouldn't tell you that.

:confused:

[cinc310]

Well, someone gain on me because they were slightly higher in height on the dive and turn. Also, they were 34 versus my 46 and I sacifice some of the underwater pull in breaststroke in order to have oxigen, I still beat them by 7 seconds in the 100 meter. I just was able to kick into gear more in the last 50 meter and they might have less some speed because they stayed down longer in the underwater pull. It can work both ways from gaining from turns.

[TomBrooklyn]

There can be no doubt certain physical characteristics are advantagous to swimming. I'd guess being tall is generally one of them, since longer vessels are faster in a fluid.

[The Fortress]

Why not just start a new thread instead of necro-posting absolutely everything?

[FindingMyInnerFish]

I'd love to think so, b/c I need all the help I can get (I'm tall for a woman, 5'9"), but I'm still SLOOOOOW... I'd hate to think how much slower I'd be if I were shorter lol!

[Glider]

Thanks, Fort:agree: If you're pushing up daisies *that* old and often...sheesh:snore:



Why not just start a new thread instead of necro-posting absolutely everything?

[BillS]

Why not just start a new thread instead of necro-posting absolutely everything?


I disagree. I appreciate you taking the time to search for what you are looking for, and if a topic is covered in an old post, why not resurrect it? Too many "new" posts plow the same ground plowed in the past -- generally quite thoroughly.

[The Fortress]

I disagree. I appreciate you taking the time to search for what you are looking for, and if a topic is covered in an old post, why not resurrect it? Too many "new" posts plow the same ground plowed in the past -- generally quite thoroughly.

I reference plenty of old threads in new postings if they are pertinent and helpful. Some of this just appears to somewhat like unnecessaryly dragging up many old controversial topics. But whatever. It's a free world and everyone has different posting styles. To each his own.

[david.margrave]

It does, but there are exceptions. I remember as a kid racing a short scrawny-looking dude in the 500 free and before the race thinking I'd have no trouble (I was a tall scrawny-looking dude, used to my height advantage). Well this short kid was an exceptional distance swimmer (5:00 - 5:10 or so at age 13-14) and beat me by quite a bit.

[Jayhawk]

Why not just start a new thread instead of necro-posting absolutely everything?

I've liked reading some of the old threads that have been resurrected. Many of them are discussions I didn't see the first time around.

And I would much rather see someone take the time to read old threads first before starting a new thread on the exact same topic. I wish more people would do that.

Anna Lea

[notsofast]

Should somebody start a thread about thread-starting?:dunno:

[SwimStud]

What a load of man-ure, franlkly,

They said Dave meggett was too small to play NFL, last time I checked he had a superbowl ring.

Plot out the lb for lb and inch for inch stats divided over relevant speeds to confirm that being tall makes you "better." Really, this sort of crap is as bad as racial stereotyping, and "Master race Theories."
Even if it was true, it's obnoxious to believe it makes you better.

There's more to any game than physical appearance.

[TomBrooklyn]

Should somebody start a thread about thread-starting?:dunno:
Hi notsofast,
Nah, just do a search for it--it's been discussed many times before. :wiggle: These just took me a few second to come up with.

http://forums.usms.org/showthread.php?t=3648&highlight=search+discussed

http://forums.usms.org/showthread.php?t=3536&highlight=search+discussed

http://forums.usms.org/showthread.php?t=3098&highlight=search+discussed

http://forums.usms.org/showthread.php?t=7917&highlight=search+discussed

http://forums.usms.org/showthread.php?t=8703&highlight=search+discussed

[islandsox]

Being tall does help on starts and turns; had a gal friend who was 6'2 and she always caught up to me after the turn, but my swimming was faster and I would then pull away in the stretch. But every turn, here she came and I am only 5'8.

On another note, I like people starting new threads even if it contains a lot of the same information as old ones. A lot of new people enjoy participating in a new thread vs just reading the older ones. And usually the older threads are eventually introduced into the new thread making for greater information all-in-one. And a lot more information is usually gained because new people have new questions and new theories about the same older subject.

donna

[TheGoodSmith]

Height is a significant advantage on push offs and streamlines...... but that's about it.

[hofffam]

Streamline benefits should be present throughout a swim - not just off of walls. Better body position, less drag from the water itself, etc. should be possible with a slender, taller body since the primary water resistance occurs in front of the body - which is about the same size for tall or less tall people.

I can't prove it - but I think taller people have larger hands and feet - which is goodness in swimming.

[SwimStud]

Streamline benefits should be present throughout a swim - not just off of walls. Better body position, less drag from the water itself, etc. should be possible with a slender, taller body since the primary water resistance occurs in front of the body - which is about the same size for tall or less tall people.

I can't prove it - but I think taller people have larger hands and feet - which is goodness in swimming.

Dan, "should" and "in general" are not absolutes. I just don't want to see height = good/better swimmer being purported as an absolute. I'm sure even at my average height, I've beaten larger opponents and shorter opponents alike.

A) It insults anyone who isn't of a certain height as being inferior (worrying).
B) It insults those taller swimmers who have trained just as hard as anyone else to get where they are, and hollows their victories over shorter opponents.

What next USMS age and height groups?
Asterisks if you're under 5'10" or over 6'1"?

I would agree that height/slenderness may help more in free and back (or starts and turns as noted) but be of less significance in the cross axis strokes that us "power dwarves" do better in. Sadly though, to put one phsyical attribute up as a paramount attribute is bunk, and flatly insulting to many hardworking athletes. Many things go into a race and I don't see the NBA rosters emptying out to take up spots in the olympic swimming team if height is the big advantage.
To me it's along the lines of like white men can't jump and black people can't swim. Utter twaddle.

It seems a lot of narrowminded crap is being dredged up from the past of late...

[The Fortress]

It seems a lot of narrowminded crap is being dredged up from the past of late...

That's an understatement. :blah:

To paraphrase Bill Bowerman, it's not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog.

[Jayhawk]

What next USMS age and height groups?
Asterisks if you're under 5'10" or over 6'1"?


Woo hoo!! Yes!! (I'm 5'1" tall)

Anna Lea

[SwimStud]

Woo hoo!! Yes!! (I'm 5'1" tall)

Anna Lea

Good things come in small packages Anna Lea....

[aquageek]

Anyone who thinks being tall doesn't give you a general advantage hasn't been to any sports event lately. There's only one major sport I can think of where the vast majority of competitors aren't tall and that's golf, although Woods is 6'1" and Mickelson 6'2", and NASCAR (for you gull). There are obvious exceptions (Megget is a good one) but, by and large, today's athletes are taller, bigger, faster and stronger. Average NFL height is 6'2", NHL is 6'1", NBA is 6'7", MLB is 6'1" (although I'm not certain on that source).

Phelps - 6'4"
Pierson - 6'4"
Lochte - 6'2"
Beard - 5'9"

I think Randy Newman said it best and all you midgets know what he said.

[Rob Copeland]

The question wasn’t about absolutes it was Does being tall give you an advantage? At the elite level it appears that the answer is YES. Looking at the USA men’s national team, only Eric Vendt (1500 Free) is under 6 feet, 5’11”, and the men’s team has an average height around 6’4”. FYI 6’4” is tall by most standards

“Even if it was true, it's obnoxious to believe it makes you better..” ??? Who said anything about height making you better? Height, flexibility, strength, buoyancy, (dare I say VO2max), as well as other factors provide physical advantages and disadvantages for an athlete. Physical attributes play a part in what we can and can not do, they aren’t paramount, as some may suggest, but they are a factor. However I believe the human spirit and personal determination are also factors It is what we do with these that determines our performance.

Ian Crocker – 6’5”
Brendon (Lil'B) Hanson – 6’0”
Cullen Jones – 6’5”
Klete Keller – 6’6”
Randall Bal – 6’3”
Jason Lezack – 6’4”
Ryan Lochte – 6’2”
Michael Phelps – 6’4”
Ben Wildman-Tobriner – 6’4”


Darn, Geek beat me to the post.

[SwimStud]

I just protested the uses of a generalisation to build the case for an absolute. That's OK though. SO the determining factor is height. Tall folks, feel free to not train so hard.

This is what happens when old flamey material gets dredged up for the sake of it. My point on that has been proven. Thank you all for playing.

:D

(Horrors I used a z where an s should be)

[aquageek]

This is what happens when old flamey material gets dredged up.

C'mon, Frodo, where's the normally fun filled witty person we know and love?

[SwimStud]

C'mon, Frodo, where's the normally fun filled witty person we know and love?

Who says I'm not laughing? Besides Dumb-ledore, I already admitted to being a power dwarf, which means you should have used Gimli.

Edited for clarity.

[SwimStud]

Darn, Geek beat me to the post.

He must be taller than you...

[aquageek]

Who says I'm not laughing? Besides Dumbledore (you can read that however you want) I already admitted to being a power dwarf, which means you should have used Gimli.

I'm not that big of a geek, no idea what you are talking about. Go back to your afternoon session of Dungeons and Dragons.

[SwimStud]

I'm not that big of a geek, no idea what you are talking about. Go back to your afternoon session of Dungeons and Dragons.

Your Momma wears combat boots...I mean if we're going playground...
LOL

[ensignada]

Gentlemen. Really.

Haven't you all learned yet that size only matters to those who don't have it?

Just go behind the school with a ruler, measure and be done with it.

[3strokes]

:D

(Horrors I used a z where a s should be)

How did you pronounce "z"? :wave:

[SwimStud]

How did you pronounce "z"? :wave:

The way it's meant to be pronounced.

[The Fortress]

I'm not that big of a geek, no idea what you are talking about. Go back to your afternoon session of Dungeons and Dragons.

Ever the antagonist. You needn't be tall for elite gymnastics or diving or running. Probably not NASCAR either.

Unquestionably, height gives you an advantage in swimming. Being somewhat height challenged myself, I find you just gotta use what you got. :thhbbb::thhbbb:

[hofffam]

I wish I could find it again but an old article about cycling said the cyclists with the very highest VO2 capability were smaller than average. I suppose a physiological reason - such as the heart doesn't have to pump blood as far - exists to explain this.

Gymnasts in general are small because it is easier to make a smaller, lighter, body spin and tumble.

Race car drivers are not huge because that extra weight and height is a disadvantage for power to weight ratio and to fit in some very small cockpits.

Etc....

There will always be exceptions to these kinds of things - but I think it is clear height is an advantage for swimmers if not a sure-fire predictor of performance.

I'm 5'8 and I know I've beaten a fair number of people taller than me. I've also been beaten by many older and fatter than me. Damn.....

[stussy96]

I've brought this up before in previous threads.

In summary of my swimming knowledge...

I'm a girl.
I'm about 5'11.
I was AVERAGE height on my college team (all girls, D1 school). We had quite a few girls 6-6'3.
I was beaten by people taller than me.
I was beaten by people shorter than me.
I also beat people both taller and shorter than me.

Now I'm swimming USMS, and I know there are plenty of people both taller and shorter (and older) than me that can whoop me in a race.

All in all, height can help, but if you're fast you're fast. And if you're slow you're slow. Hate to be blunt about it. Just because I'm nearly 6ft tall doesn't mean I can beat someone shorter than me that puts in as much effort as me in the pool.

Speed, height, technique and practice volume...it's all relative!

[Allen Stark]

Being taller gives you an advantage in the long axis strokes because longer ships are faster(hull speed.) It is not as big a factor in short axis strokes as the undulation can disturb the bow wave.Judging by who I can beat LCM but not(yet) SCY being tall is an advantage on the turns(although SDK mitigates against the height advantage in BK and Fly.) The height advantage can be overcome of course by training,technique and power.(Once you go faster than hull speed,wave drag goes up as the cube of speed,but it goes up as the square of speed for form drag so if you are stronger and more streamlined you can be short and faster.)

[Swimmer Bill]

I didn't think being tall was an advantage until I saw "Midget Mac" trying to swim on last week's episode of "I Love New York 2".

[ande]

size matters
most world class 100 freestylers are 6'3" or taller
shape matters
technique matters
conditioning matters
strength matters
flexibility matters


I was wondering if being tall gives you an advantage in swimming because alot of the olympic male swimmers today are over 6 feet.

What do you guys think?
:D

[The Fortress]

size matters
most world class 100 freestylers are 6'3" or taller
shape matters
technique matters
conditioning matters
strength matters
flexibility matters

So for non-elite masters swimmers, it's a total crapshoot. I'm sticking by what Allen Stark just said, hard though the science was to decipher, and my SDKs. Just so I beat Team Flaky Fish.

[stussy96]

I didn't think being tall was an advantage until I saw "Midget Mac" trying to swim on last week's episode of "I Love New York 2".

I caught that on The Soup, which is by far the best thing on TV right now.

I'm quite sure I can beat Midget Mac in a race. Unless it's a race to drown on a popped floatie, then I'll let him win.

[Swimmer Bill]

I caught that on The Soup, which is by far the best thing on TV right now.

I'm quite sure I can beat Midget Mac in a race. Unless it's a race to drown on a popped floatie, then I'll let him win.

I'm glad I'm not the only one here who watches and loves The Soup! I wonder if anyone else listens to Lil' Kim?

...oh yeah, this is about height...sorry...yeah, I think height could be an advantage...

(But I'm still cheering for Midget Mac)

[notsofast]

A while back someone linked to a statistical study of elite swimmers that concluded close to what Allan said. (These conclusions are what I remember and might not be complete or perfectly accurate. Sorry don't have time to find the link.)
- Height helps, particularly among male sprinters.
- Wingspan really helps, particularly among sprinters.
- Height makes less of a difference in breaststroke and IM.
- I think there was something about short legs helping in backstroke.
(That said, I'm 6'2" with a 75 inch wingspan and just about everybody who posts could beat me, because I'm lacking in just about everything else - flexibility, upper body strength, technique, etc.)
Now I've always thought that your kick was helped by wide feet - though I've never seen it studied. That would help me rationalize having a lousy kick with a 12B foot.

[SwimStud]

A while back someone linked to a statistical study of elite swimmers that concluded close to what Allan said. (These conclusions are what I remember and might not be complete or perfectly accurate. Sorry don't have time to find the link.)
- Height helps, particularly among male sprinters.
- Wingspan really helps, particularly among sprinters.
- Height makes less of a difference in breaststroke and IM.
- I think there was something about short legs helping in backstroke.
(That said, I'm 6'2" with a 75 inch wingspan and just about everybody who posts could beat me, because I'm lacking in just about everything else - flexibility, upper body strength, technique, etc.)
Now I've always thought that your kick was helped by wide feet - though I've never seen it studied. That would help me rationalize having a lousy kick with a 12B foot.

It's kind of what I was driving at all along. Since this is a masters forum, I had masters in mind...

[swimmieAvsFan]

A while back someone linked to a statistical study of elite swimmers that concluded close to what Allan said. (These conclusions are what I remember and might not be complete or perfectly accurate. Sorry don't have time to find the link.)
- Height helps, particularly among male sprinters.
- Wingspan really helps, particularly among sprinters.
- Height makes less of a difference in breaststroke and IM.
- I think there was something about short legs helping in backstroke.
(That said, I'm 6'2" with a 75 inch wingspan and just about everybody who posts could beat me, because I'm lacking in just about everything else - flexibility, upper body strength, technique, etc.)
Now I've always thought that your kick was helped by wide feet - though I've never seen it studied. That would help me rationalize having a lousy kick with a 12B foot.

not short legs, per se. that comment was in relation to IMers. backstrokers tended to have a longer torso compared to IMers, but we're talking about an average of 5cm for women. for men, it's 13cm. the only reason that backstroke is mentioned is because, when compared to IM, the difference is statistically significant... comparing backstroke to the other strokes, the difference is not significant...

this study was done on 2000 OT qualifiers. who knows what kind of data would show up with more recent qualifiers, or for masters...

but here's the link, if anyone is interested...
http://www.usaswimming.org/USASWeb/DesktopDefault.aspx?TabId=234&Alias=Rainbow&Lang=en

[stussy96]

I have really narrow feet, so that may explain my crappy kicking.

I have a massive armspan, so that would explain my sprinting and awesome pullingskills.


A while back someone linked to a statistical study of elite swimmers that concluded close to what Allan said. (These conclusions are what I remember and might not be complete or perfectly accurate. Sorry don't have time to find the link.)
- Height helps, particularly among male sprinters.
- Wingspan really helps, particularly among sprinters.
- Height makes less of a difference in breaststroke and IM.
- I think there was something about short legs helping in backstroke.
(That said, I'm 6'2" with a 75 inch wingspan and just about everybody who posts could beat me, because I'm lacking in just about everything else - flexibility, upper body strength, technique, etc.)
Now I've always thought that your kick was helped by wide feet - though I've never seen it studied. That would help me rationalize having a lousy kick with a 12B foot.

[SwimStud]

II have a massive armspan...

This will also be a great asset when you have kids...

[Rob Copeland]

- Height helps, particularly among male sprinters.
- Wingspan really helps, particularly among sprinters.
I guess it depends in your definition of a sprinter. Being 6’3” with an 84” arm span should give me sprinting advantages, but unless sprinting extends up to around 10-15K (any swim that doesn’t require feeding stops should be classified as a sprint) I think other generic and training factors come into play. At least they do for me.



This will also be a great asset when you have kids...It’s also an asset in painting ceilings and changing lightbulbs.

[notsofast]

I Being 6’3” with an 84” arm span should give me sprinting advantages.
Wow - is that a typo? 84" is seven feet.

[hofffam]

Those of you that are tall, but say you are slow.....

...I think you would be even slower if you were short.

[SwimStud]

Those of you that are tall, but say you are slow.....

...I think you would be even slower if you were short.

Powerdwarves: It's about strong glutes and a mean disposition...
:lmao:

[Rob Copeland]

Wow - is that a typo? 84" is seven feet.Not a typo, 7 foot arm span. Buying shirts and suits off-the-rack is not an option.

[ensignada]

Those of you that are tall, but say you are slow.....

...I think you would be even slower if you were short.



And I think you're being rude, no matter what size you are. People are as tall or short as they are and have to swim with what they've got. Period.

Hasn't this been discussed to death now?:dedhorse::dedhorse::dedhorse:

[stussy96]

Not a typo, 7 foot arm span. Buying shirts and suits off-the-rack is not an option.

My arm span is 6ft...for a girl that's crazy. I was thrilled when the extra long sleeves was in fashion for girls. Things actually fit me.

I feel your pain for not finding things that fit. My inseam is 35", too bad it's hard to find any pants that are long enough. When I find some, I buy in bulk.

I'm also convinced my legs are too long for me to kick well. They're always getting tangled up with each other.

[poolraat]

Those of you that are tall, but say you are slow.....

...I think you would be even slower if you were short.


Uh.....that would be me. :wave:

[TheGoodSmith]

If one more person mentions NASCAR in reference to a "sport", I think I'm going to puke.

I would categorize synchronized swimming as having more true elements of a "sport" than NASCAR.


John Smith

[The Fortress]

If one more person mentions NASCAR in reference to a "sport", I think I'm going to puke.

I would categorize synchronized swimming as having more true elements of a "sport" than NASCAR.


John Smith

I wasn't meaning to refer to it as a sport. I was responding tongue in cheek to a Geek post. He likes his NASCAR, as you'll soon see. So no need to puke.

Uh, syncronized swimming is pretty hard though.

[aquageek]

If one more person mentions NASCAR in reference to a "sport", I think I'm going to puke.

You catch the Martinsville race last weekend?

[FlyQueen]

My arm span is 6ft...for a girl that's crazy. I was thrilled when the extra long sleeves was in fashion for girls. Things actually fit me.

I feel your pain for not finding things that fit. My inseam is 35", too bad it's hard to find any pants that are long enough. When I find some, I buy in bulk.

I'm also convinced my legs are too long for me to kick well. They're always getting tangled up with each other.

I'm 5'2" with a 5'6" wingspan ... also VERY fun finding clothes.

[TheGoodSmith]

We need to cut lose the Carolinas, Mississippi and Alabama and set them a drift in the Atlantic. They can compete as individual nations for the NASCAR world championships.


John Smith

[hofffam]

And I think you're being rude, no matter what size you are. People are as tall or short as they are and have to swim with what they've got. Period.

Hasn't this been discussed to death now?:dedhorse::dedhorse::dedhorse:

No offense intended. The title of this thread is "Does being tall give you an advantage." I think there is general consensus that the answer is yes. I'm 5'8" and am doing the the best I can with my height as is. Not considering HGH or height increasing surgery. But I'm pretty sure I'd be a faster swimmer if I were 6'0".

[aquageek]

We need to cut lose the Carolinas, Mississippi and Alabama and set them a drift in the Atlantic. They can compete as individual nations for the NASCAR world championships.


John Smith

I'll give it up for Smith, comedy gold there. I'm gonna take Georgia with us also, love them dawgs.

[Rob Copeland]

I'll give it up for Smith, comedy gold there. I'm gonna take Georgia with us also, love them dawgs. And the Atlanta Motor speedway?:drink: :drink: :drink: :drink: :drink: :drink: :drink: :drink:

[Michael Heather]

NASCAR racing is a sport. Winners are the first to finish a race. It just isn't very athletic. Although I am not a huge fan (and do not particularly understand those with 3 and 8 on the back window of their truck), I only wish USMS had the kind of following and sponsor support the door slammers get.

I am 6'2" and have a wingspan of 28". I look like a windup toy in the water with my arms spinning around. :drown:

[swimr4life]

I'll give it up for Smith, comedy gold there. I'm gonna take Georgia with us also, love them dawgs.


Here fishy fishy. Chomp, chomp.:rolleyes:

[fanstone]

Pretty much cultural, the motor racing. Here in Brazil no one knows about Nascar. They only know about Indy and the similar because of some brazilians who FAIL the Formula One circuit, going there and winning all. We particularly like Formula One, which is far better and more elegant than the ovals. Myself and Amanda Beard like the Moto GP, with Valentino Rossi and the likes. But then, Amanda Beard and I, we ride motorcycles, although my breaststroke is for resting from fast fly or free intervals, while hers is the speed type....hehehe...billy (Suzuki V-Strom 1000) fanstone

[Rob Copeland]

I am 6'2" and have a wingspan of 28". I look like a windup toy in the water with my arms spinning around. :drown:Artist’s rendering...

[Swimmer Bill]

OMG, too funny! I'm 6'4 with a 78" wing span, but I measured it myself so I might be off by an inch or two.

:angel:

[Lisa777]

I didn't read the other replies but this 5' 2 3/4" swimmer says, "yes!" Unfortunately, yes. Each start, each turn, a taller person has a big advantage. I believe there has not ever been a woman shorter than Janet Evans in the Olympics. She was 5'4" (an inch and a quarter taller than me.) I don't think this is coincidental that other shorter women haven't been in the Olympics. I think more than overall height, body height is very important (I have a very long torso which might be why I did well in swimming even though I am shorter) and also arm length. There are other physical traits that count a lot--lung capacity, flexibility, and muhc more all give big advantages. I had a lot of these others, just not the height.

[Blackbeard's Peg]

The study SwimmieAvsFan referenced is very interesting if y'all get a chance to look through it.

I went through one day and took all my measurements and put them against the findings. Since we're talking about height, my 6'0" height hit the Freestyle distance swimmer right on the bullseye. I'd say that was pretty accurate.
Armspan-wise, 74 inches (6'2"), at the bottom of most armspans, but good for warm hugs in cold weather :bighug:
Thighs, calfs and vert lead me to fly. Again, pretty accurate.