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Being tall an advantage?


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I said being tall!... Not a giant!

Well, this one way to make friends. :whistle:

Yeah, 6'6" is very tall, but not abnormal tall. I have one playing partner who is somewhere between 6'8" to 6'10". He says he's only 6'8", but needs to duck down 2"-3" to get through doors.

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I would say that 6'6" is abnormal tall. I'm 6'4" and I think of someone my height as being at the uppermost limit of normal, meaning we can get clothes that fit at most clothing stores. Once you get past that then it gets difficult. You'll come across someone my height almost every day, but a guy 6'5"+ not as frequently.

Colin P.

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I'm 6'6" tall.

The answer to the OP's question is: no.

I disagree.  Assuming you're equally skilled as someone who is, for example, 5'8 you'll hit the ball further, it's simple physics.

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I disagree.  Assuming you're equally skilled as someone who is, for example, 5'8 you'll hit the ball further, it's simple physics.

Sure, if you use the all other things equal argument. However, it's easier for someone who is 5'8" to swing the club effectively than someone who is 6'6". Others have stated this, as well.

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I disagree.  Assuming you're equally skilled as someone who is, for example, 5'8 you'll hit the ball further, it's simple physics.

By your very own statement, they are equally skilled. How is the taller person going to have an advantage?

If all else is equal, and flexibility is not an issue, there is no real decisive advantage of being taller in golf. What most people are saying about height not making too significant an difference is attested to by the fact that the average height in the PGA is 5'11".

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I disagree.  Assuming you're equally skilled as someone who is, for example, 5'8 you'll hit the ball further, it's simple physics.

Which is why 6'3" Keegan Bradley and 6'4" Matt Kuchar out drive 5'9" Rory McIlroy... oh wait. Of course 6'4" Bubba Watson leads in driving distance.

Then comes:

2 - 6'4" Dustin Johnson

3 - 6'2" Nicolas Colsaerts

3 - 5'10" Louis Oosthuizeen

5 - 5'11" JB Holmes

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I think he's just trying to say that they could theoretically hit the ball father.

Sure, it does have some merit. However, a person who is flexible and strong with lots of fast twitch muscles can probably drive as far as taller and larger people with medium amounts of fast twitch muscle.

Not sure what the distribution of people matching the characteristics I just stated are relative to tall people with medium amounts of fast twitch muscle.

So, I can't really draw any conclusion.

Which is why 6'3" Keegan Bradley and 6'4" Matt Kuchar out drive 5'9" Rory McIlroy... oh wait. Of course 6'4" Bubba Watson leads in driving distance.

Then comes:

2 - 6'4" Dustin Johnson

3 - 6'2" Nicolas Colsaerts

3 - 5'10" Louis Oosthuizeen

5 - 5'11" JB Holmes


They out drove Gary Woodland all day too, but Gary Woodland was playing from the fairway most of the time. It's not just a driving contest, but a game of low scores.

They looked pretty well matched to me, it's not like the taller people score 10 shots lower than the field. The low shooters are a random mix of tall and short people.

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By your very own statement, they are equally skilled. How is the taller person going to have an advantage?

If all else is equal, and flexibility is not an issue, there is no real decisive advantage of being taller in golf. What most people are saying about height not making too significant an difference is attested to by the fact that the average height in the PGA is 5'11".

It's already been explained, longer radius = faster clubhead speed.  I don't care if the long hitters are a mix of short and tall people, that's just a sign of differing skill sets and not an indictment against height.  Anyway, the simple answer is yes being tall is an advantage, the same way it's an advantage in basketball.  Just because you lose to someone shorter than you doesn't make it less of an advantage.

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I'm 5'-6" if I stretch a bit. It has advantages and disadvantages. Technique is more important than height IMO.

Sure, this should be an established fact. There are two conversations. One that is saying that being tall is an advantage because taller people can drive farther. The other one was addressed by what you just stated.


I think fast twitch muscle is key to driving potential.

I know an Asian guy who is 6'3" with long arms and legs and a European guys who is 5'7" (maybe 5'6"?). This statement is kind of breaks some stereotypes, I'm sure. In any case, the tall Asian guy drives about 250 yards. The shorter European guy drives 300 yards. I also have met a huge dude, who regularly drives 400+ yards. I only know of a person who is 5'11" and 160 pounds sopping wet, and also drives 400+ yards.

The long hitters come in all shapes and sizes and from all races, I don't think "tall" is the common factor, but the amount of flexible and controllable fast twitch muscle one posses.

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Most of the long drive competitors are big chaps! But like I said, I was mainly referring to amateur golfers! I doubt a tall guy will get an advantage on par 3's, but for 5's & long par 4's, these holes are considerably shorter for them than smaller guy! It doesn't automatically make them better players! But their does offer an advantage I think off the tee AND approach shots!

Gaz Lee

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Most of the long drive competitors are big chaps!

And Jamie Sadlowski is 5'10". :)

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Does being tall in height give an advantage? ...the taller ones are the big hitters, up to 40 yards longer on drives, and hitting 8irons over 150yrds, and although we're all capable of beating each other, the taller guys tend to win more, and I don't think this is coincidence!  Just wondering what others views are of this?

I am 6'3" and I have been trying to figure out this question for more than 50 years.  Here are my conclusions...

The major advantage of being tall allows the golfer to create a larger arc in their swing, thus, generating more clubhead speed and, theoretically, longer distances and more height to their shots for softer approaches.

But, I also know that the shorter golfer has shorter arms which can move more quickly through the hitting zone, thus creating addtional clubhead speed which, in turn, nullifies the advantage of being tall. So, being tall does NOT necessarily mean longer distances. (Jamie Sadlowski, long drive champion, is 5'11" and has a clubhead speed of over 145 mph.)

Where I think the real advantage lies is being short. Think about going up in an airplane. The higher you go, the smaller things on the ground appear.

The same is true for golfers. Tall golfers' eyes are farther from the ground, and consequently, farther from the ball. This would lead to the conclusion that the ball would seems smaller to the tall golfer. If a study were done of who strikes the ball more solidly on the clubface, I would venture to say that shorter golfers might be the winner because they perceive the ball to be a larger target than the tall golfer. Those of us who golf with any regularity understand that more bad shots are created by off-center hits on the golf club. Thus, the advantage goes to the shorter golfer, since they are seeing a larger ball to hit.

In addition, since almost half of the shots in any round are taken on the green, I think the same can be said for putting. The shorter putter sees a larger ball, a larger cup and their eyes are closer to the line of the putt.

In conclusion, let's look at 11 of the all-time great golfers and their height...

Gary Player - 5' 6"

Lee Trevino - 5' 7"

Bobby Jones - 5' 8"

Tom Watson - 5' 9"

Ben Hogan - 5' 9"

Jack Nicklaus - 5' 10"

Arnold Palmer - 5' 10"

Sam Snead - 5' 11"

Tiger Woods - 6' 1"

Phil Mickelson - 6' 3"

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