Body proportion and swimming advantage

RE: Body proportion and swimming advantage

Former Member — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 12:34:46 GMT

i got myself measured out recently, im 16 with height of 6'0, wingspan of 6'2, feet size 12 (UK size), chest size 40'', slightly webbed toes, long hands, waist 29''. sounds like pretty good genetics :) i guess the whole body proportion thing helps but its no excuse if u dont have it not to be a good swimmer - im pretty sure eric vendt isnt very tall...

RE: Body proportion and swimming advantage

Former Member — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 13:55:51 GMT

I think I'm the only person I know who can claim to be "agile" and yet trip walking on a flat floor. :D

RE: Body proportion and swimming advantage

Former Member — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 16:31:46 GMT

I have size 11 EEEE feet. Paddle power! Wow, you probably have never fallen on the ground! :D Born-to-be swimmer!

RE: Body proportion and swimming advantage

Former Member — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 06:11:07 GMT

At 6'0" I usually find myself in the low-to-mid area in terms of height. On the up-side, I have size 11 EEEE feet. Paddle power!

RE: Body proportion and swimming advantage

Former Member — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 16:28:20 GMT

If your worried about height then sleep and eat more but yes it is better to be tall

RE: Body proportion and swimming advantage

swim4me — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 07:08:51 GMT

Does being too tall give one a kind of loneliness that other people don't experience? I have been 6' tall since 12. It feels wierd for me to be around lots of tall people. I am not used to looking up to talk to someone. Back in the 70's there were not a lot of 6' tall 12 year old girls. It was lonely at times, but I have since made up for it.:applaud:

RE: Body proportion and swimming advantage

Former Member — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 06:15:21 GMT

Never thought of it that way, but that might explain a lot:) When you look around trying to find someone to talk to, you don't see anyone. Shorties are never lonely :D Correction: Shorties can only talk to people's pants :D

RE: Body proportion and swimming advantage

Former Member — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 16:21:12 GMT

In my day-to-day life outside of the pool, I rarely look people in the eye ... Does being too tall give one a kind of loneliness that other people don't experience?

RE: Body proportion and swimming advantage

Patrick W. Brundage — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 11:54:11 GMT

Does being too tall give one a kind of loneliness that other people don't experience? Never thought of it that way, but that might explain a lot:)

RE: Body proportion and swimming advantage

Patrick W. Brundage — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 05:39:31 GMT

It's good to be taller in general, however best to be very effective in the water. --mj I think this is the right viewpoint and I think the other comments around length being more of an advantage in long axis strokes also holds true. I'm tall (6'4") and am always reminded of how much height CAN be an advantage when I show up to a Nationals meet and see guys my size or bigger. In my day-to-day life outside of the pool, I rarely look people in the eye ... in the last heats of my freestyle events, I'm almost always looking people in the eye (or up to guys like Tall Paul). Some ballpark stats from the current roster of 35 guys on the Texas men's swim team (I excluded the divers): Only 3 under 6 feet ... and they're each listed as 5'10 Average height of 6'2" Max height of 6'7" Upper quartile is 6'4" I bet if you pulled down stats from most of the Top 10 Division I teams, you'd see relatively similar numbers. With that said, I have been constantly beaten throughout my swimming life by guys who are shorter to much shorter than me. For some reason, that bugs me more than getting beaten by someone taller than me. There are so many more factors at play ...

RE: Body proportion and swimming advantage

aquaFeisty — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 05:09:39 GMT

I remember reading somewhere that Brian Goodell was the last male freestyler under 6 ft tall to hold a world record, at any distance (freestyle only).

RE: Body proportion and swimming advantage

Allen Stark — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 05:01:59 GMT

Kitajima was 5'8" in 2004.Did he grow or is this the typical exaggeration of most "official" sports personnel height?

RE: Body proportion and swimming advantage

tjrpatt — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 10:43:32 GMT

From what I seen, it really doesn't matter what body type women are. I trained with a bulky backstroker and a very skinny backstroke, both made Senior National Cuts. I trained with a short breatstrokers and tall breaststroker, both of whom made at least Junior National cuts. The tall one made the NCAA Div I champs. I am sure that the little breaststroker wasn't too happy about that one. Look at Janet Evans, she was this little thing in 1988 beating the crap out of those East German Women.

RE: Body proportion and swimming advantage

Former Member — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 17:30:23 GMT

results.beijing2008.cn/.../8001775.shtml results.beijing2008.cn/.../223920.shtml results.beijing2008.cn/.../228046.shtml results.beijing2008.cn/.../223918.shtml results.beijing2008.cn/.../221925.shtml results.beijing2008.cn/.../222070.shtml

RE: Body proportion and swimming advantage

Former Member — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 13:34:11 GMT

calbears.cstv.com/.../douglas_miller00.html Ok, that's 5'8". Also it's said Janet Evans is 5'6". Anyone shorter?

RE: Body proportion and swimming advantage

Former Member — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 13:20:34 GMT

calbears.cstv.com/.../douglas_miller00.html

RE: Body proportion and swimming advantage

elise526 — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 09:38:34 GMT

Angel Martino, a captain of the U.S.women's swim team at the 1996 Olympics and triple gold medalist, is 5'4."

RE: Body proportion and swimming advantage

tjrpatt — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 08:40:06 GMT

I remember on my college team, we had one 200 flyer who looked like the prototype flyer (muscular, big shoulders), the other was a short skinny kid. They both had great flexibility and technique (efficiency). I'd say that is the common factor. The body type for 200 flyer always seems to change(within the last 16 years). Mel Stewart looked like the prototype butterflyer and then you had Tom Malchow with his tall skinny frame. Phelps is sort on the Malchow line of 200 butterflyers but more muscular. Back in the day(Mid 1990s), I felt that I was more in line with the Stewart line of 200 butterflyers. When Malchow came unto the scene, the Stewart line was out like the cherry curl. With Stovall coming to the scene, maybe there is a resurgence of the prototype 200 flyer. Side note: I am in no way comparing what I look like today as the prototype 200 flyer. I am look more of a prototype football Middle Linebacker.

RE: Body proportion and swimming advantage

mattson — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 06:15:59 GMT

RE: Body proportion and swimming advantage

swimmj — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 11:15:33 GMT

Long axis swimmers (back and free) are more likely to be long legged. Short axis swimmers (fly and ***) are often have longer torsos, and are not quite so tall overall. General rule, many exceptions exist. It's good to be taller in general, however best to be very effective in the water. --mj

RE: Body proportion and swimming advantage

Allen Stark — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 10:32:17 GMT

While there have been shorter swimmers in the past,I'd guess the shortest current WR holder among men is Kitajima at 5'8".

RE: Body proportion and swimming advantage

Former Member — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 07:59:17 GMT

Does anyone know the shortest Olympian or World champion swimmer? What is the height?

RE: Body proportion and swimming advantage

srcoyote — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 05:25:19 GMT

Long everything is good for swimming. Look at the best. They all have long torsos, long legs, and super long arms. Michael Phelps even has long feet. And the only part that should be wide is the shoulders. *** strokers get away with out having to be so long, though. I have proportionately long limbs and wide shoulders but am too thick about the trunk. Of course, some of that is due to my affinity for beer and burgers, and I like to think that gives me a competitve advantage in open water swimming when the water gets cold. Of course, I got run over by some thinner people at the Big Shoulders this year.:chug:

RE: Body proportion and swimming advantage

Mookie — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 01:58:08 GMT

The evil stroke? Which one is evil for you? For me, fly is technically easy but hard endurance wise. Back stroke, I drown. *** and Free, easy.

RE: Body proportion and swimming advantage

elise526 — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 01:24:12 GMT

One thing that I can tell you DOES NOT help is being small-boned or medium-boned for your height. If the part of your arm from your wrist to your elbow is small, you have a much smaller "paddle" with which to pull yourself through the water. Also, if you have small feet for your height, that makes your fin smaller - a women's size 8 narrow foot on my almost 5'10" height does not give me any advantage whatsoever. The only thing I'm blessed with for swimming is good core strength.