Does Being Tall Offer Advantages in Pool?

Island Drive said:
I'd say no, we've been together Allot over the yrs he even stayed here for awhile.
6' 4'' be my guess.
Judd Trumps 5'11'' he appears taller.
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The height does diminish with age. I still think I am 5'10 And 3/4. Call it 5'11. Probably less than ....measured and exactly 5'9 and 3/4.
"It ain't the size of the dog in the fight. It's the size of the fight on the dog."
Old Dogs tend to be selective in finding the fight is my add den dumb. 🤷‍♂️
 
20251002_065925.jpg
There we go, I Am 5'11 again. 😉
 
jay helfert said:
Good looking stance, a little Rempe like, except his legs were spread even wider. All of you just remember these words of wisdom from the great Lou Butera, "Pool is a game of stances and bridges!" By that he meant there is no one "right" way to stand or bridge over the ball. What works for you may not work for someone else. Long ago when I had serious students of the game, one of the things I encouraged them to do was the find a player whose style you liked, typically someone of similar stature to you. Watch carefully how they play, how they get down on the balls, what stance they use, how they move the cue ball around the table, etc.

As for me, moreso than the champions it was some road men whose game I liked and tried to copy. Gabby for one, who I loved to watch and also gambled against when he came to my room. Frisco Dave Piona had a very effortless and relaxed game that I tried to emulate as well. We also started out gambling against each other. Most of the champion players didn't fit me for one reason or another. Probably among the Filipino players the one who stood out for me was Andam, who became my close friend. His game was so efficient and smooth. It never looked like he was doing anything hard. NO, I never gambled with him! He was far out of my league.
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Other players' strokes that stand out to me the most
Dani Sanchez
Rafael Martinez

Both have extremely little body English. I try my hardest to emulate this.
 
Anyway, the point I am trying to make is that I am a strong advocate for mobility training. Tall people aren't known for their flexibility. This can easily be overcome with mobility training which starts with stretching and strengthening muscles around your hip and shoulder joints. This will fix a tight back and tight hamstrings and bring balance back to your body for long pool playing sessions.

Dr. Dave's videos on occupational therapy are a great start, but we really need to be a bit more active in order to strengthen and balance the over/under worked muscle groups.

8 Minute Stretching Routine For People Who AREN’T Flexible!​


The following ten squat progressions help solve years of joint pain in adults from the age of 25...all the way to 83
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Ten Squat Progressions To Help Solve Years Of Joint Pain — Solving Pain With Strength | Dr. Carl Baird

The squat is one of the best movements to improve mobility and strength in adults as they age. Click here to learn 10 squat progressions to match any ability level.
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dr_dave said:
Can anybody else think of additional advantages or disadvantages concerning being tall or short in pool (other than what is already covered in the video)?

One I should have included was: It is easier for tall people to reach over the side of the table with more reach.
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Its easier to see the money posted on top of the light when playing for the cheddar, probably the most important of all advantages in height. :) :)
 
In all seriousness I would say taller people have an advantage if we are comparing people in very good physical shape. Tall people can get lower on shots but shorter people cant get taller on shots that require height and reach.
 
nataddrho said:
Other players' strokes that stand out to me the most
Dani Sanchez
Rafael Martinez

Both have extremely little body English. I try my hardest to emulate this.
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If you'd like to see someone who had zero body english, check out a Kim Davenport video. He was solid as a rock from start to finish. No one else quite like The Kimmer.
 
Just now listening to a retired general speaking on the different abilities of men and women in combat. I suspect it would be a political foe paw if I link it. 🤷‍♂️ Legal AF on youtube is my source.
I find the discussion analogous to this tall vs short discussion.
The fact that men and women possess different strengths and abilities makes certain tasks easier for one than the other. Both possess skills that are important and need to be utilized accordingly..
A personal story (imagine that from me 😉 ):
When I had my best finish in the White Spot tournament, one of my first victories was over Gerald. In the next White Spot big event 6 months later I got run over by his wife Suzy 7-2. She missed 2 balls and that's how I got 2. I didn't miss a ball. 🤷‍♂️ Mental toughness is uh well like Yogi said. 🤷‍♂️ As a child I was taught never to get between a cow and it's calf. Suzy dispatching me in that manner was definitely analogous.
 
dr_dave said:
FYI, I just posted a new video with Samm Diep that discusses and demonstrates advantages and disadvantages of being tall or short in pool. Check it out:


Contents:
0:00 - Intro
0:13 - Stance Comfort
1:48 - Reach
---- 1:51 - long shots
---- 3:40 - mechanical bridge
---- 4:50 - jump shot
5:07 - Bridging
6:21 - Stroke Length
7:29 - More Info

As always, I look forward to your feedback, comments, questions, complaints, and requests.

Enjoy!
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Dealer/service tech here, so I see a lot of players of all heights on tables I install and level. Standard height (29.25" to 31" playing surface, most sit around 30") does favor mid-range height; that 5'8" to 5'10" window isn't wrong. Really tall guys end up bending over more for shots down near the rails, and really short players fight reaching across for shots at the far side. That said, I've seen 6'4" players with beautiful fundamentals because they just bend at the knees more and keep their bridge arm long, and I've seen 5'5" players run tables because their stroke mechanics are clean. Height matters way less than stance consistency and a level table; honestly, a table that's off level by even a few thousandths messes up more shots than a few inches of height ever will. If your lighting is also bugging you while you're bent over the table, it's worth checking your fixture height too; a fuller guide is here.
 
taller seems to help with important shots that are normally harder to reach.

but tall players that get low tend to have major back problems as they age.

as do many players that get way down on the cue. so decide what is more important to you.
 
maha said:
... tall players that get low tend to have major back problems as they age ...
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I've also experienced neck issues, hamstring issues, and elbow issues (all partly due to my height). I cover many common pool ailments, and how to deal with them, in the following series of videos that I filmed with sports physical therapists:



 
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