| Being exceptionally tall has many advantages, but | | | | advantage merely because of the presence of the |
| what about when it comes to sporting endeavour, in | | | | net. The ability to strike the ball at a higher elevation |
| particular when it comes to racquet sports. So just | | | | than your opponent, immediately opens up more of the |
| what are the plus and minus points of height when it | | | | tennis court to be your target area. Take for example |
| comes to tennis, squash, racquetball etc. How can a | | | | serving in tennis, which has been transformed from a |
| competitor use extra height to gain a competitive | | | | neutral method of starting a rally into a key shot to |
| advantage over an opponent who has a different | | | | establish a considerable advantage in the point. The |
| physical make up. | | | | reason for this transformation is twofold - primarily |
| Let's look at the key attributes of the taller sports | | | | because of improved technology, but the increasing |
| person. First and foremost is reach. Being taller implies | | | | prominence of taller tennis players is a contributing |
| longer arms, in turn meaning longer reach. This is a | | | | factor in 87% of mens pro tennis games being won by |
| tremendous advantage in many sports including | | | | the serving player. The ability of the taller player to |
| racquet sports, particularly squash. One of the key | | | | strike the ball at an increased height allows him to clear |
| tenets to squash is to command the center of the | | | | the net and at an angle that can strike more of the |
| squash court, also known as the T. Young squash | | | | court surface than if it were coming from a lower |
| players, learning the game, are taught to play their shot | | | | trajectory. |
| and then return to the center of the court. From there | | | | Smaller racquet players however do have the |
| they are urged to control the rally by stepping and | | | | advantage of quicker reaction speeds. The central |
| reaching to the next shot. Clearly the aid of a long | | | | nervous system can send signals from the brain to the |
| reach often prevents the squash player taking the | | | | hands and feet quicker if the distance to travel is |
| second step, which in turn buys the player an extra | | | | shorter, i.e. if your are smaller. In theory, this should lead |
| micro second. The longer your reach, the smaller the | | | | to reacting quicker than a taller opponent. |
| court. | | | | Like many things in life, being tall has many advantages. |
| In tennis, the taller player is considerably at an | | | | Being tall in racquet sports is no different. |