Being taller than average has many benefits, but what about exercise, especially racquet sports? So what are the pluses and minuses of height when it comes to tennis, squash, racquetball, etc.? How can a competitor use extra height to gain a competitive advantage over an opponent who has a different physical condition?
Let’s look at the key attributes of the taller athlete. In the first place is the range. Being taller means longer arms, which in turn means longer reach. This is a tremendous advantage in many sports including racquet sports, especially squash. One of the most important tenets of squash is mastering the center of the squash court, also known as T. Young squash players learning the game learn to play their shot and then return to the center of the court. From there they are challenged to control the rally by kicking and reaching for the next shot. Obviously, the help of long range often prevents the squash player from taking the second step, which in turn buys the player an extra microsecond. The greater your reach, the smaller the space.
In tennis, the taller player has a significant advantage simply because of the presence of the net. The ability to hit the ball higher than your opponent instantly opens up more space on the tennis court to be your target area. Take for example the serve in tennis, which has been converted from a neutral method of starting a rally to a key shot to gain a significant advantage on point. The reason for this transformation is twofold – mainly because of improved technology, but the increasing importance of taller tennis players contributes to 87% of men’s pro tennis matches being won by the serving player. The taller player’s ability to hit the ball from a greater height allows him to hit the net at an angle that can hit more of the court surface than if he was coming from a lower trajectory.
However, players with smaller racquets have the benefit of faster reaction speeds. The central nervous system can send signals from the brain to the hands and feet faster when the path is shorter, ie when you are smaller. In theory, this should make you react faster than a larger opponent.
Like many things in life, being great has many benefits. Being great in racquet sports is no different.
Thanks to Myles Long | #Advantages #height #racquet #sports
