height in sports

Height In Sports

Height can play a important role in contributing to success in some sports by providing certain natural instics. For those sports where this could be a contributing factor, height can be useful ,since in general it affects the leverage between muscle volume and bones towards greater speed of movement and power, depending on overall build, fitness and individual ability.But there can also be some disadvantages posed by size and  that could prove to be a hindrance to success. Finally, there are numerous sports where size is  not relevant.

Baseball

In baseball, taller usually means longer legs, which power pitchers use to generate speed and a release point closer to the plate, that means the ball reaches the batter quickly. The ball also comes from a higher release angle opposed to a shorter pitcher. While taller position players have a larger strike zone, most position players are at least of average height because the larger frame allows them to generate more power. One exception to this generalization would be Dustin Pedroia with a height of 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in).

Cricket

In cricket, some of the great batsmen like Donald Bradman 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in), Sachin Tendulkar 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in) and Sunil Gavaskar 1.63 m (5 ft 4 in) are or were below average height. This may be because a smaller body makes for an advantage in footwork and balance. Similarly, the most well-known wicket-keepers have tended to be average height or below. Although there are fewer tall batsmen, the stand-outs are often noted for their heavy hitting and an ability to get a long stride forward to reach a full length delivery. England's Kevin Pietersen at 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) is a modern example of a powerful, tall batsman. Past greats like Clive Lloyd and Graeme Pollock were above 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in).

On the other hand, many of the most successful fast bowlers have been well above average height; for example past greats Joel Garner, Courtney Walsh, and Curtly Ambrose were all approximately 2.00 m (6 ft 6 ¹⁄₂ in) tall. Similarly, Glenn McGrath, also regarded as one of the finest bowlers to play the game, was 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in) tall, well above average height. Taller bowlers have access to a higher point of release, making it easier for them to make the ball bounce uncomfortably for a batsman. For extreme pace however, bowlers tend to be closer to average height. The fastest modern bowlers have ranged from Lasith Malinga 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in) through to Dilhara Fernando at 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in), and Steve Harmison and Shaun Tait at 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in).

Height does not appear to be an advantage to spin bowling and few international spinners are ever much taller than 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in). Tall spin bowlers like Sulieman Benn (2.01 m (6 ft 7 in)) use extra pace and bounce, speeds. The most successful bowlers ever in Test cricket, Muttiah Muralitharan and Shane Warne are 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) and 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) respectively.

Amateur wrestling

Height can be both helpful and detrimental in wrestling. As taller people have more bone mass, they will generally be slightly weaker than shorter people in the same weight class. This difference is made up in part by their longer arms, which allow them a longer reach and cradle easier. Long legs are detrimental in that they can easily be attacked by a lolly (shot). They do, however, help in doing some actions and positions such as throwing, sprawling to counter a takedown or riding legs. The heights of  wrestlers vary greatly with successful athletes being as short as Alireza Dabir at 1.71 m (5 ft7 ¹⁄₂ in) and as tall as Alexander Karelin at 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m).

Artistic gymnastics

In artistic gymnastics, it is advantageous to be shorter. A lower center of gravity can give an athlete better balance. A smaller athlete may also have an easier time manipulating their body in the air.

Basketball

Taller players have an advantage in basketball also because their shots have less distance to travel to the basket; they start out closer to the rebound; and they reach higher into the air yields a better chance of blocking shorter players' shots.

In basketball, shortest players are usually above the average in height compared to the general population. In men's professional basketball, the guards, the smallest players, are usually around 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) to 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m), the average height for basketball players is about 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) and the centers, the tallest players, are generally from 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) to 7 ft 2 in (2.18 m).

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