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I will be buying new classic and skate poles for my son this winter. It's difficult to know just how long a new pair of these poles should be, because he is growing. Even if we put the growth aspect of this decision aside what are the pole people out there saying for length?

Hello,

For me, the ultimate method to "feel" if a pole is the right length is the ability to "get on top of it". This highly technical term, "get on top of it", is the best way I can describe how to be efficient and powerful with poles. It means being far enough forward to push on your poles not only with your arms, but also with the weight of your upper body and the power of your core. If your poles are too long, it becomes more difficult to position yourself correctly. This makes "getting on top of them"nearly impossible, and if they are too short, you will feel that you don't have to move very far to get over the poles. When you do get over a short pole, there just isn't the power that you want.

Pole length also has a huge effect on timing. Too long, and you will get a hitch in your step as you pause to plant the pole and also as your body must take additional time to get into a position where you can actually push on the pole. If the poles are too short, timing is not affected as much, but it will feel like your poling is ahead of the rest of the motion, while with longer poles you will feel like your arms are behind and everything else is waiting on them.

This begs the question, "where should they fit?" A good starting point for skate poles is when the baskets are on and you are wearing regular running shoes the top of the pole is at your mouth. Much higher than that and you will run into them being too tall, and the good news is that as your son grows you still have a few inches before they feel 'off.'

Classic poles may be a bit trickier, because it is easy to ski on a pole that is too long without knowing it. A point to start from in classic is right between the top of your son's shoulder and his armpit. This doesn't offer as much wiggle room for growing, but if he is growing quickly enough you can simply cut the skate poles down to classic length.

In reality there will be at least one good season out of these poles, and maybe even a full summer of rollerskiing.

Good luck and choose SWIX poles!
Andrew Gerlach

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