how to you determine proper pole length?

What is the proper method for determining the right length pole???

Quick Method:

1 - Take your poles.

2 - Read the label that says their length, or measure if necessary

4 - That's your pole length

Slightly More Laborious Method:

1 - Stand in a skiing stance, while wearing ordinary street shoes

2 - Take poles of various sizes and hold them upside down, with your upper arm approxmiately vertical, your hand just below the basket and the the grip resting on the floor

3 - When your lower arm is horizontal, you've got the right length

4 - Read the label that says their length (which, since you're presumably in a shop, should still be present

5 - That's your length

More Laborious Method:

1 - Read numerous threads on the subject expressing contradictory views

2 - Consult charts that correlate height to pole length

3 - Do the "Slightly More Laborious Method"

4 - Do the "Slightly More Laborious Method," but wearing your ski boots

5 - Do the "Slightly More Laborious Method," but wearing your ski boots and standing in your skis, which you apparentlyt brought into the shop solely for this purpose.

6 - Talk to the sales guy

7 - Talk to another sales guy at the same shop

8 - Talk to another sales guy at a different shop

9 - Do you really like that color? They don't have it in the other size....

10 - Demo

11 - Demo

12 - Demo

13 - Buy poles in an arbitrary length

I didn't know this when I bought a set of composite Goodes, but they have a fine tune length adjustment built into the grip.  I think it can make the pole a couple inches shorter if needed.  Seems like a good way to fine tune without having to cut poles down. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by sjjohnston 

 

Slightly More Laborious Method:

1 - Stand in a skiing stance, while wearing ordinary street shoes

2 - Take poles of various sizes and hold them upside down, with your upper arm approxmiately vertical, your hand just below the basket and the the grip resting on the floor

3 - When your lower arm is horizontal, you've got the right length

4 - Read the label that says their length (which, since you're presumably in a shop, should still be present

5 - That's your length

2nd.

When your arms are in a L shape, it's yours.

ps. Pass the popcorn, please.

thanks guys

We now have Wikis for questions like this! Go check it out, and when you come back we'll try to leave some popcorn for ya!

http://www.epicski.com/wiki/ski-pole-buying-guide