Do You Have to Be Tall to Row? Height in Rowing

Height helps in rowing, but it is not a requirement. Longer limbs give a longer stroke and more leverage, yet shorter rowers can be quick, efficient and successful.

Why height helps

A taller rower usually has longer legs and arms, which means a longer stroke. The stroke length is the distance the handle or blade travels while applying force. If two rowers apply the same force at the same rate, the one with the longer stroke does more work per stroke. That is why heavy, tall rowers dominate open-weight events such as the men’s and women’s eights.

Other advantages include a larger frame to carry muscle and often greater lung and heart size. On the erg, taller rowers tend to find it easier to produce high power over 2,000 m. Our page on average Olympic rower height shows the tendency at the top of the sport.

Where height can be a disadvantage

• Fit in the boat. Boats and erg set-ups are designed with an average rower in mind. Very tall rowers may need rigging adjustments, such as longer sliding room, to avoid cramping.
• Higher centre of gravity. This can make balance harder in small boats such as the single scull, particularly for beginners.
• Longer levers to control. Tall rowers can take longer to coordinate their stroke and may struggle to keep a compact catch.
• Back and hamstring demands. Reaching the catch with a long torso requires flexibility. Tall rowers who lack it often round their backs. See 5 ways to improve your rowing posture.

Advantages for shorter rowers

• Lighter weight. Lighter rowers have less mass to move and tend to do well in lightweight and age-handicapped events.
• Quicker rate. A shorter slide can make it easier to hold a high stroke rate.
• Stability. A lower centre of gravity helps in small boats.
• Coxswains. Small, light athletes are valuable in the cox seat.
• Efficiency. A shorter rower who is technically polished can beat a taller, rougher rower.

There is also some tendency for shorter rowers to do well in sprint events and in indoor competitions that adjust for weight, such as lightweight categories. Check the rules of any competition you enter.

What you can control

Technique and fitness matter more than most people realise. Things to focus on:

1. Use your full available stroke length by reaching to a good catch without rounding the back, and finishing with a strong body position.
2. Train your legs. Leg power drives the stroke. See how to build strength in your legs for rowing.
3. Build an aerobic base. Endurance is not height-dependent. See engine building for rowing.
4. Work on flexibility, especially hamstrings and hips.
5. Learn good blade work on the water to get the most from each stroke.

Choosing a category

Rowing has many categories. If you are lighter or shorter, consider lightweight classes, which have a weight limit, or masters racing with age handicaps. Indoor rowing competitions often include age and weight groupings, so you can compare yourself against rowers of a similar size. Beginners just starting out can enjoy club rowing with no concern for height at all. A crew typically has rowers of mixed sizes, and coaches seat people to balance the boat as well as the power.

So do you have to be tall?

No. Height is an advantage at the very top of open-weight rowing, but it does not decide how much you can enjoy the sport or how well you can do in your category. Do not use it as a reason not to try. See competitive rowing and what skills do you need for rowing.

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