 Poster: A snowHead
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Subtitled what a difference a boot makes...
First real outdoor trip in my Hawx Ultras (women's version, I think). Wow, I can nearly feel that I have a cuff surrounding my lower leg! (Did say nearly.) Also, wow, something's actually high enough up my (dumpy little) legs that I can make something happen when I push things forward.
Boot number 5 over several years; took a punt on reviews after the last 3, all supplied by various 'experts', never felt as if they were giving me what I wanted.
These still aren't perfect, not as narrow as I'd like at heel, front of ankle or mid foot - but must have changed something pretty substantially as I've gone from wanting 110 poles to finding my 115s way too short and wanting to hold my hands higher and generally in a better place to improve my overall skiing technical ability (and it's definitely working). Pair of 120s on order as the 115s won't even touch the ground any more on easy terrain!
Forward lean is as good or better than I've had before, and like, and they're technically about the same flex (115 - and don't feel it at all), with the same insoles in them - so I put it down simply to the cuff bring higher than my previous boots. Either way, I never realised that a pair of boots could affect stance so much.
Why did no-one ever offer me this before... 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Boots can have quite a bit of lift built in, I just went up one size for poles as I had been using the same size since I was a teenager.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@Grizzler, how tall are you?
I am 5'6" in old money and have more or less always used 115cm poles. I didn't think you were particularly tall...
I'm struggling to understand the progression here!
Still stand by the heuristic that poles upside down, hands under baskets, upper arm vertical, lower arm horizontal is more or less what you want to achieve. YMMV.
And you can't be telling me that your new boots have 10cm heels...
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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I'm about 5'5". According to your "heuristic" I probably need longer poles - but I have previously always used short poles so I didn't have to lift and engage my knackered arms and shoulders, and I've always got away with it easily, skiing quite low in my stance (or something). Until now, that's my point. Something has changed, and for the positive as I see it. It just doesn't feel right any more to want to use shorter poles. It feels easier to use longer ones.
FWIW, in indoor coaching sessions I have twice been thrust the instructor's 120 or 125 poles and told to use them to improve my stance and technique (before the new boots), so maybe it's not just my imagination.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Poles can be personal preference, I’m 5’11” and use 110cms 
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FAQ
Yes I probably needed longer poles, but I got away without and if I used them long I didn't feel comfortable with them and my shoulders etc protested. Now even my shoulders feel happier holding poles higher and more forward.
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