So, I get this question a lot: "I'm 5' 10", what length whip should I get?"
Well, the heights actually vary each time I get asked, but anyway....
Any thoughts on this? Is there a specific length someone should get based on height?
Any idea of where this question originates? Like, golf clubs clubs are chosen based in part on height, right?
I myself think the issue is more of the strength of the user and the weight of the whip. Longer whips tend to be heavier, so if a person is stronger, he or she will have an easier time handling that whip comfortably. On the flipside, shorter whips are usually lighter, and so a good choice for someone with less strength.
-Adam
Chosing a whip based on height?
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winrichwhips
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Indiana County Jr.
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Re: Chosing a whip based on height?
Hi Adam,
I am 5'7" and I throw various lengths of whips and I don't feel that height causes me an issue. I believe that it is truly the strength of the person that makes the difference. No idea where the idea originated though.
Crack On!
Allen
I am 5'7" and I throw various lengths of whips and I don't feel that height causes me an issue. I believe that it is truly the strength of the person that makes the difference. No idea where the idea originated though.
Crack On!
Allen
Re: Chosing a whip based on height?
I would ask the person what they plan on using it for? I don't really know if height has anything to do with it depending on what you plan on using it for. indoor use, wraps, target work, fast whipcracking, etc....
I myself would say for an Indy style whip to do the Indy cracks an 8 foot whip but for target work and a quicker responding whip a 6 foot, now you also have to figure what and how the whip is made, one belly light whip or 2 belly whip. I might be getting too detailed about it but if I had one whip to get I would figure in all of those details. Just trying to help.
Nick
I myself would say for an Indy style whip to do the Indy cracks an 8 foot whip but for target work and a quicker responding whip a 6 foot, now you also have to figure what and how the whip is made, one belly light whip or 2 belly whip. I might be getting too detailed about it but if I had one whip to get I would figure in all of those details. Just trying to help.
Nick
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winrichwhips
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Re: Chosing a whip based on height?
Nick,
I agree with you, the trick that's going to be done should really determine the length of the whip, though I've never had anyone be that specific.
In regards to length, there's one trick I've wanted to work on with a long whip where you throw the whip at the target, throw the handle on the ground and stand on it while the whip cuts the target. I figure the minimum length needed is a 30 ft whip.
I think most people asking me the question of height/length just want to get into basic whip cracking and don't have any specific tricks in mind.
-Adam
I agree with you, the trick that's going to be done should really determine the length of the whip, though I've never had anyone be that specific.
In regards to length, there's one trick I've wanted to work on with a long whip where you throw the whip at the target, throw the handle on the ground and stand on it while the whip cuts the target. I figure the minimum length needed is a 30 ft whip.
I think most people asking me the question of height/length just want to get into basic whip cracking and don't have any specific tricks in mind.
-Adam
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Chewbacca Jones
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Re: Chosing a whip based on height?
See, I wouldn't expect strength to factor into it much, except in terms of endurance. I've been told, and have noticed in my own whip practice, that the more strength I exert, the worse my whip work gets. I shouldn't apply much strength, and so I shouldn't need much... follow my logic? Not that I have any particular qualifications to back myself up.
Based on what I've seen, I think height does factor into figuring the best whip length to learn on, and a good middle ground. Shorter people are closer to the ground, and generally have shorter arms. What I see are a lot of shorter crackers driving the whip into the ground, or getting their rhythm thrown off by the length taking so long to travel. At least that's what I see. Not that those people couldn't learn to work a long whip, but just that it seems easier to figure out what to do without the whip getting in the way.
At the same time, most people seem to be turned off by short whips... at least in this hobby. I think every Indy fan secretly hopes that he/she is the "right height" for a 10' whip! I think "the question" springs from people wanting to find a whip they can crack without having to start small and work their way up.
Canyon is a perfect example. She has struggled with 8' whips for several years, but recently got to try a 6'. Not only was she instantly better, but she was able to learn more very quickly. Before, she frequently expressed fear and disappointment that she would need a 6' or 4' whip. Now, she can't wait to own one! Canyon and I have about the same arm strength (she might even have more), and I have a few joints and muscles that don't like me very much. I have no problem with an 8'.
Now, I may be talking out my you-know-what on this, but even if my observations add up to nothing, it shows why at least some might put height and whip length together.
Based on what I've seen, I think height does factor into figuring the best whip length to learn on, and a good middle ground. Shorter people are closer to the ground, and generally have shorter arms. What I see are a lot of shorter crackers driving the whip into the ground, or getting their rhythm thrown off by the length taking so long to travel. At least that's what I see. Not that those people couldn't learn to work a long whip, but just that it seems easier to figure out what to do without the whip getting in the way.
At the same time, most people seem to be turned off by short whips... at least in this hobby. I think every Indy fan secretly hopes that he/she is the "right height" for a 10' whip! I think "the question" springs from people wanting to find a whip they can crack without having to start small and work their way up.
Canyon is a perfect example. She has struggled with 8' whips for several years, but recently got to try a 6'. Not only was she instantly better, but she was able to learn more very quickly. Before, she frequently expressed fear and disappointment that she would need a 6' or 4' whip. Now, she can't wait to own one! Canyon and I have about the same arm strength (she might even have more), and I have a few joints and muscles that don't like me very much. I have no problem with an 8'.
Now, I may be talking out my you-know-what on this, but even if my observations add up to nothing, it shows why at least some might put height and whip length together.
Re: Chosing a whip based on height?
Here's what I'm going to do I'm going to simplify this whole conversation and answer all the questions. The best whip to learn on you have two choices (1) a 6 ft whip. (2) a 7 ft whip. These lengths are good for all heights and can do alot of different style of cracks. But wait... What about indoor? I would suggest a 5 ft for indoor.
Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.
This is fun!
Nick
Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.
This is fun!
Nick
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BullWhipBorton
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Re: Chosing a whip based on height?
Based on my experiences, I’d tend to agree with Adam's take on this.
I’ve heard some of the Australian whip makers and competitors equate the best length for a stock whip thong in competition work and routines to be roughly equivalent to the height of the user. That seems to work fairly well with stock whips and I suppose I tend to follow that trend too. With bullwhips though I think it’s a different story.
With bullwhips, the weight & the style of bullwhip, the users physical ability/condition as well as just what exactly their intentions are and what they are going to be using it for are going to play a much bigger role in what length of a whip would best suit them; then their overall height. Strength of the user will factor in more with the weight of the bullwhip. There are going to be some instances where a bit of extra wrist or arm strength is required to perform a particular crack or a routine, but for most good whip work you rely on technique and timing to perform the cracks. Physically powering through every crack or strong-arming the whip into working is going to be more of a hindrance, but physical strength and endurance will certainly help the user hold up with heavier more robust whips; as well as help to alleviate physical strain and keep you from quickly tiring or becoming worn out.
For the average adult interested in general whip work and in learning good technique and control, bullwhips in the 6ft to 8ft range seem to be ideal. (Younger children are often going to be an exception, but that a different topic). Now from what I’ve seen, those with more petite builds tend to feel more comfortable working with lighter bullwhips in the 6ft to 7ft range. Where as those with more robust builds tend to prefer working with medium to heavy bullwhips in the 7ft to 8ft range, at least when first learning. There are always exceptions to that, but for the most part bullwhips in that range tend to work well for learning fundamentals, general whip work, target manipulate and many types of wraps regardless of the users height. (A side note about 6ft bullwhips though... while they typically work well, the longer the handle the less over all flexible length of the whip. That can make them less ideal in some instances.)
Long bullwhips, those 10ft and over again are going to be more of a specialty bullwhip. 10ft bullwhips are popular here because that’s the length most typically associated with the Indy films. They are fun to use, but to really learn whip cracking fundamentals with they will have some drawbacks. Longer whips are typically going to be heavier whips, they require more body moment to get them going and keep them going. They tend to have a slower roll out with more in air hang time and It’s not uncommon to have to wait for them to catch up with you, before you go into the next throw in doing multiple cracking. There is still a lot you can do with them, but it really helps to have already developed some ability, to know how to compensate for that extra length and be able work around it, or with it to really utilize that to the whips full potential.
With bullwhips 5ft long or shorter, in my opinion they are typically best left to more specialty work, indoor use where space is limited and are better suited again for the more experienced whip user. Given their shorter length they tend to be a faster whip, when you make a mistake your going to know it really quickly. They don’t give you the luxury of being able correct yourself in mid throw, or stop midstream if and when something goes wrong, which is something that you can get with a longer whip. Also the shorter length can restrict ground alignment, forcing you to make your alignments in mid air. Because of the shorter length and fast action, it also limits the amount of roll out you get, you aren’t able to really developing a good feel for the whip as your learning how to use it, you don't get to see how it works as extends out, something I’ve found to be very helpful to those learning.
So is there a is there a correlation between what’s the best length of a bullwhip based on someone’s height? I really don’t think there is. I think that some whips work better for certain things better then others and its going to be more about what the individual feels most comfortable using, then about how tall they are.
Dan
I’ve heard some of the Australian whip makers and competitors equate the best length for a stock whip thong in competition work and routines to be roughly equivalent to the height of the user. That seems to work fairly well with stock whips and I suppose I tend to follow that trend too. With bullwhips though I think it’s a different story.
With bullwhips, the weight & the style of bullwhip, the users physical ability/condition as well as just what exactly their intentions are and what they are going to be using it for are going to play a much bigger role in what length of a whip would best suit them; then their overall height. Strength of the user will factor in more with the weight of the bullwhip. There are going to be some instances where a bit of extra wrist or arm strength is required to perform a particular crack or a routine, but for most good whip work you rely on technique and timing to perform the cracks. Physically powering through every crack or strong-arming the whip into working is going to be more of a hindrance, but physical strength and endurance will certainly help the user hold up with heavier more robust whips; as well as help to alleviate physical strain and keep you from quickly tiring or becoming worn out.
For the average adult interested in general whip work and in learning good technique and control, bullwhips in the 6ft to 8ft range seem to be ideal. (Younger children are often going to be an exception, but that a different topic). Now from what I’ve seen, those with more petite builds tend to feel more comfortable working with lighter bullwhips in the 6ft to 7ft range. Where as those with more robust builds tend to prefer working with medium to heavy bullwhips in the 7ft to 8ft range, at least when first learning. There are always exceptions to that, but for the most part bullwhips in that range tend to work well for learning fundamentals, general whip work, target manipulate and many types of wraps regardless of the users height. (A side note about 6ft bullwhips though... while they typically work well, the longer the handle the less over all flexible length of the whip. That can make them less ideal in some instances.)
Long bullwhips, those 10ft and over again are going to be more of a specialty bullwhip. 10ft bullwhips are popular here because that’s the length most typically associated with the Indy films. They are fun to use, but to really learn whip cracking fundamentals with they will have some drawbacks. Longer whips are typically going to be heavier whips, they require more body moment to get them going and keep them going. They tend to have a slower roll out with more in air hang time and It’s not uncommon to have to wait for them to catch up with you, before you go into the next throw in doing multiple cracking. There is still a lot you can do with them, but it really helps to have already developed some ability, to know how to compensate for that extra length and be able work around it, or with it to really utilize that to the whips full potential.
With bullwhips 5ft long or shorter, in my opinion they are typically best left to more specialty work, indoor use where space is limited and are better suited again for the more experienced whip user. Given their shorter length they tend to be a faster whip, when you make a mistake your going to know it really quickly. They don’t give you the luxury of being able correct yourself in mid throw, or stop midstream if and when something goes wrong, which is something that you can get with a longer whip. Also the shorter length can restrict ground alignment, forcing you to make your alignments in mid air. Because of the shorter length and fast action, it also limits the amount of roll out you get, you aren’t able to really developing a good feel for the whip as your learning how to use it, you don't get to see how it works as extends out, something I’ve found to be very helpful to those learning.
So is there a is there a correlation between what’s the best length of a bullwhip based on someone’s height? I really don’t think there is. I think that some whips work better for certain things better then others and its going to be more about what the individual feels most comfortable using, then about how tall they are.
Dan
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winrichwhips
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Re: Chosing a whip based on height?
Thanks Dan! That was quite a reply 
You got me thinking about the whip lengths I worked with when I was training to compete in Australia. When I met Ben Hughes, he had a pair of 6 ft stock whips, a pair of 5 footers, and a pair of 3 1/2 footers and changed whips depending on the routines. The 6 ft whips were mainly for routines that involved the 4 corners or the Arrowhead, the 5 footers were good for routines with the Tasmanian Cutback in them, and 3 1/2 footers were for the Helicopter, the Felandy Hoofbeats, the Train, and the Messerschmitt (Ben's own routine based on the plane of that name). Of course some routines could be done with any of those lengths, and changing the length mainly changed how loud the cracks were, how fast the routine was, or how flowing the routine would look. The Kahona is a nice example of a flowing routine. I should also say that there are tons more two-handed routines than I mentioned here, I was just listing those routines to give examples.
In my case, I found that weight was most critical because the competition meant doing 10 two-handed routines in a row, and if you used whips that were too heavy you might not get through all the routines. I sort of handicapped myself by using whips that were heavier than those of the other competitors. If I ever get another chance to compete over there I'll be using lighter whips.
I really liked the idea of changing whips for different routines, though I after doing lots of shows I find that most audiences are happy to just see the fast and loud routines. Here's a video example of that where I'm using 3 1/2 ft stock whips:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vo0shNsbWO0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
You got me thinking about the whip lengths I worked with when I was training to compete in Australia. When I met Ben Hughes, he had a pair of 6 ft stock whips, a pair of 5 footers, and a pair of 3 1/2 footers and changed whips depending on the routines. The 6 ft whips were mainly for routines that involved the 4 corners or the Arrowhead, the 5 footers were good for routines with the Tasmanian Cutback in them, and 3 1/2 footers were for the Helicopter, the Felandy Hoofbeats, the Train, and the Messerschmitt (Ben's own routine based on the plane of that name). Of course some routines could be done with any of those lengths, and changing the length mainly changed how loud the cracks were, how fast the routine was, or how flowing the routine would look. The Kahona is a nice example of a flowing routine. I should also say that there are tons more two-handed routines than I mentioned here, I was just listing those routines to give examples.
In my case, I found that weight was most critical because the competition meant doing 10 two-handed routines in a row, and if you used whips that were too heavy you might not get through all the routines. I sort of handicapped myself by using whips that were heavier than those of the other competitors. If I ever get another chance to compete over there I'll be using lighter whips.
I really liked the idea of changing whips for different routines, though I after doing lots of shows I find that most audiences are happy to just see the fast and loud routines. Here's a video example of that where I'm using 3 1/2 ft stock whips:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vo0shNsbWO0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Re: Chosing a whip based on height?
So much for keeping this short. LOL
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Indiana County Jr.
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Re: Chosing a whip based on height?
"Robust" is definately a term I would use to describe myself, or just big boned...." 
That is my feeling as well, strength as in endurance when it comes to bullwhips. I have not had the experience of dealing with stockwhips, not yet anyway... (saving up again... grumble, grumble, curse, curse...). I do have a set on order from Midwest so I will know for sure how that fits me on the height theory. Thanks Dan for your input on this.
Adam,
Alot of these routines with stockwhips I have not heard of. Is there footage of these in action?
Crack On!
Allen
That is my feeling as well, strength as in endurance when it comes to bullwhips. I have not had the experience of dealing with stockwhips, not yet anyway... (saving up again... grumble, grumble, curse, curse...). I do have a set on order from Midwest so I will know for sure how that fits me on the height theory. Thanks Dan for your input on this.
Adam,
Alot of these routines with stockwhips I have not heard of. Is there footage of these in action?
Crack On!
Allen
Re: Chosing a whip based on height?
Here's Ben Hughes doing the Messerschmitt. It's a little more than slightly impressive.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGpLLQ7oXJA" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGpLLQ7oXJA" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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BullWhipBorton
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Re: Chosing a whip based on height?
Adam, I enjoyed the new video. It looks like you had a good trip to India.
I’m 5’7”, most of the time I’m working with 5.5ft stock whips. I tend to prefer them on the lighter side with just a slight spring to the handle. I’ve found 6ft thongs a tad longer then I like to use, at least for 2 handed routines. I just seem to get an easier controlled roll and flow with the 5.5 ft stock whips especially when working on crossovers, flashes, interchanges, four corners and more lately Ben’s Launceston special, which I've been trying to work though. I do however find my attempts at the helicopter, the train, the machine gun and those similar rhythmic routines tend to go better though with shorter 4 ft stock whips.
Many of these routines are featured either on the Mike Murphy or Simon Martin DVD.s There are many many more then we mentioned, but here are a few youtube examples.
“Felandy Hoofbeats”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OhIMcHtq9g" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
"Launceston Special"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rilo1mO3EU4" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
“Ben’s Helicopter”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuYLnHKJibc" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Dan
I’m 5’7”, most of the time I’m working with 5.5ft stock whips. I tend to prefer them on the lighter side with just a slight spring to the handle. I’ve found 6ft thongs a tad longer then I like to use, at least for 2 handed routines. I just seem to get an easier controlled roll and flow with the 5.5 ft stock whips especially when working on crossovers, flashes, interchanges, four corners and more lately Ben’s Launceston special, which I've been trying to work though. I do however find my attempts at the helicopter, the train, the machine gun and those similar rhythmic routines tend to go better though with shorter 4 ft stock whips.
Many of these routines are featured either on the Mike Murphy or Simon Martin DVD.s There are many many more then we mentioned, but here are a few youtube examples.
“Felandy Hoofbeats”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OhIMcHtq9g" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
"Launceston Special"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rilo1mO3EU4" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
“Ben’s Helicopter”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuYLnHKJibc" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Dan
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Indiana County Jr.
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Re: Chosing a whip based on height?
Thanks Dan and Adam,
I am on the list to get a set of hybrids from MidWest in a couple of months so it looks like I need to set aside some more DVD money to get those that you mentioned. I'll be sure to post video of my what is sure to be "near fatal" attempts at them!
Crack On!
Allen
I am on the list to get a set of hybrids from MidWest in a couple of months so it looks like I need to set aside some more DVD money to get those that you mentioned. I'll be sure to post video of my what is sure to be "near fatal" attempts at them!
Crack On!
Allen