Last updated on August 27, 2020
Question:
I just turned 15. My shoe size is 14 and my hand size from the bottom to the top is 8 inches on a ruler. I can hold a basketball with one hand. The doctor said I have huge hands and feet. And when I stretch my arms out they are at least 2 inches taller then me (possibly more). I am about 5’11 and 140 lbs, but the doctor said I have huge growth plates.
When should I grow? Will I get taller than my arms at least? I play many sports and work out.
Answer:
At 5’11” you have already been growing. Men don’t get to that size without going through a growth spurt. The fact that the doctor said your growth plates were still wide open says you are still in your growth spurt phase. How much more you grow will totally depend on how long your growth plates stay open. A doctor can tell you approximately from an x-ray of your hand. You can estimate it yourself by using the Tanner Stages of Development Calculator. Just remember the calculator is only an estimate and that estimate is only as good as the answers you give it. You should be getting an answer in the high 3 to low 4 range.
The span of your arms is not absolute proof, but it is likely that you still have a way to grow. See “I heard if you stand up, and spread your arms out (wingspan) that it equals your height.” It can’t be absolute because everyone is not shaped exactly the same.