l need a 115cm pole but have got a free 125cm pole.. is this so bad its only 10cm difference so l dont see what will be different? any pros/cons? thanks

It is all down to your height if you use smaller poles (and 10 cm is a lot in pole sizes!) then it will compromise your skiing because they will eitehr not reach the snow when you turn you will be be hunching yourself so that the reach. Get ones for your height.

10cm is nothing
l use adjustable poles (longer for hiking. sometimes l forget to shorten them for downhill)
l just reach out further
If u want ur poles 115cm the ski shop can cut them
they usually wo not charge you

arm at a 90degree angle & horizontal forearm to the ground with pole in hand touching the ground, is correct advice
however l have a friend who skis with two different poles that r two different sizes
(granted he is a great back country skier)
my point is as u become a better skier u will be able to use shotty equipment.
try to have equipment best for you

pole size differs from different styles of skiing but generally, you want to put your pole in the snow and have your arm at a 90 degree angle. again, with a different style of skiing you will want different size poles (really short for freestyle, longer and but still straight for slalom, curved and same size for giant slalom, curved and longer for super g, REALLY long and straight for cross country)

hope this helps!

It is pretty easy to cut down a ski pole. Twist the handle off and cut, or a ski shop will take 5 minutes to do it.

l have telescoping poles and just recently shortened them from (ironically) 125cm to 115cm and let me tell you it made a huge difference in my stance. if you can, get telescoping poles, black diamond has real good ones that you can adjust on the fly. cheers.

The best way to measure what size ski pole you need, put your arm at your side with the forearm at a horizontal angle. Have someone put a pole in your hands, if the pole touches the ground and your arm still remains horizontal, that is the pole for you.

Hey Princess, SkiMan here. You know that u need 115cm poles. Why? You must know that when the ski pole is in the snow ur forearm should be horizontal or level to the ground. This can also be measured by flipping the ski pole upside down grabbing the pole below the basket & checking if ur forearm is level. If u want to use a larger pole & r comfortable with it, so be it. Be fore warned, u r going to develop a bad habit. Using ski poles properly is placing the pole for every turn, most people do not even use their poles. That in mind, would the correct size be important? Yea!