Why Do Tightrope Walkers Carry Long Poles when Walking on A Rope?

Carrying a pole helps the walker increase their rotational inertia, which aids in maintaining stability while walking over the narrow rope. The pole also adds more weight below the center of gravity of the walker, which is another bonus for maintaining balance. By carrying a pole (technically called a balancing pole) horizontally in their hands, the tightrope walker increases his moment of inertia, i.e., he minimizes his body’s “rotation� around the rope. The length of the pole also plays an important role: the longer the pole, the better it is for stability. This is because it spreads the combined mass over the rope (weight of the walker + weight of the pole) far away from the pivot point (the feet of the walker). Moreover, the bar reduces the angular acceleration of the tightrope walker as more torque is required to rotate the walker. This means that if the walker tips over, he would do that very slowly and, therefore, have more time to correct his stance/gait.