You shouldnt really feel that much pressure on your forearms during the initial catch, you’re almost sliding them into place. When you start the pull back, after the catch is “set”, that’s when you feel the pressure on your forearms.

Do doggy paddle with a snorkel and sculling drills to teach yourself what that feels like.

---

Swimming Workout of the Day:

Favourite Swim Sets:

2020 National Masters Champion - M50-54 - 50m Butterfly

I have no connection of any kind with this company. But I got these paddles (I paid full price), and I use them semi-regularly. They work great, but they are not like any other paddles. They are not for pull strength, it is all about EVF muscle memory. Lots more info about how they work on the company's website.

---

Advanced Aero TopTube Storage for Road, Gravel, & Tri...ZeroSlip & Direct-mount, made in the USA.
DarkSpeedWorks.com.....Reviews.....Insta.....Facebook
--

I'm also an AOS, but I have a very good coach...and, he's told me that I have a good stroke. I'm not sure I know how to describe what it "should" feel like, but one thing that did help me develop that feel was swimming on a tether. Specifically a stretchy one. The "game" was to see how far I could stretch the tether out. I dropped markers to the bottom of the pool, and then tried to swim out as far as I could.

You get a much more immediate feedback on if minor tweaks help or hurt. You're either stretching it farther out, holding steady, or being pulled back to the wall as you alter your stroke. In addition, you get a much better sensation of "force" through your arm as you pull against stationary water.

now look...swimming on a tether SUCKS! Chinese water torture is like a nap on the beach by comparison. I would never recommend to someone that they spend hours a week on it. But, a few minutes a couple times a week helped me get a feel for what works and what doesn't (for me).

The biggest feeling that I have isn't in my arms but in my shoulders and then my lats. To get EVF, the shoulder rotates forward/ inward and the lats pull the arm back. I feel it when those muscles are engaged.

---

---

---

Take a short break from ST and read my blog:
http://tri-banter.blogspot.com/

it feels like you're pressing down with your forearm, but instead of an opposite reaction pushing your body up, your body shoots forward. Same principle as a keel in a sailboat.

---

Eric Reid AeroFit | Instagram Portfolio
Aerodynamic Retul Bike Fitting

“You are experiencing the criminal coverup of a foreign backed fascist hostile takeover of a mafia shakedown of an authoritarian religious slow motion coup. Persuade people to vote for Democracy.”

How do you think they compare to using the finis paddles without the straps (the yellow ones, pretty much the same design as a standard paddle), but held in place by a closed palm against my wrist? See 7:09 of https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1OY_yQBiXM

---

@floathammerholdon | @partners_in_tri

The tech paddles are really different from all other paddles, because they are 100% focused on developing EVF muscle memory.

But the trick in the video is interesting, that might be helpful too, but not sure, I have never tried it. But I can see a major downside of the trick in the video--you need really HUGE (very long) paddles to make them simulate the tech paddles. And most people don't have such huge paddles.

The tech paddles are really cool and effective, in that they really focus you on feeling how the forearm plays hugely into EVF.



On a completely different topic, regular paddles (like this) in general can really help with fixing many smaller technique errors, BUT ONLY if you remove all of the tubing except for a single small loop holding a single middle finger (on each hand). At first, it will feel really weird/difficult to swim with them this way, but very quickly you will adapt and start naturally fixing your stroke errors and then it will become insanely easy to use regular paddles with just that single loop holding one finger (on each hand). Of course, when using normal paddles for regular swimming and technique improvement, you should not have to grip them with your fingers either (sometimes I have seen people do that, not a good practice).

However, if you use basic paddles with all of the stock tubing that normally secures your wrist and various fingers, the paddles are worse than useless, as they will typically HIDE technique errors.

---

Advanced Aero TopTube Storage for Road, Gravel, & Tri...ZeroSlip & Direct-mount, made in the USA.
DarkSpeedWorks.com.....Reviews.....Insta.....Facebook
--

I've actually been using these for years. I haven't used a standard paddle with tubing in forever.

---

@floathammerholdon | @partners_in_tri

Tower26 uses these but in the latest few weeks we've been told that the manufacturer is no longer making them.

---

IG - @ryanppax
http://www.geluminati.com
Use code ST5 for $5 off your order

That is too bad, but oddly their website still shows them as avail for sale ...

https://techpaddle.com/#/paddles

---

Advanced Aero TopTube Storage for Road, Gravel, & Tri...ZeroSlip & Direct-mount, made in the USA.
DarkSpeedWorks.com.....Reviews.....Insta.....Facebook
--

+1 to this. Use with a snorkel, don't try to go too fast, and really focus on the motion it basically forces on you.

To the OP: my experience was that I felt like my hand+forearm combo was "anchoring" in the water and I was pulling myself forward from that point vs previously "slipping" through the water and kind of just spinning my wheels.

I'm also a big fan* of these. We used them in college and the only people allowed to use the tube paddles were distance swimmers specifically on strength days.

*I actually threw mine away after college, same with the snorkel. But I re-purchased these paddles and the snorkel four years ago (seven years a swammer).

---

KJ
Swim and Triathlon Coach
AllTerrainEndurance.com
KJ@allterrainendurance.com

it's a little "shoot from the hip" response but... put pads on.. and if your lats are sore the next day... nice work. This is a frequent bit of feedback that I get when it finally clicks for someone.

---

36 kona qualifiers 2006-'23 - 3 Kona Podiums - 4 OA IM AG wins - 5 IM AG wins - 18 70.3 AG wins
I ka nana no a 'ike -- by observing, one learns | Kulia i ka nu'u -- strive for excellence
Garmin Glycogen Use App | Garmin Fat Use App

Swim out against a stretch cord. It’ll force you into a high elbow catch.

Also, Aquavolo makes a great mid-palm paddle to give you a better feel for the high elbow catch.

Hope this helps.

Tim

---

http://www.magnoliamasters.com
http://www.snappingtortuga.com
http://www.swimeasyspeed.com

Ha!

Now I feel smaaart! Of course, it was probably you who gave me the idea...

:o)

Also AOS swimmer here, did not know what EVF means, but looked it up and it seems to mean "Early Vertical Forearm".
Maybe interesting what an AOS swimmer (me, pretty bad swimmer) thinks of this, in addition to the specialists.

I think it also has something to do with shoulder flexibility, which you might not get AT ALL anymore as AOS.
First of all I enter the water in an angle (such that the water rather pushes downward on the hand instead of upward) such that the hand has already a certain depth when I start the pull.
To take into consideration my stiff shoulders, I start the pull not only downward but also inward (so from outside of the body towards the axis of the body seen from above). After the initial pull I move the hand further basically along the axis to the rear (at least it feels like that, if it does remains a question).

Which pads?

Anyone know where to pick up those tech paddles? Can’t find them available anywhere online.

Amazon? They’re from FINIS.

https://www.amazon.com/..._api_i_4b0fEbB3JXDPF


(Sorry if formatting is off, replying on mobile)

---

KJ
Swim and Triathlon Coach
AllTerrainEndurance.com
KJ@allterrainendurance.com

no, he's talking about those funny tech paddle thingies.

---

Swimming Workout of the Day:

Favourite Swim Sets:

2020 National Masters Champion - M50-54 - 50m Butterfly

Oh my mistake. I was replying originally about the Finis paddles, I haven’t used the other ones.

---

KJ
Swim and Triathlon Coach
AllTerrainEndurance.com
KJ@allterrainendurance.com

https://www.techpaddle.com/#/paddles

I didn't place an order, but it doesn't show "out of stock".

Thank you. Sorry my mistake, I tried using this site on my phone and it wouldn’t work. Works on the desktop though.

No worries. Happy to help.