Just started using paddles today. They’re smaller ones and I didn’t do much, just a couple of laps to get used to it.
Anyway got some advice from a fellow lap swimmer that it’s a good idea to always use a pull buoy with paddles. What is slowtwitch’s opinion on this?
If I have paddles, I have a buoy. However, if I have a buoy, I don’t always have paddles.
Any reason for always having a buoy with paddles?
Is it bad to not have a buoy with paddles?
Thanks!
I don’t know if it is a requirement to use a buoy whenever you slip the paddles on, but that certainly is the norm.
Normally paddles are for working on technique/strengthening the pull, so eliminating the legs/kick kinda makes sense. I almost always pull with buoy and paddles, although occasionally it’s fun to throw on fins and paddles and motor. I did this with a wetsuit once and was swimming uber fast!
I don’t know if it is a requirement to use a buoy whenever you slip the paddles on, but that certainly is the norm.
Says who?
Any reason for always having a buoy with paddles?
Is it bad to not have a buoy with paddles?
Thanks!
Specificity. Take your legs out of the equation so that you can focus on your pulling technique. Is it bad to go without? I have no idea but it seems less efficient.
Using paddles helps with the development of strength and feel of the water.
If you’re looking to develop the strength aspect, use a buoy. If you want to coordinate your kick with that feeling of catching a lot of water, don’t use a buoy. If you want to feel a faster swim speed, use them with fins.
You don’t need to use a pull buoy every time you use paddles. Mostly you need to figure out what you’re trying to accomplish by using paddles. Generally speaking, it probably makes sense to use a pull buoy to help isolate your upper body (you’re pulling for a reason, right?:). But in the end, it’s really a matter of personal preference. You could even use zoomers or fins with paddles if it’s more comfortable.
Says my years of swimming in a club / university. usually paddles were paired with the pull buoy for freestyle work. Not all the time, but the majority of the time.
I don’t know much about swimming, but I like to combine an ankle strap with the paddles, no buoy.
Says my years of swimming in a club / university. usually paddles were paired with the pull buoy for freestyle work. Not all the time, but the majority of the time.
Swam for many years high school and college. Never heard that it is the “norm” to use paddles with a pull bouy. I think it does help with your catch and strength but never heard of it being the norm.
good read on brett sutton`s take on using these “toys” makes sense as pool swimming is different from ocean swimming, cannot seem to find that link.
For the teams I swam with over the years, we’d use them together maybe 10% of the time.
Maybe it’s just the coaches I had, or my faulty memory. I am getting old, but I don’t remember doing very many sets with paddles and no pullbouy (except for when we used bands…)
Normally paddles are for working on technique/strengthening the pull, so eliminating the legs/kick kinda makes sense. I almost always pull with buoy and paddles, although occasionally it’s fun to throw on fins and paddles and motor. I did this with a wetsuit once and was swimming uber fast!Just because you don’t use a pull buoy doesn’t mean you can’t cut the kick.
Maybe it’s just the coaches I had, or my faulty memory. I am getting old, but I don’t remember doing very many sets with paddles and no pullbouy (except for when we used bands…)
It’s not you…I find it the “norm” too with the groups I swim with. I swim with three different masters groups right now + my coach writes specific workouts as well…almost always is the buoy paired with paddles…only exception I can think of is one of the masters groups does a speed day where we sometimes use paddles and fins or just paddles.
I don’t know much about swimming, but I like to combine an ankle strap with the paddles, no buoy.
x2 takes the kick away totally and forces you to work on body position too
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Agree, you’re using paddles to isolate and focus on arms, no need to have any blood in the legs.
Paddles and fins is awesome fun 
I don’t think it’s a requirement to use a pull buoy.
While you are focusing on the upper body pull, you can still kick to keep the pull-kick coordination practice. You won’t have to kick as hard since you’ll be generating more force with the pull.
I think you can get different stroke variety/practice/experimentation while using paddles with and without pull buoys or flippers.
BTW, I also like to swim with a paddle only on my weak arm to help even out the strength diff between left and right.