I’m considering incorporating some swimming gadgets into my workout (although Terry Laughlin recommends against it) and was wondering what you all think I should buy and use first: Fins or paddles? Which tool will I get the best results from?
Many thanks,
Dave from VA
When I coached here are a few questions I asked when people brought this up.
When you kick w/out fins do you go backwards or stay in place? If so, fins.
Are you technically competent in your swimming? If not the added stress of the paddles can tear up your shoulders.
It’s not an answer but something to think about before purchasing.
Wouldn’t that depend on what your swimming weakness is? Buying a bike stand does not make you a better mechanic per se.
If you are looking to improve your kick then fins or Zoomers may help you. If you are looking for strength and stroke mechanics, then paddles can have a positive impact (I recommend TYR Catalyst). If you want to work on your pull then fist gloves.
No tool, by itself, helps you. When incorporated correctly into a swim schedule it can have benefits, or at least that is what I have found.
If you have really inflexible ankles or a very weak kick, then fins. But as a triathlete you’re mostly trying to save your legs for later, so I’m not a big fan of this.
If you want to build strength and force into your stroke, get paddles. Start with a small size and work up slowly.
Paddles are the only “gadget” I own for the pool. Even for the pull, I just make a fist with my hand - it takes some focus to keep it in a fist throughout the lap, but is very revealing of your stroke and if you have a strong / weak hand.
i recommend using short fins such as zoomers. when you use fins, you don’t need to exert as much force from the upper body pull, so i find that it allows you to stretch out your stroke and concentrate more on pulling mechanics than pulling for propulsion. in addition, using fins effectively will raise your hips higher in the water and allow more of the “swimming downhill” feeling. not to mention that you are still building conditioning in your legs from the increased resistance, as well as aerobic capacity, although the increase in perceived exertion isn’t as much. what i will do occassionally is warm up using fins and then swim w/o fins afterwards. i wouldn’t recommend paddles until after you have a sufficient base, and more importantly you need to have sound swimming mechanics.
i don’t know any details as to the level of your conditioning and your stroke mechanics, and i don’t want to make too many assumptions here. but my overall recommendations based on experience would be to purchase fins first over paddles. i would also recommend stretchcords over paddles as well.
Beyond building strength, paddles will also show where your catch and pull are inefficient. If your catch and pull are not correct, you will feel the paddle sideslipping through the water. The paddle magnifies the inefficiency and helps you develop the right feel. So, use them first to correct your stroke–later to build strength. Another advantage of paddles is that they force you to slow down your stroke somewhat.
True! And try doing flipturns with paddles - amazing how much I was windmilling my arms…
NEITHER - efficiency not strength is the most important aspect of swimming. I like swimming with closed fists and using a pull buoy to develop body positioning and streamline. Then when you open your hands and use your kick (like you would in a race) you feel fast and smooth. Relying on paddles and fins can give a false sense of security and unless used with absolutely perfect form can cause injury and ingrain poor form.
Dave, what results are you looking for? Better propulsion? Better strength? Better form? Better flexibility?
Generally, I’d recommend getting fins first, mainly just cause they’re a lot of fun, and you want swimming to be fun, right? I really think a lot of people could improve their swimming by taking one day every week and spending an hour or two playing Aquaman with a set of fins.
But it all comes down to what level you’re at now, and what you’re looking to improve.
Neither. Get a pullbouy and a kickboard.
word.
I would say I would like better propulsion and form. I try to swim 3 X per week for about 45 minutes. I’m a MOP swimmer at best and I’ve been swimming for a little more than one year. I started with the TI viedos and books and now I’m starting to get bored.
Thanks,
Dave from VA
Hmmm. . .For better propulsion, I guess the paddles would be the way to go. But I think you also have to be pretty careful with those, as it’s easy to overdo it. If you get them, make sure you’re really just using them to get a better feel for the water, as opposed to building strength. ( I mean, you can use them to build strength, but it’s really easy to overdo that with paddles and hurt yourself. ) I also think the fist drill is pretty good for developing a feel for the water and improving propulsion, so if you’re not already doing it, you should give it a try.
Honestly, though, if you’re getting bored, I really think a set of fins would be helpful. Not zoomers. (Although I just got a pair of those a week ago, and I like 'em.) I’m talking about a regular, full fin. Take a day a week, or every other week, put the fins on, and just go. Don’t “incorporate” them into your workout, don’t do “fin-specific drills,” just go. Play. Swim back and forth as fast as you can. Swim along the bottom. Swim on your side. Swim upside down. Dive to the bottom of the deep end. Have fun. Fins are a blast in the pool, and while you’re having all that fun, you’re getting a good feel for how you slip through the water, and also getting a great workout.
That’s what I would do.
i’d have to disagree about the pull buoy and kickboard. the pull buoy is a tool for more advanced swimmers in isolating the upper body stroke, but for those not mechanically sound, it can be a detriment as it does not allow for much hip rotation while wearing them. i’m a bigger opponent of kickboards, as they put you into a much different position than in actual swimming. using a kickboard puts your upper body in a higher position than in proper freestyle form, and also forces your lower half down. for kicking drills i think you’re much better off kicking on a hyperextended position on your back.
If you insist on getting paddles, then get the smallest ones you can find. Tendinitis in your shoulders is no fun, trust me, and takes forever to heal properly. You probably do not have ideal technique, and so are more likely to hurt yourself with a set of large paddles. Throw away the wrist strap, just use a single loop over your middle finger. That way, if you have poor hand position or don’t extend your hand past your hips, the paddle will rip itself off.
I am distinctly opposed to fins, I don’t think they serve any meaningful purpose.
If you are looking for fun, there are a few options. Mix up your strokes more, join a masters squad, or get the “workouts in a binder” and follow those. Do something silly and challenging every once in a while, like a 4 x 400 set in IM order. (400 fly, 400 back, 400 breast, 400 free). The worst thing you can do is do the same workouts day in and day out. create a “workout hat”, whatever you pull from the hat that day is your main set.
“I am distinctly opposed to fins, I don’t think they serve any meaningful purpose.”
Well, they are good for increasing ankle flexibility.
I think they can be very helpful for increasing one’s awareness of hydrodynamics, since the increased speed they afford magnifies drag, making its effects more obvious.
They’re a ton of fun.
That last one is probably the thing that would help most people become better swimmers, IMO.
There are better ways to increase flexibility. Using fins will encourage the swimmer to lock their knees, rather than keep everything nice and loose, and will not allow as high a kick rate. If used in regular swimming, they can also mess up your stroke.
the pull buoy is a tool for more advanced swimmers in isolating the upper body stroke, but for those not mechanically sound, it can be a detriment as it does not allow for much hip rotation while wearing them.
I totally agree. Pull bouys need to be used in an intelligent manner, incorporate them into various drills, eg fist drills, to isolate the arms. Still need to focus on upper body roll, that is why a coach is so important.
i’m a bigger opponent of kickboards, as they put you into a much different position than in actual swimming. using a kickboard puts your upper body in a higher position than in proper freestyle form, and also forces your lower half down. for kicking drills i think you’re much better off kicking on a hyperextended position on your back.
I’ll disagree with you here. Kicking on your back is great if you are a backstroker. What often happens is people sit down in the water, and the feet are never in the same spot. Best approach is to kick on your front, with no board, using a half scull to breathe. When using a board, important to keep your feet just below the surface, just like you would when swimming normally. Oh yeah, for those of us who were sprinters, using a half board wasn’t much different than a normal swimming posture.
Actually, I haven’t found a better way to increase ankle flexibility. Fins rule for that.
Not sure about fins encouraging locked knees. They don’t for me, but I can see how they might. Something to watch out for. (take note, Dave)
Definitely, normal fins do not allow for as high a kick rate. This is the biggest pitfall, and it’s the reason why you should limit the use of fins. They absolutely do encourage big, giant, sweeping kicks. (Take another note, Dave.)
I wouldn’t advocate using fins in regular swimming, but I think the fear of fins messing up someone’s stroke is somewhat overblown. Most people don’t have such a highly developed stroke in the first place that they really need to worry about corrupting it. The occassional use of fins, I think, would help a lot of people get a better sense of what drag feels like- I don’t think most people can actually tell when they aren’t streamlined, they don’t recognize what it feels like. Fins can help here.
And they’re fun. Did I mention that?
Locked knees wasn’t really what I was thinking, I retract my previous statement. I was really thinking of encouraging too much pressure with the legs, ie forcing the kick. Kind of like riding at 40 rpm as opposed to 90.