After reading DougStern’s posts of late I have focused more attention on my kick. I have both zoomers and the Tyr splitfins. I haven’t used the zoomers in a couple of years for a couple of reasons. My old coach wasn’t a big fan of zoomers. He felt that when doing specific stroke work the zoomers don’t provide enough stability to focus on the stroke. You’re left still kicking too much to focus on the stroke, especially if you’re a weak swimmer. Stronger swimmers could get away with the zoomers. Secondly and more importantly my zoomers just absolutely trash my feet. I end up having to wear socks because of the blisters and that doesn’t help that much.
Now that I have been going with the split fins over the last couple of days I’m having anterior ankle pain. So I’m thinking maybe I just need to dump the fins all together.
For those of you strong kickers, how much time do you spend in fins? Should I just continue working the kick sans fins?
Not sure that I qualify as a “strong kicker”, but I would only use fins for less than 20% of my kicking and/or swimming yardage. It sounds like you might have done too much to fast with the fins. Try backing off the fins and then slowly re-incorporating them into your practice.
thanks for the input. I really don’t think I did all that much. I’m not adding a shit-ton of kicking with fins. Maybe 300-400 per 2.5-3K workout. And I have only done this a couple of times.
Guess my bigger question is, to work on your kick how important are fins? Certainly make me go faster in the water but do fins actually improve my kick? I can understand using fins to provide better balance in the water while doing stroke work like one arm drills and such.
you have the blue not red zoomers, right? Apparently the red are for more flexible ankles - or so they say, so the blue might be better in this respect. As for the blisters, try a little dab of vaseline on the hotspot - i suppose bodyglide would work as well. For what it is worth I have the blue ones with no ankle problems.
As for training, I use them alot. Came to triathlons from college swimming and open water competition. Yer right on the zoomers for balance and such - also help you feel what it is like to swim fast at distance without busting your ass and beign exhausted and osing form- and they don’t screw up your kick in the process like regular fins.
Another merit in my book is that they get you into the habit of actually kicking - and for propulsion, not just balance. Usually long sets in the pool leave the feet dangling doing that little 3 beat twitch kick. Put on a wetsuit and most people don’t even feel compelled to kick at all. Do that with Zoomers and you sink. They also add power and work your legs in a way that kicking alone will not.
IF you are coming from a swimming background (which I think you are) and are usually competitive in the swim (i.e. not just a duathlete who happens to own a wetsuit) then I am convinced that they will add power and endurance to your kick and drop your times.
if seven or eight years of flopping around in the water and coming out MOP is considered a swimming background then yes I qualify No, actually, not a solid swimmer, mostly due to lack of consistency in training.
The zoomers I have are the red ones. I don’t have significant ankle pain with the zoomers, just nasty blister problems. The split fins have been bugging my ankles recently. Haven’t had that problem with them in the past, but I’ve honestly never spent a LOT of time in them. And the kicking I’m doing now with the fins really isn’t that much different that what I did last year, I’m just focusing more on trying to do the 6-beat kick, or at least my bastardized version of it.
I still plan to work on my kick, as I have totally neglected it in the past even poo-pooed it. I’ll try the zoomers again with some bodyglide. thanks for your insight.
I used to poo-poo kicking too. Then last year I really focused on using zoomers every workout for at least one set. 6th out of the water at my first IM in heavy chop - I am convinced was the added power and stability (don’t ask about the rest of the race plz).
Try mixing the zoomers into a longer set. We usually do something like a set of 500’s, alternating zoomers with swimming (or perhaps pulling). Another option is to swim a long set (>1000) and stop every 200 yds for 1-200 with the zoomers. No matter what you do, when you swim with the zoomers, kick like you mean it. You will probably get winded quickly sending so much O2 to the quads, but that is what you want.
good luck.
I’d be interested in hearing how others incorporate zoomers into workouts - I’m getting bored.
I use my zoomers very infrequently and find that they do amplify “ankle pain” if by using that term you mean achilles tendinitis. However, this only presents itself if my achilles are already sore from running or riding too much. Big fins didn’t cause this problem as much(for me), but I suspect that is because I am working harder and kicking more with the Zoomers.
No, actually, not a solid swimmer, mostly due to lack of consistency in training.