How much do you think goggles affect speed?

Speedo is trying to sell $100 goggles. Yes... something that looks like across between Spider-Man and the Power Rangers!

how much do you think the type of goggles affect speed? The invention of goggles allowed swimmers to train much further and get faster Clearly very true. Before goggles we'd have to stop swimming or shut your eyes after typically about 1-2 hours in the pool, depending on chlorine and/or pH conditions, and then afterwards you couldn't open your eyes without pain for a few hours while the red swollen eye irritation cleared up. Does any know about when swimming goggles were first put into common use for practice and meets, and the origin of how this came about? Know it was some time after about 1970 when i stopped, but before about 1986-7 when my youngest started. Have been wondering about the documentable impact of goggles on training and times. For a pretty low tech solution, what an impact I think.

placebo effect, unless you are wearing a scuba diving mask.Ditto that. I do have some preferred racing goggles Speedo Speed Socket mirrored (www.swimoutlet.com/.../2929.htm) that I do think are low profile and they have great mirroring for the AZ sun, but I doubt they add much over my Vanquisher workout goggles. Now, were I a pro and my income depended upon swimming, I'd probably go for every extra, legal benefit I perceived I could get.

So lets start a discussion here, how much do you think the type of goggles affect speed? Speedo has that new 3 piece system where the new goggles, some call them "space goggles", are incorporated in improving the swimmer's speed. www.goggleblog.com/.../Speedo-Fastskin-3-event.jpg Most swimmers in my area have the vanquishers. As the years progress and older swimmers give new swimmers advise, I have heard things like: cut the bands of your racing set of goggles really short (to get rid of the extra weight and drag), and always put the goggles on before your swim cap (its supposedly more aerodynamic). I've also heard that you want to get the most low profile goggles possible. So what do you think? Do you have any preferences with your goggles that have given you perhaps a .05 second cut? Or do you think this all may be a placebo affect? how much do you think the type of goggles affect speed? if you're referring to drag & if the goggles have a streamlined profile, NOT much BUT if your googles fog up in a race and you miss a turn or turns or if they come off or flood when you dive in it could spell trouble The invention of goggles allowed swimmers to train much further and get faster

Does anyone remember the 1989 Tour de France? In the last 24.5 km stage, Greg LeMond cycled 54.545 km/hr to erase a 50 second deficit and defeat Laurent Fignon by 8 seconds. It was reported that calculations showed that the drag from Fignon's ponytail had been enough to cost him the race. Now that ponytail was pretty egregious, and was a "drag" in more than one sense of the word, but let's make the wild (ridiculous) assumption that bad googles would have the same effect, then...hmmm... 54.545 km/hr x 8 sec = 121 m, then 0.121 km/24.5 km = 0.00495 Image two equivalent swimmers capable of going 0:25.00 in 50 lcm while wearing good goggles. If one is made to wear good goggles while the other is forced to wear bad goggles, then the one wearing bad goggles would finish at 0:25.12 or 0.12 seconds behind the swimmer wearing good goggles. Now personally I have always doubted the ponytail calculation, and I am even more dubious of it being remotely applicable to swimming, but there you go... This might make a nice research project for someone. Until then, I wonder how many sprinters will stay up at night wondering about 0.12 seconds?! Thank goodness I am now a distance swimmer.

So lets start a discussion here, how much do you think the type of goggles affect speed? Speedo has that new 3 piece system where the new goggles, some call them "space goggles", are incorporated in improving the swimmer's speed. www.goggleblog.com/.../Speedo-Fastskin-3-event.jpg Most swimmers in my area have the vanquishers. As the years progress and older swimmers give new swimmers advise, I have heard things like: cut the bands of your racing set of goggles really short (to get rid of the extra weight and drag), and always put the goggles on before your swim cap (its supposedly more aerodynamic). I've also heard that you want to get the most low profile goggles possible. So what do you think? Do you have any preferences with your goggles that have given you perhaps a .05 second cut? Or do you think this all may be a placebo affect? placebo effect, unless you are wearing a scuba diving mask.

I swim faster with goggles that let me see where I'm going, reduce glare, don't leak water, slip, or fog up, and don't distract me by being uncomfortable or worrying they might come off on a start. Nice to not have raccoon eyes or get eye funk from old nasty goggles too. I like the kids goggles I wear just fine - they fit my narrower face better than adult goggles. I suppose they are "low profile" but that wasn't a selection factor. Will worry more about faster goggles when I'm pro or in headline photos.

Speedo is trying to sell $100 goggles.

Does anyone remember the 1989 Tour de France? In the last 24.5 km stage, Greg LeMond cycled 54.545 km/hr to erase a 50 second deficit and defeat Laurent Fignon by 8 seconds. It was reported that calculations showed that the drag from Fignon's ponytail had been enough to cost him the race. Now that ponytail was pretty egregious, and was a "drag" in more than one sense of the word, but let's make the wild (ridiculous) assumption that bad googles would have the same effect, then...hmmm... 54.545 km/hr x 8 sec = 121 m, then 0.121 km/24.5 km = 0.00495 Image two equivalent swimmers capable of going 0:25.00 in 50 lcm while wearing good goggles. If one is made to wear good goggles while the other is forced to wear bad goggles, then the one wearing bad goggles would finish at 0:25.12 or 0.12 seconds behind the swimmer wearing good goggles. Now personally I have always doubted the ponytail calculation, and I am even more dubious of it being remotely applicable to swimming, but there you go... This might make a nice research project for someone. Until then, I wonder how many sprinters will stay up at night wondering about 0.12 seconds?! Thank goodness I am now a distance swimmer.I remember that final TT and the look on Fig-newton's face afterwards. Anyway, I wonder if Popov's record would have stood longer if he wore a cap.

I swim faster with goggles I swim faster in a bodysuit. I agree with you. If goggles aid speed they should be banned too.