Have you ever noticed that some people get an instant boost from putting on paddles while others don't?
I swim with a training partner and we both hold around 1:10 "threshold" pace (per 100 yards) in training. When we put on paddles and do (as an example) 200s on the 2:35, I'll start out holding 2:25-2:30 and eventually tire out to the point of being touch and go. My training partner will hold 1:05-1:10 pretty comfortably.
Does anyone have any thoughts on how this relates to training and racing? Is more paddle swimming going to make me a faster swimmer? Is it irrelevant to swimming speed without paddles? Does this indicate that I need to do more lifting to get my lats and triceps stronger?
Anyone have any advice on training with paddles or stories about how paddle work has affected their racing?
I'm not any faster with paddles and I don't use them at practice, but I once did several years back. They helped me develop a catch when I needed it.
Fins on the other hand, I will use always
Have you ever noticed that some people get an instant boost from putting on paddles while others don't?
I swim with a training partner and we both hold around 1:10 "threshold" pace (per 100 yards) in training. When we put on paddles and do (as an example) 200s on the 2:35, I'll start out holding 2:25-2:30 and eventually tire out to the point of being touch and go. My training partner will hold 1:05-1:10 pretty comfortably.
Does anyone have any thoughts on how this relates to training and racing? Is more paddle swimming going to make me a faster swimmer? Is it irrelevant to swimming speed without paddles? Does this indicate that I need to do more lifting to get my lats and triceps stronger?
Anyone have any advice on training with paddles or stories about how paddle work has affected their racing?
There has been a lot of focus on the value of leg driven freestyle in the past few years and unquestionably a strong kick helps. However, pull is equally as important and I believe using paddles helps develop a stronger catch and pull. I used to use paddles and bouy a lot but over the last year have reduced the bouy and use paddles quite a lot more on there own. Toys in general allow a swimmer who just wants to get by to do just that. When used correctly I believe paddles can be a significant tool for all ages and levels of swimmer. Just be careful to not injure your shoulders since you will put more pressure on the shoulder with paddles.
Strength & endurance are my primary benefits with paddle work. I, however, am a long distance swimmer & want nothing to do with sprints. I have one speed, basically, so I have to outlast the rest of you. Paddle work helps me be able to develop that strong & stable front quadrant & be able to train up the most efficient stroke possible.
So I use them to reinforce the efficiency of my catch/pull & to build up strength as well. They're two different types of training with the paddles, though. One means swimming fast with them & suffering mightily. The other may be a slightly slower swim with a smidge less suffer, but much longer.
Great advice and something you probably won't appreciate until you injure a shoulder. I used to love paddles and could swim close to race pace for long distances using them. After a shoulder injury I quit using them. When your shoulder is injured you can tell immediately that paddles put additional pressure on your shoulders. I've used them very sparingly since. I don't think paddles caused my injury, but I'm not going to risk it.
I caused a serious tear to my elbow tendon by using over-sized paddles, which took over a year to heal. I don't use them anymore.
Just be careful to not injure your shoulders since you will put more pressure on the shoulder with paddles.
Great advice and something you probably won't appreciate until you injure a shoulder. I used to love paddles and could swim close to race pace for long distances using them. After a shoulder injury I quit using them. When your shoulder is injured you can tell immediately that paddles put additional pressure on your shoulders. I've used them very sparingly since. I don't think paddles caused my injury, but I'm not going to risk it.
Have you ever noticed that some people get an instant boost from putting on paddles while others don't?
I swim with a training partner and we both hold around 1:10 "threshold" pace (per 100 yards) in training. When we put on paddles and do (as an example) 200s on the 2:35, I'll start out holding 2:25-2:30 and eventually tire out to the point of being touch and go. My training partner will hold 1:05-1:10 pretty comfortably.
Does anyone have any thoughts on how this relates to training and racing? Is more paddle swimming going to make me a faster swimmer? Is it irrelevant to swimming speed without paddles? Does this indicate that I need to do more lifting to get my lats and triceps stronger?
Anyone have any advice on training with paddles or stories about how paddle work has affected their racing?
It depends on a lot of factors. Assuming you are using a pullboy if someone swims much faster doing pull it often indicates they have poor body position without the pullboy and need to work on not letting their legs sink. Many good swimmers with paddles and pullboy will be a bit faster than full stroke, especially if using larger paddles. As pull is more efficient than kick I find I can pull for longer than swimming full stroke.
If your free is a bit more kick driven it could cause your pull to be slower. Kick plays a big part in body roll as well so when doing pull your timing might be a bit off. It might also indicate you would see improvements by training pull or doing upper body dryland. It also seems like you should go on a slower interval when doing pull sets.
Yes paddles can put extra pressure on the shoulders. This is good IF you are in the type of shape that can allow you to do this.
Do not start out a season using them as you will not be ready for the increase in work load.
If you swim the same time , I think you relax or slow down your stroke using them.
"When I use a buoy, I find that it flattens out my stroke too much and I lose that connection to my hips."
Have you tried using your kickboard as a buoy instead? Try putting the base of it between your legs and have it stick up like a gravestone or shark fin. It gives you the float factor, but it also gives you good feedback as it teeters with your hips. You can really feel the way it moves.
Like some of you guys, when I do buoys and/or paddles, I tend to slow down. It's so frustrating since most of the guys tend to go faster and I can't keep up.
Finis Agility Paddles: use more to aid when actually swimming. I've been told by a coach that my form improved significantly from using them over a period of about 6 months.These are the paddles that made me finally like paddles. I think they are great for pointing out stroke flaws and for helping to develop a better catch. With that said, I am still a bit slower with them than straight swimming; my hypothesis is that I'm just so darn weak, in general, that the extra resistance of paddles slows my stroke rate down and I'm not able to compensate with any increased stroke length (e.g., since speed = stroke length x stroke rate). I'd still say that I swim 90-100% of my workouts these days without paddles.
There has been a lot of focus on the value of leg driven freestyle in the past few years and unquestionably a strong kick helps. However, pull is equally as important and I believe using paddles helps develop a stronger catch and pull. I used to use paddles and bouy a lot but over the last year have reduced the bouy and use paddles quite a lot more on there own. Like Stewart, I have significantly reduced to almost eliminating my use of the buoy. While I won't call my freestyle kick-driven, I do try to focus on a hip-driven stroke. When I use a buoy, I find that it flattens out my stroke too much and I lose that connection to my hips. I will still use a buoy at times, though, if I feel like I need to relax and rest my shoulders since the extra buoyancy reduces shoulder strain.
The one "toy" that I've come to love more than any, and the one that I think is the best for working on my pull and kick/hip connection while still swimming fast is my snorkel. I use my snorkel a lot in workouts and I think it's really helped my get my stroke - particularly for longer-distance races - back in a better form.
I used these agility type hand paddles ($10) the first time today, and they're great.
They were very easy to use from the start, and keep me in a good position to get stronger.
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