My teammates and I were discussing the following apparently inane topic, and I thought it would make a good poll question. To wit, during practices, which of the following apply to you:
1) I swim with my eyes open pretty much all the time, except for regular blinks.
2) I close my eyes when my head is underwater, but open them during breaths.
3) I close my eyes during breaths, but open them when my head is under water to make sure I am not wandering off track.
4) I close my eyes much of the time on each length, and try to remember to open them before crashing into the wall.
Note: just realized I don't exactly know how to format this as a poll. If anyone else does, please feel free to do so--or send me a note about how to do it myself.
BTW, I often swim with my eyes shut; not quite sure why, other than swimming practice seems to induce a mild level of narcolepsy in me. Or perhaps it is a reflex action from the pre-goggle days when closing your eyes during practice was necessary to keep your corneas from being eroded by chlorine.
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I second Mark's suggestion of corrective goggles. I've been using them for years and I don't how I was ever able to swim without them. They're not very expensive either -- they don't need to be made to order and you can get a good pair over the counter for $20 to $30.
I would never even think about swimming with my eyes closed, particularly in the pool -- I want to know where the wall is and where the other swimmers are.
I second Mark's suggestion of corrective goggles. I've been using them for years and I don't how I was ever able to swim without them. They're not very expensive either -- they don't need to be made to order and you can get a good pair over the counter for $20 to $30.
I would never even think about swimming with my eyes closed, particularly in the pool -- I want to know where the wall is and where the other swimmers are.
