There are so many new products on the market, oddly shaped paddles, gloves - I even saw this contraption where you connect a tube from your waste to your ankles so that kicking is more difficult.
I do not think that this equipment is effective - particularily paddles - unless you are a very high lever swimmer and you only use it spottingly. Unfortunately ussage tends to be most common with LOW level swimmers and these swimmers use the equipment far too much durring each workout.
My advice to those returning to the pool is to avoid all of this stuff - it will only lead to injuries.
Parents
Former Member
Why is swimming a contact sport at your YMCA?
Hmmm...about the swimming toys. I think if they make a swimmer more interested in his/her workout and keeps the person swimming, that's good. I think there's a place for them, as long as they're not overused. When I was swimming USS and HS (80's), we did train with paddles (say 1 set every other day for freestylers). I think it helped me because I tended to be weaker than other girls, and I was not injury prone. Fins are good but I think kick sets should be done both with and without.
I have to admit I have a pet peeve with the swimmers on my Masters team that *rely* on the fins for strokes. They get them for *every* stroke set so they can keep up. Oh, but now they are leading the lane because they have fins on, and I am going last in their wake even though strokes are my strong point. I think everyone should learn the strokes properly first and THEN on keeping up with a set and using flippers occasionally, but not all the time.
Why is swimming a contact sport at your YMCA?
Hmmm...about the swimming toys. I think if they make a swimmer more interested in his/her workout and keeps the person swimming, that's good. I think there's a place for them, as long as they're not overused. When I was swimming USS and HS (80's), we did train with paddles (say 1 set every other day for freestylers). I think it helped me because I tended to be weaker than other girls, and I was not injury prone. Fins are good but I think kick sets should be done both with and without.
I have to admit I have a pet peeve with the swimmers on my Masters team that *rely* on the fins for strokes. They get them for *every* stroke set so they can keep up. Oh, but now they are leading the lane because they have fins on, and I am going last in their wake even though strokes are my strong point. I think everyone should learn the strokes properly first and THEN on keeping up with a set and using flippers occasionally, but not all the time.
