Personally, I think kickboards are evil, evil, evil. When I was swimming 20 years ago in high school I didn't see the point, and now that I'm 38 I still don't see the point.
Happily though, I've read in several books and seen on a few video tapes that many coaches have come around to my line of thinking, "Kickboards put you in an unnatural heads-up position, emphasize the least effective part of the stroke (the kick), and keep you from rotating."
Since I see people swim with kickboards every day I know many people disagree with me. But, there's no way they're going to change my mind. Instead - let's vote!
Parents
Former Member
I had to check the "useful training tool" even though I wished there was a category of "have their uses". When I kick without a kickboard I aggrevate my asthma because I forget to breathe regularly (if I'm not taking strokes, I forget to breathe regularly, thus triggering an asthma attack). But I realize that they're not the best thing for training.
Ditto on the fins. I use them because, without them, I get frustrated kicking and therefore, don't do it. I'm working on the whole balance/ FQ swimming thing, but I still have problems with my kick getting me anywhere.
Kae
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Former Member
I had to check the "useful training tool" even though I wished there was a category of "have their uses". When I kick without a kickboard I aggrevate my asthma because I forget to breathe regularly (if I'm not taking strokes, I forget to breathe regularly, thus triggering an asthma attack). But I realize that they're not the best thing for training.
Ditto on the fins. I use them because, without them, I get frustrated kicking and therefore, don't do it. I'm working on the whole balance/ FQ swimming thing, but I still have problems with my kick getting me anywhere.
Kae