What is the current thinking on flippers / fins? (ie, professional coaching recommendations). It seems like their use is very pervasive these days but when I was a swimmer growing up (US Swimming) we did not use them...and I swam with some kids that went to Olympic trials...so it was a good team.
My masters team uses them ALL the time. They don't do kick sets without them. They even use the flippers for main sets at times, and some swimmers sneak them on to keep up with their lane, which messes up the lane order (and in fact they should swim in a slower lane if they cannot make the workout in the faster lane without flippers - IMO). And they use them when they are slow in other strokes (ie, IM's, back, butterfly). Some of these swimmers have mastered kicking with fins (esp those that use huge scuba fins), but they can't kick worth beans without the fins.
Is there any research/articles on fin usage? What do the top swimmers do?
Thanks!
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Former Member
Originally posted by some_girl
On my team, we do use scuba fins, but I would say never in a lazy manner and never to make intervals we couldn't make otherwise. Generally, they're for fly sets (though we do plenty of barefoot fly too) or sets in which our coaches want us to emphasize our kick. The intervals are tight enough that you still have to work hard. So I'd say it's possible to use them in a responsible manner, even if many people don't.
Ther is no such thing as never using scuba fins in a lazy manner. Even if you are going somewhat fast with scuba fins, thye are doing too much of the work.
I only use zoomers for some kick sets. My kick is really terrible but zoomers do seem to help.
Originally posted by some_girl
On my team, we do use scuba fins, but I would say never in a lazy manner and never to make intervals we couldn't make otherwise. Generally, they're for fly sets (though we do plenty of barefoot fly too) or sets in which our coaches want us to emphasize our kick. The intervals are tight enough that you still have to work hard. So I'd say it's possible to use them in a responsible manner, even if many people don't.
Ther is no such thing as never using scuba fins in a lazy manner. Even if you are going somewhat fast with scuba fins, thye are doing too much of the work.
I only use zoomers for some kick sets. My kick is really terrible but zoomers do seem to help.
