A Poll...

RE: A Poll...

Former Member — Tue, 06 Jun 2006 10:38:26 GMT

Brad's right. Make your friend do it first. Unless you're really hairy.I mean carpet chest hairy.Then don't bother.It wont make any difference at all. If you don't believe me then just shave one side of your body first.If you swim in circles then you know it works and you can do the other side.:D

RE: A Poll...

Former Member — Tue, 06 Jun 2006 05:58:57 GMT

Tom Bucey a great marathon swimmer entered a race and he applied graphite grease to his body, he told everybody before the race the graphite grease would let his body slide through the water and when he was hit by the waves the waves would not effect him. He got out of the water the grease went solid and he could barely swim. He had to use coal oil to remove the grease from his body. It did not help maybe he should have shaved instead. Jack Nelson was the first swimmer I had ever seen who shaved.

RE: A Poll...

Former Member — Tue, 06 Jun 2006 05:33:32 GMT

Shaving has very little to do with the amount of hair on your body, unless, like someone said, you look like robin williams. We had one guy on my college team who looked like he was wearing a 'hair suit' after he shaved, ... Never mind. The feel you get, is from exfoliating those layers of dead, unfeeling skin we all collect. Why do competitive swimmers shave every day they have an event at a championship week. It's not to get the stubble left over from the previous shave. It's to remove any dead skin which may have formed since. I shave my palms (HEY NOW, NO JOKES) and bottoms of my feet. One would think this might cause your hands and feet to 'slip' through the water, but in actuality, it gives your hands a higher sensitivity to water pressure and 'slipage'. We had a theory that the overall advantage to shaving, was about 30% psychological and 70% physical, and the shave was always good for 2 seconds per 100yds. 100 breaststroke, I could just break a minute tapered/unshaved, with taper/shave, another 2 seconds(57). 200, 2:09 tapered/unshaved, 2:04 tapered/shaved. Roughly the same with the fly 52/50 1:56/1:52 To GloBuggie, I suggest you refrain from shaving for 4 months prior to championships, then come back and tell us the difference. Our college women's team, the girls were not allowed to shave the entire season. There was this one girl, eeeww.... Forget that too. :)

RE: A Poll...

Former Member — Mon, 05 Jun 2006 16:33:27 GMT

Originally posted by knelson it's about whether a novice swimmers would benefit from shaving down in order to improve technique. And that is the million dollar question. It is my opinion that it would be a waste of time to shave down at this point. But hey, what do you have to lose? Some time, shaving cream, and a razor or two? It seems like you have SOME desire to do this since it has been posted in two seperate threads now. I would not do it but I think that maybe youi should just so you can see what it's all about. No regrets.

RE: A Poll...

Former Member — Mon, 05 Jun 2006 15:43:31 GMT

Originally posted by dorothyrde Personally, I don't see the point at the level you are at. You are going to make improvements without the shaving because you are a newbie. You need to think more about the technique of learning to swim, and shaving is not going to help that greatly. When swimmers shave for their tapered meets, they are trying to eek out 10ths, or even 100ths. I am with you.

RE: A Poll...

Former Member — Mon, 05 Jun 2006 15:39:11 GMT

I shave before meets, but only because I'm female. I think most of the improvement from shaving is mental, not physical, so it's not important unless you're really trying to swim fast in an important race.

RE: A Poll...

Former Member — Mon, 05 Jun 2006 13:26:49 GMT

No, I'm not uncomfortable with it...I just don't want to waste the time and energy if it won't help me.

RE: A Poll...

knelson — Mon, 05 Jun 2006 11:48:57 GMT

Originally posted by aztimm I really don't understand what all the hype is about. I disagree with this. Shaving does make you swim faster. I guess I should really say tapering and shaving makes a difference. I've never done one and not the other, so it's difficult to know how much each one is contributing. Anyway, the real question here isn't about whether it's a good idea to shave down for important meets, it's about whether a novice swimmers would benefit from shaving down in order to improve technique.

RE: A Poll...

knelson — Mon, 05 Jun 2006 10:58:02 GMT

For an experienced swimmer, the sensation you get from shaving down is one a kind. Yes, you do have a heightened feel for the water, but my gut instinct is this wouldn't be the case for a beginner. Also keep in mind even experience swimmers only shave down a couple times a year. If this heightened feel for the water really improved your technique I think swimmers would stay shaved down throughout the season.

RE: A Poll...

Former Member — Mon, 05 Jun 2006 10:05:26 GMT

Sun Devil, I think shaving would benefit you, but only as part of a bigger plan. Shaving is the last element to put an edge on your preparation for a big meet. By itself, it's pointless. Remember the goal is to swim your fastest time, not simply shave because it feels cool (and makes your friends and family think you are a weirdo). You should start, now, with a plan to compete in a big meet in August where your goal is to swim your fastest times. Whether it's FINA Worlds (however, you are unlikely to have a qualifying time for those), or some other regional meet, big one as your target. You should have a training plan to get yourself into top condition for that meet, and you should keep your commitment to do the workouts in the next few weeks to be prepared for that meet. There is no substitute for being in shape and preparation. Talk to your coach about your training plan, and about your "taper" starting a week or two before the meet. (And if you're a beginner without a team or coach, focus on that and forget about shaving for a meet). If you get yourself into your best shape, prepare specifically for the events you will swim, then back off your training as part of an organized taper, shaving for a meet will feel different, and the overall package will lead to some phenominal times for you. I say again, shaving by itself is pointless. Matt P.S. I find a new Aquablade/Fastskin competition swim suit is a reasonable substitute for shaving, and I prefer to use one of them instead.

RE: A Poll...

dorothyrde — Mon, 05 Jun 2006 08:08:48 GMT

Personally, I don't see the point at the level you are at. You are going to make improvements without the shaving because you are a newbie. You need to think more about the technique of learning to swim, and shaving is not going to help that greatly. When swimmers shave for their tapered meets, they are trying to eek out 10ths, or even 100ths.

RE: A Poll...

Former Member — Mon, 05 Jun 2006 07:25:02 GMT

I will agree with what others have said: Shaving works for everyone but more for "experienced" swimmers. It is not just mental. It is typical in college to have a mid-season taper/shave meet. For the week or so after the shave, my practice times were unreal (for me).

RE: A Poll...

FindingMyInnerFish — Mon, 05 Jun 2006 07:09:11 GMT

You don't sound comfortable with the idea. Is your friend pressuring you to do this but you don't really want to? In that case, just say "no, I don't want to do that." Any friend should respect your choice. If you're reasonably comfortable with giving it a try, I can't imagine it would do any harm. It might or might not help, and hair grows back, so it's not a permanent decision. If it turns out not to help, you can always tell your friend "I told you so." :p

RE: A Poll...

bbpolhill — Mon, 05 Jun 2006 06:09:39 GMT

I think your friend is playing a practical joke. Will it lessen the time it takes to become a competitive swimmer? That would be the required result. I sincerely doubt it. Your better off saving it for your first taper.

RE: A Poll...

knelson — Mon, 05 Jun 2006 05:27:30 GMT

Originally posted by aztimm For the time and effort invested, I will never do it again. Unless you start out looking like Robin Williams, how much time does it take? :) I'd say you can shave down in an hour or two. For a new swimmer, I'd concentrate on technique for right now. I'll agree with that!

RE: A Poll...

Former Member — Mon, 05 Jun 2006 05:16:25 GMT

I find that shaving produces a distinctly different feel from unshaved. But it quickly becomes "normal" and stops feeling "different." The different feel is part of the reason it helps during competition. I may be missing something - but for me shaving mostly makes me fell faster, more slippery throught the water. My hands and arms don't feel much different pulling underwater and it doesn't do anything to help me keep my elbow high. It doesn't help my breathing or my shoulder rotation. I say it is a waste of time and a bit of a distraction from the improvements in technique you should be concentrating on.