Pull buoys and kick boards-I just hate them SO much!

You are a master's swimmer, you can do or not do whatever you want. Just don't disrupt your lane mates who might be following coach's directions.

I'm not a purist, but I hate pull buoys and kickboards too. They hurt my shoulders, and I feel like I'm going backward with pull buoys. When my lanemates use paddles and pullbuoys, I use fins. Just make sure you're in the right place in your lane. I'm sure no one will mind if you don't use these devices. And if they do, too bad. You are a masters swimmer, after all, do what works best for you, not others.

I'm not in a masters program, but i often do stroke clinics with the local age group coach. In those, i never use a kick board (hurts my shoulders) and the coach has NEVER had a problem with me just kicking without one. I asked the first few times, but now I just start without one, and he has never said anything to me. Unfortunately, I can't help you with the pull bouy part. Have you tried talking to the coach of the group to see what he says about pull bouys and kick boards?

I quit using devices of any type 60 years ago. Go natural...

I've always liked pull buoys but not a fond friend of kick boards; hurts my neck/shoulders/etc due to body position. Plus, kicking without a board places a swimmer lower in the water thus having to work a bit harder. I suppose it is preference.

I don't use a kick board most of the time--in really long kick sets when I feel like being social I'll mix it up 100 with board 100with out, but thats rare even so since they also hurt my neck and shoulders. As for pull buoys, I rarely use them for swimming (but i do use them for sculling drills). When my teammates are pulling with the buoys, I put on zoomers and my snorkel and concentrate on my body roll and hand placement. I do use paddles along with the fins and snorkel occasionally to get a better feel of the water and my placements correctness.

I also gave up using a kickboard a year or so ago. I find the flexibility issue is one factor. Another is that without a kickboard I can kick a number of different ways (back, side, front, etc). Also, my body position in the water is more like the position while swimming (except for dolphin kick on my back of course). As for keeping up I'm such a sh**ty kicker that I frequently use zoomers. I do like using a pull buoy. I think I plane better. I also use it to try and focus on my arm position and to roll better when doing free. It's a bit of a challenge doing back and very tough doing ***, but still provides a good alternative to straight swimming at times. Skip Montanaro

I agree about the kick boards. The pull buoys though work for me. Glad to see that others don't like the boards too for the same reasons, and I just don't see the benefit either. My coach and others like the boards as for them kicking is easier (?). - Thomas

I've found that I can use kickboard if I turn my head to the side. My shoulders aren't as flexible as they once were and if I look straight ahead I can't breathe very well. Newer pull buoys are much easier to use and don't cause all of the chafing like the ones I grew up with. However, I would have to say that I do not care for breaststroke with a pull buoy.

Am I all alone in this? I am a newer swimmer, aspiring to join our local masters group, however, I loathe pull buoys and kick boards! I love doing kick drills with no board, it feels purer and more ergonomic. Kick drills with a board torque my neck up and shoulders out of line and make me feel like a slow barge to nowhere. As for pull buoys, I just don't get the benefit. They throw me way off balance and are so distracting that I can't really focus on just my arms. Wouldn't using fins for the arm-focused drills be equally beneficial? I ask because these crutches I mean tools seem to be an intrinsic part of the masters workout, and I'm worried that if I eschew them, I will throw off the timing of my lanemates, or somehow not fit in to the group flow. Am I a budding purist or an inflexible whiner? Should I just get over it and use the board and buoy? Or is it acceptable to adapt the workout without these items? Willow Kicking without a board is much better for your swimming. Not only do you avoid shoulder and neck pain, you are able to work on your body position- streamlining, hip rotation, etc.- when you kick without one. Using a kickboard does not help your swimming (other than working your legs), however it gives you the benefit of being able to socialize a little while you swim! As far as pull buoys go, they are a much more useful tool for working on your stroke. They force you to work on balance as you rotate in freestyle and backstroke, and they also help you focus on what your arms are doing. As uncomfortable as they might seem, pull buoys are a good tool for working on body position. But if you don't want to use these tools, don't. I really don't think people will mind, especially if you are conscientious about where you should go in the lineup.