Pull buoys and kick boards-I just hate them SO much!
Former Member
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
Parents
Former Member
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?
Reply
Former Member
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?
