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
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 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
