Benefits (if any) of using bands around ankles?

I am sure everyone at onetime or another has used bands around their ankles. I for one used them a lot in the past. It will surely develop the armstroke it did this for me. I never had trouble with my legs staying near the surface but now everyone likes to use swim bouys so the feet will stay up. It is a true arms only thing and I prefer the bands over swim bouys. I have not used any devices of any type for years. For arms only I just hold the feet together but I seldom do that anymore. I use full stroke. George, could you be a little more specific when you say it develops armstroke? I know it doesn't in the way that paddles do. I was told it helps keep your chest down deeper.....do you buy that?

I am sure everyone at onetime or another has used bands around their ankles. I for one used them a lot in the past. It will surely develop the armstroke it did this for me. I never had trouble with my legs staying near the surface but now everyone likes to use swim bouys so the feet will stay up. It is a true arms only thing and I prefer the bands over swim bouys. I have not used any devices of any type for years. For arms only I just hold the feet together but I seldom do that anymore. I use full stroke.

One of the swimmers that I coach brought me some bands. The only time that I have a swimmer use them is when they continually kick while using a pull buoy. Most of the time they don't realize they are doing it and quickly stop the kicking once they are aware. When I was a teen, we used them all the time to pull. No pull buoys, just the band. It was hard. I don't advocate that because it really messes up your body position unless you are naturally buoyant.

If you don't kick and you want your feet to be close to the surface you have to get the chest into the water. You must also finish the stroke which also lifts the legs. I have never used hand paddles, hand paddles are to help a person follow a correct path for the hands to follow underwater. If you are not following the correct path the paddles slide in all directions. Now do they build strength I really do not think that is the purpose of hand paddles.

An ankle band/strap forces you to use your core to keep your legs in position (raher than relying on the pull-buoy to do it for you). It also prevents you from using your legs for balance--not even a slow two-beat kick--so, again must work harder to maintain proper body postion. It can also make you more popular in your lane. One of the girls on my team (we'll call her K) beacme very popular when, prior to a pull set, she said to a lanemate, "You go first because I have my strap-on." :blush: She still hasn't lived that one down.

I have been using the Speedo Ankle Lock with XL TYR Catalysts/Pull Buoy(graduated from M to L to XL) for the past year or so and have noticed that it has helped siginificantly in my longer distance races. You are forced to "press the T" to avoid your legs from riding too low in the water. Without them on it really helps you focus less on the kick and more on full body efficiency especially in long course races. However, I would strongly recommend that if you are going to put this type of stress on your shoulders that you at least try a month or so with paddles and pull buoy before attempting to add the use of the ankle lock. Also, I would not use this more than once a week. Cheers! Chris