Paddles! Hooah! What are they good for?

I use TYR Catalyst paddles (red). I think they CAN contribute to swimming performance. I find that they: - are unforgiving of hand entry errors so they reinforce good hand entry - the extra resistance forces me to have a higher elbow, more vertical forearm, and pull with hands shallower. All good things. - can strain my shoulders so I am careful with their use. I use them mostly on moderate effort, longer sets. In a set of 4x400 I may use the paddles for half the set. I rarely swim hard with them. I also use them occasionally for heads up breaststroke (very tiring) to work on fast hands. Agreed hofffam, I find when I put on my paddles (red TYR) my mechanics improve, and I get an "ah yes, this is what it should feel like." Any tweaks in my catch and pull are amplified so I can concentrate on them and correct them easily, and I am better able to time my core rotation with the pull. I feel what it's like to "stabilize" my body with my hand and arm as I pull, so I can recover with the other arm and enter my next stroke properly, rather than "swing" each arms forward into the water relying more on my shoulder muscles. After the paddles, I have to concentrate to replicate the feeling, but my body "knows" what it should feel like so it's doable. Without paddles, it is easier for me to NOT notice when I'm dropping my elbows and sliding my hands, crossing over my mid-line, and/or not finishing my stroke by my hip. This makes my shoulders hurt more than the paddles. That said, I don't push too hard with the paddles on--usually a set of 4-8 75s with 15 or so seconds rest or the equivalent interval, breathing every 3 strokes, sometimes a moderate build on the 3rd length. Freestyle only (maybe a length or two one-arm fly). 2 - 4 25s sculling after using the paddles is all I need to get rid of the "tiny hands" feeling.

I am a believer in the use of paddles. I believe they are a wonderful diagnostic tool. Many years ago, my coach (Joe Gentry) had us take off the wrist strap and loosen the finger strap. It was awful at first - the paddles kept coming off. However, as you develop a feel for the water and keep your elbow up and your hand in the correct position, they stay on. I am coaching now and use them regularly to teach technique. Alternating 100s or 200s with and without paddles help you learn the technique. With the swimmers I coach, I have to watch that they do not strap them on tightly or hold them on with their fingers. I keep repeating that if you do the stroke incorrectly, you will get shoulder problems. If you do the stroke incorrectly with paddles, you'll get shoulder problems faster. Let the paddles loose and let them tell you where you are wrong. It really works. Thanks Betsy, that's good info. I do that no wrist and loose finger grip on *** pull, so I'll use the same idea for crawl and see what happens.

Hand position and grip, right on Chaos. i have a pair of speedo paddles that are shaped like a potato chip and are not any bigger than my hand. they can assist in finding the best hand position (grip) but unlike those big monsters, won't make you feel like you are moving in slow motion when you take them off. i don't use them regularly....only when i am looking to correct/improve some small detail that their design would help with.