I rarely use fins at all, but today I did a fly only set with zoomers because I am struggling with learning proper fly. It really gave me a good feel for the timing, rythm and proper body position. Does anyone else fly with zoomers? If so what percentage?
I was thinking of doing at least one set a week with the zoomers.
Does anyone who has completely mastered fly continue to use fins?
I don't understand what you were explaining here. What is "head between my arms" and how is it different than "arms behind the head"???
Skip
The optimum streamline position is with the head tucked slightly below the arms where the upper arms touch or just cover the ears. I think that what Chris was saying was that he was tucking his head too much, aka 'burying your head'.
Keeping my fins on right now until the shoulder strengthens. I did not carry them on a plane with me early this week and ended up with both shoulders in pain.
We don't get much transition time between sets, so if we end up with IMs, I end up swimming breaststroke with a dolphin kick. It is the closest I will ever get to the wave form of my stroke.
Hmm ... Bill ... I definitely don't slow down with fins. Probably takes some practice. Usually, they help newbies.
I didn't explain this very well. It's the rhythm that slows down; I'm sure I am significantly faster with fins than without. I think, for me, fins result in an over-emphasis on the kick/lower body portion of what I'm still learning is a whole body stroke.
Again, I feel the same way about swimming free with fins. Although I am going quite a bit faster, it messes with my breathing and stroke patterns, at least for the first few repeats, and although it's admittedly a whole bunch of fun going at a race pace faster than my naked pace, I'm not convinced it has a lasting benefit.
But other than the knee twinges, which I am not certain had anything to do with the fins, they certainly haven't caused any harm.
I use the Hydro fins. I like them better than the red zoomers I tried first; they are softer and more comfortable.
For me probably the biggest thing was to underscore how important it is to keep my head between my arms (rather than arms behind the head, a mistake I see a lot of people make, and which I occasionally do when I get sloppy/tired.)
I don't understand what you were explaining here. What is "head between my arms" and how is it different than "arms behind the head"???
Skip
I don't understand what you were explaining here. What is "head between my arms" and how is it different than "arms behind the head"???
"Heat between arms" means arms should cover the ears, or close to it. "Arms behind the head" is what I see a lot of little kids do -- perhaps because their heads are proportionally bigger? -- when, well, the arms are mostly behind the head. (I can't explain it any better than that.) You can squeeze the arms together more but the head sticks out and creates drag.
In that case, with the fins on and going at very high speed, you can feel the extra drag that the head creates.
I have a tendency when I am sloppy to put my arms slightly behind my ears. I can feel some extra drag from that too, with the fins. Good feedback.
I love wearing fins doing fly. And back. And ***. And free. And pull sets, drills, kick sets.
The breaststroke w/ fins+dolphin kick has been terrific for drilling body position and timing. My knees only tolerate minimal breaststroke kicking anyhow. In general fins motivate me to use my legs more for a better full-body workout.
When i use fins i move prettly quilcky but when i take hem off - when i am stuck! I mean i move my hands for God's sake! my kick is ok but it's like iam not moving anyway.
any tips would be helpful
PS i haven't swam fly for 17years.
jjpj
My coach recommended them to me the other night. He said I should get a pair of Zoomers. I always thought that using fins was some form of cheating, but after reading all of these posts, and the fact that I now feel the universe is trying to tell me something, I think I will get a pair.
Disclaimer: The above comment is not intended to suggest that the poster has in any sense "mastered fly."
From birth, swimmers are conditioned and brainwashed into thinking that fins are cheating. Why? We are not told that paddles or pull buoys or kick boards are pernicious toys used only by the laziest of slackers. Bizarre.
I wonder if I would be as fast as I am now if I didn't use fins? I'm not sure. Probably not. I certainly wouldn't be swimming.
Personally, I can't stand zoomers. I prefer the long blade fins or the zuras. If you're going to use fins, you might as well get your "bang for the buck" from them. Zoomers help to de-weight the shoulders some, but they don't help as much with the other stuff.
