I am just back from the SPMA meet where all the top finisher were wearing the latest generation tech suits,mostly B-70s(or were named Jeff Commings.)I have here to for been in favor of the suits,but now I am not so sure.First,they eliminate the old bench marks.I went my fastest 100m BR in 5 yr in my LZR,but it was only .3 sec faster than I did untapered 5 wk earlier in my first swim in the LZR.So was my swim good or not,I'm not sure.Also,instead of focusing on technique or pace I found myself ruminating over aspects of the suits,how many more swims did the suit have,is it the right size,was the reason I didn't get better results from my B-70 because it was too big?etc.The B-70 has somewhat mitigated the "too expensive,not durable" problem,but for how long.
Lets say a company comes up with a suit that is much faster,say 4 sec/100.Further that it is very expensive(say $1000) lasts 4 swims and is very hard to make so that quantities are always limited and the fastest way to get one is to bid up to $3000 on ebay. Now lets say your nemesis has one,or that getting one is your best chance to get TT or AA or a ZR or WR,or that your child is close to making JO cuts,or finally beating his/her nemesis etc. Is it worth it and where does it stop?
These are good points, but I still think there are fundamental differences. I've certainly never heard an argument that one team beat another in basketball because they were wearing better shoes.
In swimming I like to continue to improve my times. With the evolution of the suits its hard to know year-to-year how much of the improvement was due to me and my training and how much was due to the suit.
There are as many variables in basketball, football, name the sport as there are in swimming. I realize this is a swimming forum but swimming isn't some stand alone sport in regards to gear, training, game day issues, etc. And, the obsession with the suits is weird, just get on with life and swim for heaven's sake.
You don't think the shoes matter, try having your equipment guy pack the wrong cleats for a football field condition.
So, are you saying he would have been slower in a tech suit? Because my point is tech suits lower times.
Pau is saying your previous comment about "serious competitors and tech suits" is null and void.
Why is it the "anti-tech suit" people think that putting one of these suits on will automatically lower your times? If that is the case, how come people don't set personal bests and records every single time they were a tech suit? Tech suits don't automatically get you a faster time. That is a load of crap that the anti-people get sticking too. These people seem to want to forget about everything that goes into swimming before every going to a meet and wearing a suit of any style.
Wookie - the reason is because the anti folks don't really understand that hard work produces results, not a suit.
If tech suits do not produce results why do people wear them?
If tech suits do not produce results why do people wear them?
No one has said they don't HELP get faster times. But you and the rest of the anti-tech suit people want to make it seem like all best times are a result of using the suits and tech suits only. You are trying to make it seem like all the things that go into swimming aren't the reason for faster times...that someone can just put a suit on, then expect to swim fast without all the training needed to swim fast.
No one has said they don't HELP get faster times. But you and the rest of the anti-tech suit people want to make it seem like all best times are a result of using the suits and tech suits only. You are trying to make it seem like all the things that go into swimming aren't the reason for faster times...that someone can just put a suit on, then expect to swim fast without all the training needed to swim fast.
in all the posts i've read on this thread, no one has made this claim.
No one has said they don't HELP get faster times. But you and the rest of the anti-tech suit people want to make it seem like all best times are a result of using the suits and tech suits only. You are trying to make it seem like all the things that go into swimming aren't the reason for faster times...that someone can just put a suit on, then expect to swim fast without all the training needed to swim fast.
Never said that.
Why is it the "anti-tech suit" people think that putting one of these suits on will automatically lower your times? If that is the case, how come people don't set personal bests and records every single time they were a tech suit? Tech suits don't automatically get you a faster time. That is a load of crap that the anti-people get sticking too. These people seem to want to forget about everything that goes into swimming before every going to a meet and wearing a suit of any style.
Two swimmers are physically equal in every way and each has the best race of their lives. One wears a brief and the other a LZR. Which one wins the race? Does anyone doubt the swimmer in the briefs loses?
How many world records have been set using the LZR? How many Gold medals?
No, I think you're wrong. My opposition to the tech suits is just the opposite. I think the deciding factor in who swims fastest should be exclusively based on the training, skill and mental toughness of the swimmer--not on what suit they wear.
Kirk...this is my point. Swimming best times, swimming fastest does take all of these things. The suit people choose to wear comes after all the hardwork is done. The is no subing for hard work, mental prep. The swimmer that does the best job in preparing for the meet, in all aspects of getting ready, will have the best time. Someone who doesn't prepare well, who doesn't put in the work, will not gain an advantage over someone who does by wearing a suit.
Never said that.
Two swimmers are physically equal in every way and each has the best race of their lives. One wears a brief and the other a LZR. Which one wins the race? Does anyone doubt the swimmer in the briefs loses?
How many world records have been set using the LZR? How many Gold medals?
You keep saying it is the suit that lowers times, not the swimmer, so you have made the asseration.
Yea, I do doubt it. One, you can't find 2 people that are equal in everyway, including indentical twins. Two, there are no certainty that swimmer clad in a tech suit can or will beat a swimmer clad in a brief.
