Zoomer Z2 Training Fins

I'd like to hear more about this one myself. Paddles and buoys were a regular part of training when I was in school, but fins seem to be a new one. Intuitively, I would think fins would be detrimental to learning a good flutter kick as they encourage too much knee bending and not enough streamline.

Based on the precedent set with FINA allowing the use of tech suits, training fins should be allowed in competitive swims too. forums.usms.org/showpost.php Just think of how many WRs could be set by using fins!!! :applaud: Dolphin 2 Don't steal this thread.

I dont really use fins very much, but I do know some coaches who really like to use them since they can help with developing some ankle flexibility and can help you do some drills easier (like kicking on your side) so you can focus on the drill instead of trying to kick as hard as you can.

Based on the precedent set with FINA allowing the use of tech suits, training fins should be allowed in competitive swims too. forums.usms.org/showpost.php Just think of how many WRs could be set by using fins!!! :applaud: Dolphin 2

Intuitively, I would think fins would be detrimental to learning a good flutter kick as they encourage too much knee bending and not enough streamline. I disagree, but I guess it depends on what kind of training/sets you do with the fins. There are plenty of things you can do with fins to reinforce streamline position, and we did one tonight - swims with X# kicks off each wall. Yeah you wouldnt use fins for the whole workout.. just short bursts of using fins. www.riverfallsswimclub.org/why_fins.htm has a few reasons why. That seems to cover all the reasons I have heard in the past. Except for reason #4, which im not really convinced about 1) Improve Body Position and Technique 2) Develop Leg Strength 3) Increase Ankle Flexibility 4) Increase fitness and Cardiovascular Conditioning 5) Fast Swimming! (Get a feel for swimming fast). About when to use fins, that is a very good point. Especially for those who are just beginning (or getting back into swimming), you don't want to develop a dependency on them so that they become a crutch. When speed is an issue, use them for speedwork, not for extra speed to make an interval (though if you're doing something like a 4x through kick set and struggling during repeat #3, putting on fins for repeat #4 isn't such a bad thing). The point #4 is pretty simple- your legs use a lot of energy! If you're doing something with fins, you're probably doing something fast and/or very energy demanding by nature. Adding the fins does make it easier, but it also increases the demand for energy to move the extra surface area.

I agree. With zoomers, especially, I get a lot more tired. It may be that I am not that used to kicking, and when you have the zoomers on, even if you try to kick half-heartedly, it's really tiring. I don't get knee pain, but I do get a bit of back and hip pain sometimes, especially if I kick hard with zoomers after not having used them for a long time. Most of your teammates think you're cheating, but the paradox for me at least is it's much easier to swim without fins, cardiovascularly speaking.

Yeah you wouldnt use fins for the whole workout.. just short bursts of using fins. www.riverfallsswimclub.org/why_fins.htm has a few reasons why. That seems to cover all the reasons I have heard in the past. Except for reason #4, which im not really convinced about 1) Improve Body Position and Technique 2) Develop Leg Strength 3) Increase Ankle Flexibility 4) Increase fitness and Cardiovascular Conditioning 5) Fast Swimming! (Get a feel for swimming fast). I would only use fins during a drill set or maybe sparingly through a swim set to get the feel for swimming faster then race pace (I've only had one coach do this and it was during taper to a champ meet).

I'd like to hear more about this one myself. Paddles and buoys were a regular part of training when I was in school, but fins seem to be a new one. Intuitively, I would think fins would be detrimental to learning a good flutter kick as they encourage too much knee bending and not enough streamline. Swim training fins are much shorter than scuba fins (especially Zoomers), so a user shouldn't really be kicking any diffently than when barefoot. (Come to think of it, whenever I've gone snorkeling, I've kicked straight-legged from the hip in dive fins as well, requiring much less motion and energy than the "bicycle" kickers in the group.) Fins are useful training tools for all the reasons mentioned, but beware of using them too much if you have bad knees. I only use mine for drills, preferring to take them off for actual swimming. Otherwise my knees let me know they're not happy.

Try wearing some old shoes! We used to do that....talk about tough and not fun!:afraid: