No, this is not THAT discussion. Burn them or buy them, I am not writing to help further that discussion.
When I was first presented with the "tech" suits several years ago, I didn't have the budget to buy a full-body suit, so my first tech suit was made by cutting a Speedo Fastskin above the waist and installing a draw string. The only person to notice was Tracy Grilli, and she didn't razz me too much. I performed well in that suit in fly, back and free.
Later, when I tried a full body suit I was disappointed to find that my back and fly times were often not as good as my swims in leggings. At first, I chalked it up to my being a head case. In fact, I developed a term for these suits that didn't "perform" well. I said they had "bad mojo".
I tried tests throughout the years which seemed to confirm my belief. Then last year, I watched men's NCAA's intently to see how college swimmers "felt" about the suits. I was shocked to see that they were choosing suits in a way that confirmed my beliefs. Backstrokers wore leggings. Flyers wore leggings. Freestylers, wore full body suits. (If breaststrokers want my full report, let me know)
When I saw that, I threw out my "head case" theory and formulated a new one. I theorized that the leggings work better for back and fly either because they afford the wearer with greater mobility or they improve the swimmer's body position in the water in the way that a full body suit did not.
How could the leggings improve your body position? Well, my theory goes like this: if the suits give some sort of lift, either through buoyancy or some Bernoulli-like manner (yeah, I think that idea is unlikely), then the full body suits might not reduce drag nearly so much by lifting the whole body as the leggings do by lifting the legs alone. Or said another way, perhaps by rotating the legs up, around the center of mass, reduces drag more significantly than lifting the whole body upward.
Whatever half-cocked theory that I used as justification, I became pretty convinced that leggings have better mojo in backstroke and fly than the full body suits. In fact, my recent backstroke swims were done with the blueseventy leggings. Coincidence? Maybe. That is why I am interested in what other people have experienced.
Hi,
I'm a breaststroker and interested in what suit would work for me. In the last few weeks I purchased a used Fastskin pro full suit, but unfortunately right before my first race at zones it ripped. So now I'm not sure what to do.
I just know that I'm soured on Speedo and the fastskin.
Hi,
I'm a breaststroker and interested in what suit would work for me. In the last few weeks I purchased a used Fastskin pro full suit, but unfortunately right before my first race at zones it ripped. So now I'm not sure what to do.
I just know that I'm soured on Speedo and the fastskin.
I'm also a breaststroker, and the blueseventy suits work for me (and many breaststrokers on this forum agree). I actually own a pointZero3+, which has the benefit of definitely being legal for the rest of the year. If you have a store around you that sells them, I would certainly recommend it. They can be had for under $300 and will likely last you for as many swims as you could possibly get in this year before they (possibly) become illegal next year.
How could the leggings improve your body position? Well, my theory goes like this: if the suits give some sort of lift, either through buoyancy or some Bernoulli-like manner (yeah, I think that idea is unlikely), then the full body suits might not reduce drag nearly so much by lifting the whole body as the leggings do by lifting the legs alone. Or said another way, perhaps by rotating the legs up, around the center of mass, reduces drag more significantly than lifting the whole body upward.
Whatever half-cocked theory that I used as justification, I became pretty convinced that leggings have better mojo in backstroke and fly than the full body suits. In fact, my recent backstroke swims were done with the blueseventy leggings. Coincidence? Maybe. That is why I am interested in what other people have experienced.
I think you might have a very good theory. It is something evidenced by Phelps and Lochte as well. They wore leggings for IM/backstroke/fly last summer, but full tech suits for free.
One of my primary complaints about full body tech suits is that I felt that my performance in fly and back was subject to bad mojo as you call it. Maybe it is partially body type as well because there seems to be plenty of backstrokers and flyers and IMers that use full body tech suits and have very good results.
I haven't tried leggings, but I think I may give them a try and experiment a bit.
What leggings would you suggest and are they legal after 1/1/10?
Tim
I didn't have the budget to buy a full-body suit, so my first tech suit was made by cutting a Speedo Fastskin above the waist and installing a draw string.
Care to clarify this? At first you say you didn't have the money to buy a full-body, but then it sounds like you did have a full-body suit, but decided to cut it in half. I don't get it.
Mike, great swims last weekend!
I think in general your observations are accurate...a lot of people find that the suits are to restrictive in fly/back. Case in point was last weekend Rich Saeger went back to leggings last minute before his 100 fly race, just couldn't get comfortable with a B70 in warm-up...but was fine in the 100 free with the B70 (46.7 by the way). But there are also some pretty impressive swims in those strokes with full bodies such as; Austin, Cavic, Randall Bal & Grevers...so no cut and dried answer.
The key I think is taking the time to "practice" and in my opinion the only cost effective way to do this is to start off with an older generation suit and work your way up so to speak. If you have never worn leggings start there, next season or if you can afford it buy an older model fastskin and swim in-season meets with both...worst thing is to have never used a suit, buying it and swimming your major meet of the season as the first time.
Lochte missed the team during the trails (in 100 back) wearing a full body suit.
He was only seen in leggings thereafter.
Piersol always wears leggings.
Don't base your suit choice on what others found worked or didn't work...test for yourself.
Get jammers, legs & full body suits
test them out on fast swims for time in practice
see where the times fall
I've had some decent 50 back swims in practice wearing pro legs
I'm looking forward to trying B70 legs.
The thing I like about full body suits is I:
don't have to shave as much &
think they are faster
Paul,
I do not think it would be a wise choice for the female swimmers to test out the legging suits.
Looking back, i mean the 80's and before. It was who can get into the smallest size suit.
Now, it is how much of your body can your suit cover you and how much neoprene can you wear and be legal.
And nope I have not tried the B70 or the lzr or the rise.
Guys - all the leg only stuff was last year.
...
I know exactly how you feel about the feeling and the shoulder issue and comfort level - but I just think the full body suits are way faster like Blue 70 are way faster.
I would imagine Mike -- who has worn both full-body and leggings -- has experimented enough to know what works for him. It may be body-specific.
(Though it would be kind of scary to think that Mike's 48.4 100 back wasn't as fast as it could have been.)
I'll give it a try at some point. I would love it if the leggings were just as fast as the full body suit. I do have a new pair of FS-Pro legs that I got on sale, I'll try them in practice and see what they feel like. My main concern is that they seem to ride a little low, don't want to pull a Smith and shock the timers when I bend down for the start.
Or said another way, perhaps by rotating the legs up, around the center of mass, reduces drag more significantly than lifting the whole body upward.
hmmm.. interesting... never thought about it this way before. Technically though, ya, if your upper body had slightly more resistance than your lower body at moderate speeds (relative to freestyle) then yes, this could have a tilting impact on your center of balance in the water.
