Female "pups": Why mostly non-tech suits?

I don't know that I buy the "broke" argument necessarily. Maybe it's just the women I've been surrounded by. My wife is 24. She has a solid job as a teacher and worked in finance before that. She doesn't swim so she doesn't have to think about whether to drop money on a suit. She does, however, spend at least $150 every few months to get her hair done and get all the attendant special shampoos, etc that goes with that. She also likes to buy shoes. We joke about it because she easily spends as much on those things as I spend on pool fees and swimming equipment. My sister has had a good job since she got out of college at 22. She doesn't swim either, but she has always had a fair amount of discretionary income that she spends on gym fees, concerts, hair appointments, that sort of thing. Heck, she even managed to save a bundle and just put %20 down on their first house. Both of these gals I know from the 18-29 demographic have not been broke, they just chose to spend their money elsewhere.

I made a nearly 5 hour drive home from Nationals with one of those Female "pups" yesterday. She is and was formerly fast... sub 50 in the 100 and 1:47 in the 200 free. We got on the suit topic and she told me her viewpoint and also all about her various conversations with older members of our club in regard to "needing a suit" for Nationals. She chose not to buy or wear a tech suit because she had only been back in training for about 7-8 months. She didn't feel she had worked long or hard enough to deserve it yet. But the plan is to save her pennies to have a suit for LC Championships. By then she will have been back in regular training almost a year. On another note, her gripe about masters swimmers in expensive tech suits is that they have not done or are unwilling to do the stroke technique work in the pool with dedication. Buying speed instead of making all the possible corrections and then swimming in the tech suit as a reward for hard work and progress. She was shaking her head over one guy who can't focus enough to consistently streamline well off the walls, but is all about buying a $390. suit to swim fast. I loved her attitude. We agreed that the philosophy applies to any speed athlete in masters swimming. I've seen novices in my "cruiser lanes" execute consistent perfect streamlines far better than most swimmers in the faster lanes. They even showup to lap swimming to practice stroke correction drills on weekends. That committment deserves a reward. Why not a great tech suit?

I made a nearly 5 hour drive home from Nationals with one of those Female "pups" yesterday. She is and was formerly fast... sub 50 in the 100 and 1:47 in the 200 free. We got on the suit topic and she told me her viewpoint and also all about her various conversations with older members of our club in regard to "needing a suit" for Nationals. She chose not to buy or wear a tech suit because she had only been back in training for about 7-8 months. She didn't feel she had worked long or hard enough to deserve it yet. But the plan is to save her pennies to have a suit for LC Championships. By then she will have been back in regular training almost a year. On another note, her gripe about masters swimmers in expensive tech suits is that they have not done or are unwilling to do the stroke technique work in the pool with dedication. Buying speed instead of making all the possible corrections and then swimming in the tech suit as a reward for hard work and progress. She was shaking her head over one guy who can't focus enough to consistently streamline well off the walls, but is all about buying a $390. suit to swim fast. I loved her attitude. We agreed that the philosophy applies to any speed athlete in masters swimming. I've seen novices in my "cruiser lanes" execute consistent perfect streamlines far better than most swimmers in the faster lanes. They even showup to lap swimming to practice stroke correction drills on weekends. That committment deserves a reward. Why not a great tech suit? :applaud: I like her style. I know people that bought the suits with 3 months of training and they were just training a few times a week!!!

Ahelee- Playing devil's advocate here. With part of that theory then she is in effect saying that you need to already be technically proficient to wear a tech suit? That's like saying unless you're a pro golfer then you shouldn't buy Ping golf clubs. Or if you are a triathlete you shouldn't buy a fast bike (I don't know a brand for that one anymore, Kestrel?) unless you will finish TT in your age group. (Albeit, I know if I were starting out as a beginner anything I wouldn't be buying top of the line gear!) I do get that she is insinuating that the suit buys you speed. However, almost everyone has argued that it can't buy you enough speed to be something you're not. You either have the strokes and turns or you don't. If a person is less than proficient but the suit makes them feel better, so what? I know a lot of people on my team who finally did buy a B70 and there strokes are less than proficient. They didn't miraculously win nationals, or even place, but I know that they felt like they had done everything they could, at that point, to prepare including having the best suit available. I hope this makes sense. My mind kept going off on different tangents. I did a lot of backspacing!

Ahelee- Playing devil's advocate here. With part of that theory then she is in effect saying that you need to already be technically proficient to wear a tech suit? Right... I could see everyone finding a different direction to take this. My little "pup" did not describe a level of technical proficiency that should be required. What she was describing was the work ethic - willingness - determination among other things to swim correctly - legally - and efficiently before throwing on a tech suit for a short cut to speed. There was no reference to the tech suit providing speed. In fact I would venture to say that my "pup" does not believe the suit offers speed. I personally believe - and to a certain extent agree with Jim T's philosophy that many of the young "pups" do not want their gorgeous bods to be covered over in black compression/flotation devices! :)

She was shaking her head over one guy who can't focus enough to consistently streamline well off the walls, but is all about buying a $390. suit to swim fast. I sucked water on the start, that's why!!!!!! :afraid:

Ahelee- Playing devil's advocate here. With part of that theory then she is in effect saying that you need to already be technically proficient to wear a tech suit? That's like saying unless you're a pro golfer then you shouldn't buy Ping golf clubs. Or if you are a triathlete you shouldn't buy a fast bike (I don't know a brand for that one anymore, Kestrel?) unless you will finish TT in your age group. (Albeit, I know if I were starting out as a beginner anything I wouldn't be buying top of the line gear!) I do get that she is insinuating that the suit buys you speed. However, almost everyone has argued that it can't buy you enough speed to be something you're not. You either have the strokes and turns or you don't. If a person is less than proficient but the suit makes them feel better, so what? I know a lot of people on my team who finally did buy a B70 and there strokes are less than proficient. They didn't miraculously win nationals, or even place, but I know that they felt like they had done everything they could, at that point, to prepare including having the best suit available. I hope this makes sense. My mind kept going off on different tangents. I did a lot of backspacing! I have to agree with Karen. Perfect stroke proficiency should not be a requirement to own a tech suit. And, contrary to what trpatt says, I don't think training a few times a week disqualifies you either. For some, that's all they can train. Very few swim 6x a week. Let the geezers have their gear. However, I can also see where it would be easy to have a pet peeve about someone who buys a tech suit but refuses to work on stroke technique or doesn't put in any real training. And I definitely agree with Ahelee and Jim that many of those hot babes could be rocking their great bods. Or just not that interested in the edge a B70 or LZR could give them.

Eh-hem, Barbie. I never said, "Let the geezers have their gear." A little editing, hmm?

Eh-hem, Barbie. I never said, "Let the geezers have their gear." A little editing, hmm? Sorry those were my words. I tried to edit my post. Must have stuck it in the wrong place; I'll edit. lol. Yep, I think the geezers can have their gear.

I have to agree with Karen. Perfect stroke proficiency should not be a requirement to own a tech suit. And, contrary to what trpatt says, I don't think training a few times a week disqualifies you either. For some, that's all they can train. Very few swim 6x a week. However, I can also see where it would be easy to have a pet peeve about someone who buys a tech suit but refuses to work on stroke technique or doesn't put in any real training. This was my attempt to present a recent conversation where an actual "Female Pup" gave me her MO / opinion in regard to buying/wearing a tech suit at Nationals. I admired her because I'm a coach and a swimmer interested in improving and getting faster. She had been in this "technique first" conversation on and off throughout the meet with the older members of the club. I agreed with her that this could be accomplished with effort, concentration and attention to technique details. Even with only 2-3 practices attended a week. If we all waited to be perfect before buying a tech suit - no one in masters swimming would have one... no one. That said, I'm really all for everyone having a tech suit if they take the steps to actually enter a swim meet. I would never swim in a meet in a poly suit any longer. It is slower to swim in a non-tech suit. At least wear an older tech suit - or last year's discounted model. But no poly or standard style lycra for me. Why would I purposely add time onto a swim when I am giving my best effort? Even if its' not the season ending championships? I take responsibility as the coach, to present stroke technique in a way that my swimmer will be inspired and, willing to work on it together. And that they can be as fit as possible in their current life situation. If I can accomplish this, I am full steam ahead in trying to convince the Pup or anyone else to see the light and get into any kind of a tech suit! Sorry guys… I looked through all of my Clovis photos and I can’t find one that suits the discussion topic!