Racing in Briefs, Jammers and Knee Skins

RE: Racing in Briefs, Jammers and Knee Skins

Former Member — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 05:00:07 GMT

...you've never written anything that qualfies.... Hey Lefty Did the power to your computer go off before your could finish typing your sentence? :confused: If so, it might be a good idea to buy a back up power source for your computer -or if it's not power related problem, just go to Barnes & Noble and pick up a grammar book. :agree: Dolphin 2

RE: Racing in Briefs, Jammers and Knee Skins

Former Member — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 16:48:02 GMT

Fire Sale aside, if tech would be good training devices, why not just wear a wetsuit? I doubt they would make good training devices. Just a novelty item like fins, snorkles and (to a degree) hand paddles. You listed a lot of other good training devices as "novelty" items so I think you can safely be called "old school" !

RE: Racing in Briefs, Jammers and Knee Skins

Former Member — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 16:12:31 GMT

Tdrop a speedo endurance brief is not what I would consider a racing suit. It meets my I dea of a training type swim suit. Not meant for racing in. Its not my idea of a racing suit either. But lets be honest, besides wearing an actual mesh drag suit there is nothing a brief is going to do to seriously help or diminish speed. The point is a tight fitting endurance brief is a pretty close close if not identical comparison to racing in any other type of "brief"...besides a mesh drag suit. There just isn't enough coverage or fabric to make a real difference. This anecdote is intended to be a comparison of racing in a tech suit versus racing in a brief.

RE: Racing in Briefs, Jammers and Knee Skins

Former Member — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 15:56:57 GMT

Tdrop a speedo endurance brief is not what I would consider a racing suit. It meets my I dea of a training type swim suit. Not meant for racing in.

RE: Racing in Briefs, Jammers and Knee Skins

Former Member — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 15:35:42 GMT

I have an interesting anecdote to add here... I swam sunday only (yesterday) at Indy nationals. I swam the 50 free, the 400 fr, and the 200im. I have been wearing suits in most races for the last couple of years...fs pros. The 400fr I wore my fspro and dropped 11 seconds from this season's best. In the 50 I wore my pro and dropped no time from this seasons best. (which is really weird because I tapered for 5 weeks. i thought I would have dropped more in the 50 than the 400??) then after being there all day yesterday I dragged my suit on one more time and stood around in it for about half an hour before the 200IM. with about 5 minutes before my heat I looked down at my legs and noticed big indents were the elastic was cutting in and I thought, you know this can't be good for circulation. I was already frustrated with the suits...i love the extra speed but I hate continuously messing around with them. Regardless, I hastily pulled the suit off and raced in an endurance brief. I added about three seconds. In hindsight, I should have left the suit on for the sake of consistency. But I did learn something. I'm really not where I think I am in terms of fitness and performance. I'm a good bit slower and this will become apparent when and if the suits become illegal in masters. this is good news and bad news. The bad news is, well, I'm not as fast as I think I am. The good news is I can more accurately train to get better based on past experience.

RE: Racing in Briefs, Jammers and Knee Skins

Former Member — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 15:19:37 GMT

You should ask these guys. "...the top eight finalists paraded out in brief swimsuits rather than a high-tech suit. Prior to the start of the event, the swimmers received a standing ovation for their pact to compete in the less competitive suits." Gee, yet another group decides to makes a statement against tech suits. Looks like the members of the Tech Suit Bashers Club Of America (TSBCA) must be “blowing out all the candles on the cake” because their wishes seem to be coming true!!! :D Dolphin 2

RE: Racing in Briefs, Jammers and Knee Skins

Former Member — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 15:10:45 GMT

Knelson, do you think the hitech suits would be good training devices? I think that swimming in one as a training device could help a swimmer get lined up into a better swimming position and when it is taken off you will be a better swimmer. Hitech suits could replace swimming drils??? I think you will find a lot of theses hitech suits available after FINA imposes the new rules some manufacturers will have a clear out FIRE SALE. Fire Sale aside, if tech would be good training devices, why not just wear a wetsuit? I doubt they would make good training devices. Just a novelty item like fins, snorkles and (to a degree) hand paddles.

RE: Racing in Briefs, Jammers and Knee Skins

Former Member — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 14:53:36 GMT

Knelson, do you think the hitech suits would be good training devices? I do. Remember when Pankratov swam with cables to simulate WR pace?

RE: Racing in Briefs, Jammers and Knee Skins

Former Member — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 14:40:45 GMT

You should ask these guys. "...the top eight finalists paraded out in brief swimsuits rather than a high-tech suit. Prior to the start of the event, the swimmers received a standing ovation for their pact to compete in the less competitive suits." And this is what they had to say about their experience: "It definitely hurt quite a bit more. It was definitely the hardest 200 I have done in the past four to five years. I think the last time I wore a brief in a meet was when I was 12 years old, but it was definitely worth it. It was a lot of fun.” A lot of "definitely's", but it does make you think about what it will be like to race in briefs again! Not to gloat or anything, and only because I felt my swimming didn't warrant buying one, yet, I have never owned a tech suit. For the past two years that I have been competing in masters, I have only worn briefs and on one occasion jammers. Now I feel kind of lucky that I never bought one: I won't have to go through withdrawal symptoms. Although, I am sure that there are those that will argue that I missed out on a great experience.

RE: Racing in Briefs, Jammers and Knee Skins

Former Member — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 14:37:23 GMT

RE: Racing in Briefs, Jammers and Knee Skins

Former Member — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 14:29:14 GMT

Nice!

RE: Racing in Briefs, Jammers and Knee Skins

funkyfish — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 12:10:11 GMT

I'll be in good shape. So far I've had my fastest swims in a pair of jammers. I wore legskins for some races last year and did well, but in the year since I've just steadily increased the intensity/duration of my practices. I was also in the boat of those who felt that their times didn't yet merit purchasing a tech suit (plus, I've got other projects I want to spend the money on). I don't really care if USMS bans the suits or not, to each their own. I am curious to see if FINA stays the course regarding the suit issue when 2012 rolls around. :banana::bliss::bouncing:

RE: Racing in Briefs, Jammers and Knee Skins

knelson — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 10:27:08 GMT

That 200 IM race was a good preview of what's to come. Not one of the eight finalists swam faster than their prelim time. Jack Brown won in 2:01.56. He was 1:57.77 at Nationals last month. For comparison he swam a 4:13.71 in the 400 IM last month and went 4:12.58 at U.S. Open, so it's not like he was just a little off at this meet.

RE: Racing in Briefs, Jammers and Knee Skins

Former Member — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 10:14:39 GMT

it would be very interesting ...you've never written anything that qualfies....

RE: Racing in Briefs, Jammers and Knee Skins

Former Member — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 09:24:38 GMT

Jack Brown talks about getting the final heat to wear briefs on The Morning Swim Show. As I mentioned in one of my previous posts, it would be very interesting to see who's really the fastest dog in the pool if everyone competed in just plain briefs. From the rave review from the crowd attending the meet, it sounds like the viewers like the good old fashioned non-tech suit approach to swimming!!! :applaud: Dolphin 2

RE: Racing in Briefs, Jammers and Knee Skins

Former Member — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 05:11:34 GMT

Santa Clara! The coaches decided the move would bring some much needed attention back to a club well past its heyday.

RE: Racing in Briefs, Jammers and Knee Skins

Former Member — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 05:01:14 GMT

"It definitely hurt quite a bit more. It was definitely the hardest 200 I have done in the past four to five years. I think the last time I wore a brief in a meet was when I was 12 years old, but it was definitely worth it. It was a lot of fun.” This makes me really, really glad I've never worn a suit.

RE: Racing in Briefs, Jammers and Knee Skins

Former Member — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 05:00:12 GMT

Yes, and our times would also be slower if we swam without goggles in shallow pools with lousy gutters and crummy lane ropes. What exactly, then, are our "real" times?

RE: Racing in Briefs, Jammers and Knee Skins

Jeff Commings — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 04:58:26 GMT

RE: Racing in Briefs, Jammers and Knee Skins

orca1946 — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 04:31:03 GMT

It sure made more drag !! So if we go to jammers, we can wear briefs with packets for drag added.

RE: Racing in Briefs, Jammers and Knee Skins

Chris Stevenson — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 02:58:21 GMT

RE: Racing in Briefs, Jammers and Knee Skins

Justin Ritter — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 02:51:03 GMT

But in order to "feel" the race as one would in actual competition, a person would have to shed the suit in advance of the meet. Otherwise it would be like swimming shaved in practice and then growing a wooly suit of fur right before the meet. You have to be ready mentally to compete, and the "feel" of your swim is an important aspect. I remember in high school and college (before the days of tech suits) we would wear tights in practice for the few weeks we were tapering before the big meet and then when you take them off AND shave all at once you feel like you're really slipping through the water. Definitely more of a pain than throwing on a tech suit but maybe that's a way to get that super slick feeling back. Don't know if the extra leg weight throws off your stroke or not though.

RE: Racing in Briefs, Jammers and Knee Skins

Redbird Alum — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 01:35:10 GMT

Knelson, do you think the hitech suits would be good training devices? I think that swimming in one as a training device could help a swimmer get lined up into a better swimming position and when it is taken off you will be a better swimmer. Hitech suits could replace swimming drils??? ... But in order to "feel" the race as one would in actual competition, a person would have to shed the suit in advance of the meet. Otherwise it would be like swimming shaved in practice and then growing a wooly suit of fur right before the meet. You have to be ready mentally to compete, and the "feel" of your swim is an important aspect.

RE: Racing in Briefs, Jammers and Knee Skins

Patrick W. Brundage — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 01:05:43 GMT

This makes me really, really glad I've never worn a suit. Where are all of these nude swim workouts and meets? :)

RE: Racing in Briefs, Jammers and Knee Skins

Former Member — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 09:04:16 GMT

The best swimmers will beat the slow swimmers, and we can focus on the swimming and not what they wore (or which suit ripped) and how much it cost and how many swims it's good for and if it will be legal next year. Ironically, I believe my times would probably improve greatly from a tech suit if I could find one that fit; but to steal a quote, that would be like teflon-coating a Mississippi river barge. :)