I'd like to improve my technique. I've recently tried swimming with hand paddles, hoping it would improve my catch on my free and back.
However, I actually swim more slowly with them than without. And when I stop using them, I'm not all that comfortable with how the water feels.
Should I be worried about the paddles altering my stroke in a bad way? Perhaps paddles aren't meant for technique but for, say, power/strength?
I didn't use them when training as a youngster so I'm not sure what the consensus is as to their value now.
(I did find this related post: www.usms.org/.../showthread.php, but still not clear if they're for technique or for strength-building or both)
I truly believe my STAR paddles have helped me with my catch, body rotation, culminating in a comfortable bi-lateral breathing pattern. I had years of bad habits to break too. Something about a very over-sized paddle forces your hand to enter the water correctly, otherwise the paddle will fall off.
I usually do a 500-800 warm-up sans paddles then a set of pulling with the paddles focusing on the above mentioned elements. It is easier to do with a pull buoy but lately I've gone without it and feel a better transfer to my normal stroke.
I am not a coach, in fact our team doesn't have a coach but these things I do believe to be true!
I always hear conflicting opinions on this. Some believe that it puts a lot of focus on the hands when you should be focusing on using the forearm as a paddle. That's why they have devices that take your hand out of the equation to help your catch. They most certainly help build up strength, but I really have no clue what it does does for technique.
I am a real believer in the value of hand paddles for technique. They made a big difference for me. However, you must remove the wrist strap and loosen the finger strap. At first, it is hard to keep the paddles on. Don't try to hold them on with your hand. If you keep the pressure of the water against the paddle, they will stay on. Slow down and feel the water. It really works. I swim and coach. I tell my swimmers that bad stroke gives you shoulder problems. Using paddles (that are held tight with the writst and finger band) with a bad stroke will give you shoulder problems faster. Remove the wrist strap and loose the finger strap, then let the paddles help you to feel the water.
I think they can. It's about learning how to grip the water. Some swimmers complain that they feel like they are spinning or slipping after they take paddles off. Some even go for the opposite effect by using fist gloves. But we don't train to make ourselves feel better about our technique, we train to get faster. Think about this: you take off paddles and you immediately feel how inefficient you are. This is great, in my opinion. It knocks you out of the complacency everyone develops with their own stroke pattern, and it makes you focus on getting that same feeling the paddles give you without actually using them.
Hand paddles are a tool. It is aimed at increasing pulling surface.
It can definitely be used to help technique.
That, and its antagonist. Fist swimming. Which is aimed at reducing surface. They are both aimed at raising awareness. Making you aware.
Your complaint is that you can't feel the catch as much as you'd like.
1. Maybe you're expecting more pressure under the hand than you should
2. If indeed you're loosing water, then paddles will help you feeling the way you should if you weren't loosing this water.
But back to fist swimming. Same thing there. Try it. Very slowly to allow the time to learn to use the forearm little more to pull. Then on the second 25, you swim full hand. Swimming full hand in this context will give you the impression that you're wearing paddles.
Then why not trying the following:
x times
. | 50m with the paddles
. | 100m as 25m fist, 25m full stroke with little progression in speed. Don't alter the technique, just increase the rate to let the feeling becoming more solid under the palm. Start this 25m progressive in speed very slow, again to give yourself some time to feel and correct.
I just got a pair of PT paddles. I don't really like the fist drill because I find my forearm tensing. With the PT paddle I can leave my hand open and relax.
I do have a couple questions for people, though. One; right after taking it off, as everyone knows, the water feels very much like a solid object. Is this more related to the hands being sensitized? Or is it more related to subtle changes in hand and arm pitch after using the fist/ PT paddle. Two; that great feeling dissipates after a couple laps. Do you think that if I'm patient and persistent, eventually that feeling will become the norm? In other words, with persistent use, the feeling will stop dissipating? Anyone who has experience with the hand elimination techniques, I would love to hear your thoughts.
I like my paddles and do think they help me however I believe drills done properly help with catch even more. Try this: Do 10 X 50 at an interval appropriate for you. The first 25 drill and the 2nd 25 regular swim. I like to alternate fist drill (holding tennis balls works too) and finger drag drill (helps me keep elbows high). After a length of drill I can really feel my stroke and the element of it that the drill was focusing on.
I don't like to do a drill much more than a 50 without a break. What good is a drill unless you are doing it perfect?
