Swim toys
I like using swim toys, in part to break up the monotony of swim workouts, but I also think that you shouldn't get too reliant on them. So I want to think about how to use them smart - both for the entertainment value and for the training value they can provide.
I am starting this thread with a few thoughts from my own experience to see what other people think. (I'm a very MOP swimmer by speed, though I've swum my whole life.)
- Kickboard: HATE hate hate them. Maybe it's me and my inflexible back, but I can't use one without either putting it in a useless position way out in front of me. If I use it in its normal position, either I make my back very uncomfortable or throw my butt 2 feet down in the water, which makes my already pathetic kick even worse. Which brings me to:
- Snorkel: Most people use this to focus on a balanced freestyle stroke, and I can see that...but I've come to value it as an alternative to the kick board. I know the EN workouts (almost?) never have kicking in them, but I've taken to doing some snorkel-based kicking in a streamline position as a way to build up my kick this season. I don't want to use it for propulsion so much as just keeping my leaden legs up. (I am a sinker. I don't even float wearing a wetsuit. It's pathetic.)
- Paddles: Everybody loves paddles cuz they make you go fast. :-) I have four sets!
- (a) The Finis Freestyler. It's a small triangular paddle with only a one finger loop and a keel. So it's not really a traditional paddle, but it's really helpful for straightening out your stroke. This one is good at the beginning of the season.
- (b) A Finis agility paddle with only a thumb-hole and no strap. This one is supposed to help the finish of your stroke by punishing you if you pull your hand out wrong. I haven't found it very useful...maybe I pull my hand out right and it never corrects me. :-)
- (c) A super-long narrow paddle. I don't use this much, but i set it so the top of the paddle is in the middle of my hand, and it therefore becomes a "forearm" paddle. I do like to pull this one out now and then to help develop that feel for the water and forearm pull. I like this a lot better than fist drills, which feel very artificial to me....but same general idea.
- (d) a moderate sized traditional paddle. OK, yes, I use this sometimes for fun to build strength ...but I tend to think overusing it is a huge crutch. A mid sized paddle fixes my form and makes me go faster. Perfect, right? I suppose...except that we don't get to swim with them in the races. Fortunately, at least for long course season or for uncrowded pools, there is something that I think accomplishes the training intent without being a crutch:
- The parachute! OK, these are torture devices. Mostly, the really fast swimmers use them in sprinting from my observations, but I think it's also great for longer intervals (300-500) where you are trying to build up some muscular endurance. I think that this, in combination with a pull buoy, has been an effective way of simulating my actual in-wetsuit body position, and forcing me to build some strength. If you use one of these for 15-20 min and you don't feel your lats and tris, there's something wrong. I think this is a lot closer to what the "pull with paddles" really should be for me...not a crutch in the slightest.
- The pull buoy. I know a lot of people train consciously only using the pull buoy. I understand this, but it's not for me. My body type and stroke means I struggle with my position, and the pull buoy instantly fixes it. I don't have to even think and my form is great because my body position is fixed. Aside from the parachute sets I mentioned above, I try to limit myself to using the pull buoy when I am sufficiently tired already that my form has started to falter. This lets me swim with good form a bit longer. I will also sometimes use it for that "easy 200" between sets.
- The tempo trainer. I've got one of these, but I've never really figured out how to make it work for me. Obviously, the purpose is to get you to have a bit faster turnover by beeping in your head (which would also be good for me...), but I haven't figured out how to really train with it, rather than play with it. If you have ideas, I'd love to hear them.
- Fins. If I were training for pool swimming, I could really see the value of fins for me, but I don't have much use for them now for myself. As I mentioned before, I have a pretty weak kick...probably due to poor ankle flexibility combined with my leaden legs. But with fins, I am golden. I can go what seems like twice as fast...and that's where the value would be: when you're going that fast without killing your arms, you can feel what small changes to head and shoulder and butt position do to your speed. It's like "how do I get out of my own way?". However, for our kind of swimming, I haven't really figured out the value. For me, they are like paddles - almost a crutch instead of a training tool.
OK, quite a ramble... and I suppose the easiest thing is just to say "don't use toys"... but short of that, I'd be curious to hear what you all think.
William
0
Comments
I love the paddles because they help build up my lats and tris for strength and endurance.
The parachute scares me because i could just imagine me down at the bottom of the pool rapped in the tether. And the morbidly obese life guards has no chance in saving me.
The pull buoy is nice for correcting form, but i found i used it too much as a crutch to keep by behind afloat. One day i had this thought, what if i had a race that was non-wetsuit legal... So i gave it up the pull buoy and forced my form to correct itself or get stronger by dragging my feet behind myself.
Re non wetsuit swims...totally agree you have to ditch the buoy except for very specific sets if non wetsuits is likely. I did Las Vegas a couple of years ago and took the same approach.
As to kick sets, I agree totally about the kick board. I only do (rarely mind you) kicking on my back in a streamlined position. It's the only way I can actually make progress and move in the lane! I do use the kick board for other drills that aren't kicking though.
Paddles, everyone using them at the pool so I figure I want to be one of the cool kids too and buy a set. Great for muscle tone but as a X weight lifter I'm big enough.
Snorkel, Disclaimer here I'm not a life time swimmer so, I think that looks stupid in a pool with out a spear gun hunting for a fish.
Fins, love them they keep my body position in the sweet spot that allows me to drill on an effective entrance, catch and pull without sinking/slowing like the rock I am.
Ear plugs, love them they keep the chlorine out of my brain.
I built a little weighted stand for it and drop it in the middle of my lane when pool is quiet and just let it roll. My oh my what an eye opener! I consciously think of how I think I'm swimming during filmed sets and then later review it only to find what a disaster I actually look like swimming said set. Swimming for me is a new sport and it's a sport that without a coach is impossible to improve or fine tune after a certain point because you can't see what you are doing wrong. Now all of my toys actually have a purpose to try and help me correct my faults. I just ordered the finis freestylers because after film review I can see that I have a pretty substantial crossover. I would have done that until the end of time if I never saw it or had someone like a coach point it out to me, now I can work on it.
For seasoned technically correct swimmers I think toys like paddles, fins etc can help in various ways like conditioning or building speed but for fixing stroke deficiencies outside of having a coach filming yourself can't be beat. So for me the best piece of equipment is my little camera.
Paddles have made me a much stronger swimming. I've only been swimming for about three years (was never a swimmer before) and have a friend who is a instructor who taught me everything I know. I started out using the TYR SPORT Catalyst Brites Yellow / Small paddles and have moved up to the the Red / Medium paddles over the last year and a half. Once this season is over I'll likely move of the the Blue / Large paddles. Of any of the tools that I have used the paddles are likely the ones that have made the biggest improvement in my swim strength.
As Peter mentions the ankle band is another very useful tool for correcting form. An easy way to make one is to take an old bike tube and cut it into three equal pieces and tie the ends together of one piece. This is a highly effective tool to show you how much you are over using your legs in the swim and put more focus on the pull. Of course I sink like the rock but you can use a pull buoy to help with that, but really the kick should be more of flick of the foot and not these large leg movements you see in some swimmers.
I've occasionally use a tempo trainer when I'm working on my form and rhythm, but have found that it actually slows me down because it is interfering with my natural cadence. My last race I decided not to use it and I ended up setting a PR on the swim.
I don't own a kick board but just use the ones at the pool. Kick boards don't bother me but they are great for killing the legs when used with a pair of fins to take the legs out of the equation so you can focus on the pull.
All in all, all these little tools are great for correcting form and strengthening ones catch and pull when used correctly. Although the catch is know how to use them correctly in the first place. I've seen so many people in the pool using these tools and sure.. they are going faster in the pool while using them, but they really aren't gaining anything to improve their swim because they aren't using them correctly. I know a couple people who all they do is use the pull buoy for the entire swim workout, but they still haven't improved.
I had to laugh at Darren correcting me and calling them "tools". Fair enough. They are "equipment" to my kids. I just use the term "toys" in what I intend to be a humorous vein.