Just a random dump of thoughts from the cobwebby mess that is my brain on fins and the use thereof. I used fins in practice last night for the first time since I was a teenager. That’s a LONG time ago. Not zoomers, full on snorkelling fins. I’ve been anti-fin for a long time, but I concede that they might have their place in certain situations, to achieve specific goals.
The good:
damn they’re fast. I cruised my way to a 0:28 sec 50 free (scm) with the fins on. We did as set of 100’s, easy for 75 then fast 25 with the fins. with the 75 easy I was cruiising in at sub 1:15’s. That’s with a horrible turn (see the bad).
because of the extra speed, they really highlight any body position errors. it shows up in extra drag, or going off course into the lane line (I did that once on backstroke. Oops).
they slow down your kick, giving extra time to concentrate on getting a good catch.
the bad:
they slow down your kick. I have a fairly slow turnover anyway (right now I’m between 14 and 16 strokes per length, SCM) the fins slow that down even more. With the fins I was doing about 10-12 spl. It results in a long time between breaths.
on turns, they feel like giant suction cups against the wall.
leg speed is reduced, and instead of feeling like I’m kicking from my hips and knees, I’m kicking from my knees and ankles. My knees move more than they should.
my feet feel TINY after I take the fins off.
conclusion. they’re fine, but best used in limited quantities. IMO. YMMV.
A coach had me use them recently with some technique work, and I was shocked at the difference. My kick is so bad without them that I was able to actually kick faster for a 50 going easy than all out for a 25 without them.
I train ‘some’ with Zoomers. By some, I mean I wear them for drills and then remove them and repeat the drills.
As to ‘why’. I am a runner. I lack ankle flexibility. I struggle to get my feet flat and pointed away. Zoomers really helps with that. They don’t let my feet get very deep either. It is so much easier to break the habit of having a large kick by training with them.
When I do my kicking drill without them … I am significantly improved over a few months ago.
I think the shorter fins are a little better, both for kick rate and turns. I hardly use mine but I think they have their place to give a feeling for fast easy swimming.
I am no swimmer by any stretch of the imagination but I have recently started to use my fins more. I find that it gives me a better feel for the water and allows me to focus more on the stages of my stroke such as the catch and pull, especially getting the full stroke past the hips. I started using them in my warm-ups to ease into the workout and focus on the stroke thereby replacing stroke drills with longer main sets. I also find that it helps me to kick from the hips with a straight leg and I can certainly feel the difference when I take them off and swim without. Again, they are probably of better use for the average triathlon swimmer or adult on-set swimmer than those who are not.
I also like going fast with them and riding high in the water like that mike guy!!
Also, I will probably try them in some open water swims when not wearing a wetsuit next week on holidays.
They’re definitely good for drills/technique. They tend to keep your legs up higher in the water and give you a feel for the correct body position.
I also read a while ago that the resistance (due to the larger surface area near your feet) strengthens your muscles associated with the kick. Don’t quote me on that though!
A coach had me use them recently with some technique work, and I was shocked at the difference. My kick is so bad without them that I was able to actually kick faster for a 50 going easy than all out for a 25 without them.
I’m trying to figure out how using a device which has the effect of slowing down your kick will result in increasing turnover. Yes, I clicked on the link, and it doesn’t make sense to me.
A coach had me use them recently with some technique work, and I was shocked at the difference. My kick is so bad without them that I was able to actually kick faster for a 50 going easy than all out for a 25 without them.
I’m trying to figure out how using a device which has the effect of slowing down your kick will result in increasing turnover. Yes, I clicked on the link, and it doesn’t make sense to me.
I have the same experiences as Journey…my stroke rate goes up substantially when I use fins…but I am also moving much faster, too.
Maybe it is the size of the fins you are using? Dunno…just a thought.
My stroke rate is tied to my kick speed. Fins cannot speed up my kick, only slow it down.
Overall, I speed up slightly. In the same practice, with the same effort, I was about 2 secs per 50m faster with fins. But I’m taking about 4 fewer strokes.
My stroke rate is tied to my kick speed. Fins cannot speed up my kick, only slow it down. Overall, I speed up slightly. In the same practice, with the same effort, I was about 2 secs per 50m faster with fins. But I’m taking about 4 fewer strokes.
Exactly, and in essence the fins have the same effect as paddles: you go faster with fewer strokes and less effort. And, I wouldn’t call 4 sec/100 m faster “speeding up a little”…I mean that’s a minute over 1500 m.
The main problem with both fins and paddles IMO is that you do not feel the water anywhere close to as well as you do with bare hands/feet, and in consequence you don’t necessarily go any faster, and possibly you may go slower, when you take them off. Just pure swimming is best IMO, augmented by the kick sets w/ and w/o the k-board, and pull sets w/ just the buoy, and maybe an ankle band if you can’t hold your feet still w/o one. By swimming 99% of the time with bare hands/feet, you gain the best feel for how to get a hold on the water with your hands/forearms and feet/toes. As has been said many, many times, swimming is all about the “feel for the water”. If you have a good feel, you should be able to pull like you have paddles on, and kick like you have fins on, even when you don’t:)
For clarification, I meant “slightly” relative to the change in stroke count and dps. I totally get that 4s /100 is a big speed increase.
And yeah, I agree that one of the potential problems is reduced feel, which is why I was against them for so long. In very limited quantities it’s probably ok though, as long as they don’t become a crutch. Eg for the posters who said that body position is improved with the fins, it shouldn’t be. You need to understand what they can help you with and what they cannot.
For clarification, I meant “slightly” relative to the change in stroke count and dps. I totally get that 4s /100 is a big speed increase.
And yeah, I agree that one of the potential problems is reduced feel, which is why I was against them for so long. In very limited quantities it’s probably ok though, as long as they don’t become a crutch. E.g. for the posters who said that body position is improved with the fins, it shouldn’t be. You need to understand what they can help you with and what they cannot.
Ya, I figured there was something missing in translation there, since there’s no way that you as a former 1:55 200 m freestyler would not get that 4 sec/100 m is huge:)
And certainly, the “improved body position” is more or less a given due to the fact that a lot of adult onset swimmers will go like 20, or even 30, sec/100m faster with fins, and obv they are riding much, much higher in the water than normal.
I think about 1 or 2% of a person’s total swim volume with fins would not hurt, and maybe help if only to get that feel of going faster. The coaches of the AG team at my club let their swimmers wear fins in warm-up but that’s their almost only time using them.
I think about 1 or 2% of a person’s total swim volume with fins would not hurt, and maybe help if only to get that feel of going faster. The coaches of the AG team at my club let their swimmers wear fins in warm-up but that’s their almost only time using them.
The other place I can see them being useful is for the drop dead sprinters, just because it is next to impossible to achieve race speeds in practice without some sort of assistance. I’m talking about 50m and 100m specialists mainly. Although I prefer tethered swimming followed by assisted sprints for that purpose.
I have recently tried a new warm up that a lot of the club kids do and it’s quickly becoming a new staple for me. 1000 swim with Zoomers and a snorkel. All the air I want, some ankle warm up, little bit of load on the leg muscles which always warm up faster for me than the rest of the body. At around mid point I take the fins off and finish up with snorkel only. Never been a big fin fan, but I do like what I’m seeing with my new w/u utilizing them a bit. Since pool sprints are my focus now we do use some stretch cords with someone pulling us back to get overspeed, rarely fins though.
i’ve never tried swimming with a snorkel (except when I’m out snorkelling, of course, which I don’t really do anymore because, well, I live in the North Atlantic). a couple of older guys in masters use them though.
i’ve never tried swimming with a snorkel (except when I’m out snorkelling, of course, which I don’t really do anymore because, well, I live in the North Atlantic). a couple of older guys in masters use them though.
First off, there is plenty of awesome snorkeling around these parts.
Second as to the fins. I love to get them out after my main set is done and do maybe 100 m with them at a time to get some ankle work done. I am a sucky swimmer, so I don’t want them near my main set and they make my kick all weird after I use them. But I think they have been helping stretch my feet/ankle a bit and allowing me to get a flatter line.
i’ve never tried swimming with a snorkel (except when I’m out snorkelling, of course, which I don’t really do anymore because, well, I live in the North Atlantic). a couple of older guys in masters use them though.
Well I certainly fit that ‘old fart’ crowd! But I will say the club I picked it up from has some wicked fast kids, one of them just committed to the University of Florida so apparently snorkelin’ ain’t just for the Ensure crowd;)