Paddles are tools you should always have with you in your training bag. Worn on your hands in training, they help develop specific muscle groups in your arms by increasing the amount of pressure applied to the water and thereby increasing your speed. By making you concentrate more intently on performing a proper stroke, they can also:
1. Correct your swim stroke
2. Increase your upper body strength
3. Increase your aerobic capacity
Paddles are often used together with pullbuoys, and various types are now available. Let’s see how you can use them:
Elite Finger Paddles are designed to be worn on your fingers for all swim strokes and they work on your lower arm muscles without stressing your shoulder muscles. Slide all your fingers into the bigger strap except your middle finger that goes in the smaller strap; they will provide support for your fingers only and not the entire palm of your hand.
These paddles are excellent for working on your technique, try this exercise:
– 8×25 metres freestyle using the Elite Finger Paddles, taking 3 strokes with just your left arm and then 3 strokes with just your right arm. Pay careful attention to both the catch phase and final pull, taking a short break at the end of each stroke. After completing this exercise,…
