General Discussion Triathlon Talk » Best Pool Toys? Rss Feed  
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2016-02-10 5:49 PM

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Subject: Best Pool Toys?
I started swimming with a Master's group and was told they use a lot of pool toys and I should look to acquire some if was going to come more.

So, what are your favorite paddles, buoy, fins, kick board and ???

I've never been a toy person, but liked the team so I guess I will give it a try.

Do they even still make the hard blue kick boards?


2016-02-10 8:10 PM
in reply to: Moonrocket

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Expert
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Subject: RE: Best Pool Toys?
I use....

Buoy, paddles, band, and a towel.

Each has their own specific time and place and for their own reason. Make sure whatever toy you us matches up with its intended purpose and you fit the need for it.

Bands and towel are for increasing drag and maintaining a high turnover.

Paddles are for sport specific strength and working and feeling my catch/pull, but I still do a my due diligence to my needs to individual strength work as well outside of the pool

2016-02-10 8:40 PM
in reply to: Moonrocket

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Subject: RE: Best Pool Toys?
For the most part, fins, pull buoy, paddles, I don't care which they are. Used all sorts, and lots of them work.

Personally the item that has done me the most good however, was my Finis Tempo Trainer Pro.

According to Swim Smooth, I'm an overglider, and looking at some charts comparing my turnover to my speed, it was way low.

Essentially, I had a long, powerful stroke, but my turnover sucked.

This one toy, with some focus on eliminating my deadspot in my stroke to allow my to hit a better turnover to keep up with the beeps, has taken over a minute off of my 700m time trial in a very short period of time.

Of course, this is because it was a specific issue I had, and anyone with a great stroke-rate would not see the same benefits :p
2016-02-10 9:40 PM
in reply to: #5166502

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Subject: RE: Best Pool Toys?
Thanks! I'm looking for ideas on what the current best versions are. I have an old pull-buoy- the kind with two tubes attached with rope. But it looks like there are better ones now- I'm looking for recommendations. I also have a pair of green stroke maker paddles left over from college (multiple decades ago) but as a less strong, much older swimmer I'm thinking those may be too much. I've never owned zoomers or the current reincarnation.

So, mostly I need schooling in what has become available in the past two decades.

What's the deal with the finger paddles I'm seeing?

I think I'm pretty good on tempo. I'm usually around a 1:30/100 swimmer with once a week training. Hoping to improve that a bit with a little more work.
2016-02-10 10:22 PM
in reply to: 0

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Subject: RE: Best Pool Toys?
I will use a buoy, paddles, and band in any given workout. My favorite swim toys are the band and the Eney Buoy (way better than a regular buoy, and you can fill the bottles for additional drag). Not sure if I can post links here, but just Google Eney Buoy. I will alternate the Eney Buoy with a regular Tyr buoy depending on the set.

I love the band because it forces me to not only use my core, but it encourages me to focus on and get that early catch. When your feet are tied together, you really don't want to waste energy on an inefficient catch and pull. Don't buy a band, just make one out of an old tire tube.

I wouldn't purchase paddles until you have the Masters coach recommend which ones to get to meet your needs. He or she may actually ask that you purchase two sizes to work on technique or strength.




Edited by fortissimo 2016-02-10 10:23 PM
2016-02-10 10:23 PM
in reply to: Moonrocket


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Subject: RE: Best Pool Toys?
Fins, buoy and paddles are my go-to's. Kickboards are available at most pools so I just use those when I need it rather than buying one.


2016-02-10 10:26 PM
in reply to: Moonrocket

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Subject: RE: Best Pool Toys?
Originally posted by Moonrocket

I think I'm pretty good on tempo. I'm usually around a 1:30/100 swimmer with once a week training. Hoping to improve that a bit with a little more work.


Unfortunately speed alone doesn't tell us your strokerate!! :p

How many strokes per minute do you tend to take?
2016-02-11 12:20 AM
in reply to: #5166502

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Subject: RE: Best Pool Toys?
I use paddles and a pull bouy every workout just about. Usually 6-800 yards on a pull set, but otherwise that's all the toys I use. I'm not a big believer in kick sets anymore, I'm 31 and have never been a strong kicker even when I was swimming competitively. I'm typically top 1-5 out of the water, so I save my legs for the bike/run. I'm not bagging on kicking at all, just giving my .02c and what works for me.
2016-02-11 4:31 AM
in reply to: Moonrocket

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Subject: RE: Best Pool Toys?

I've got fins, hand paddles, and a snorkel in my bag, and our pool has kick boards and pull buoys.

I use kickboards and my snorkel more than anything else.  I like using the snorkel for drill sets so I can concentrate on the drill and not worry about breathing.  I also like it for kick sets because it lets me stay get in a better body position with my head down using the kick board.

Mark

2016-02-11 5:25 AM
in reply to: Moonrocket

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Subject: RE: Best Pool Toys?
Ye, they still make the hard blue kickboards but they can be hard to find in sports stores. You'd probably have better luck online. Also, most pool that host swim teams or lessons stock them in different sizes. Our school just got some new ones, so they must still be in production! I don't use pool toys all that much (maybe 10-20% of a typical workout), but I'd say the pull buoy (the foam kind) and paddles are my staples. I have Speedo paddles that are about the same size as my hands, and use them for both technique work and strength sets. Maybe the big paddles (Speedo makes all different sizes) would be more useful for strength work with someone who is bigger and has bigger hands--they would rip my shoulders off! I sometimes use fins for kick sets (especially dolphin kick), a few types of drills, and occasionally if I want to do some fly to stretch out as part of a warmup or cooldown. They belong to the school--Kiefer brand and say "Floating" on the back. They are great for ankle flexibility and putting more oomph into your dolphin kick. I've tried some other kinds (like the Zoomers) that are supposed to do something for your kick but to be honest have never found another brand that fits well enough to stay on consistently. I have really narrow feet, so maybe this is a problem particular to me--if the fin fits, I wear it!
2016-02-11 6:59 AM
in reply to: Moonrocket

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Subject: RE: Best Pool Toys?

Vhttp://www.swimoutlet.com/p/tyr-kickboard-3452/?q=1

keep it simple, basic boards are still available.

paddles, pull buoy, and board are all I use. These should be limited, more than 25-30% of your swimming with this stuff is probably too much.


2016-02-11 8:04 AM
in reply to: mike761

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Subject: RE: Best Pool Toys?
Thanks everyone!

Do you have a mesh bag? What do you do with all of your wet gear after practice? Does it need care, or can it just be tossed in the car trunk til next time?

The other thing that blew me away was the digital pace clock- that is also going to take some getting used to! I spent my youth learning the round clock pace clocks- the digital ones look like they will take a lot more mindshare.

As far as stroke rate - I will let the coach feedback on that - but I think my teens and twenties immersed set me up well stroke wise.


2016-02-11 8:58 AM
in reply to: Moonrocket

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Subject: RE: Best Pool Toys?

Originally posted by Moonrocket Thanks everyone! Do you have a mesh bag? What do you do with all of your wet gear after practice? Does it need care, or can it just be tossed in the car trunk til next time? The other thing that blew me away was the digital pace clock- that is also going to take some getting used to! I spent my youth learning the round clock pace clocks- the digital ones look like they will take a lot more mindshare. As far as stroke rate - I will let the coach feedback on that - but I think my teens and twenties immersed set me up well stroke wise.

I keep all my 'wet' gear in a mesh bag.  When I get home I'll toss it in the deep sink in our laundry room and run some fresh water over it, then leave it there to dry.  Every couple of weeks I'll give everything (especially my snorkel and my water bottles) a more thorough cleaning with some soap and warm water to keep any mold from developing.

I wouldn't leave wet stuff in the trunk, especially with the warm climate here in FL.

Mark 

2016-02-11 10:06 AM
in reply to: Moonrocket

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Subject: RE: Best Pool Toys?
I've got a mesh bag, 2 actually.

I usually just take my little one since I don't use fins much, and the little one has my cap, goggles, paddles, leg band, tempo trainer etc.

So far I've just thrown it into the transition bag I got from a triathlon and it hasn't been an issue. No mold yet. I also bring the bag in the house rather than leave it in the car where it might get exposed to extreme temps in the summer/winter.

Anything I use in the pool I rinse off in the shower though.
2016-02-11 12:07 PM
in reply to: #5166550

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Subject: RE: Best Pool Toys?
True swimmers just throw it all in a bag still wet and don't care. ?? Towell just stays wet/a little mildewy smell and your good to go! In the winter if leaving your bag in the car you get to see all the different shapes stuff freeze like!
2016-02-11 12:20 PM
in reply to: Bevie

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Subject: RE: Best Pool Toys?
Originally posted by Bevie

True swimmers just throw it all in a bag still wet and don't care. ?? Towell just stays wet/a little mildewy smell and your good to go! In the winter if leaving your bag in the car you get to see all the different shapes stuff freeze like!


^^^no


2016-02-11 1:30 PM
in reply to: 0

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Subject: RE: Best Pool Toys?
Another vote for the Tempo Trainer.

There are really only two things you can change to get faster; increase your distance-per-stroke (DPS) and increase your stroke rate, or tempo. The Tempo Trainer is obviously designed to help you with the latter.

If you mentally try to adjust your stroke rate up, the step is likely to be quite coarse, and the rate is likely to be inconsistent day-to-day or even lap-to-lap. The larger the step, the more difficult it is to do without a loss of technique and therefore loss of distance-per-stroke.

The Tempo Trainer allows you to make granular adjustments to your stroke rate. Smaller steps make it easier to maintain your technique. It also facilitates you swimming at a consistent tempo, which helps ingrain that new stroke rate into your CNS.

For most middle-of-the-swim-pack triathletes, a small increase in stroke rate (3 strokes per minute) without a degradation in DPS will knock somewhere around 2 minutes off a 1500M swim time. Even if you're in 75th percentile, a 3 SPM increase in stroke rate can mean a minute to a minute and a half. The Tempo Trainer is a great tool to help you make that incremental change.

Edited by gary p 2016-02-11 1:39 PM
2016-02-11 1:35 PM
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Subject: RE: Best Pool Toys?
Go back to said masters class and have the coach look at your stroke. He/She should identify your limiters and make suggestions on what will be the best toys for YOU. If you got a nasty crossover or something going on, paddles will do more harm than good right now. The basics would be a kickboard and pull buoy, but some pools have those available to use. Some of my athletes do virtual training with me. I have them send me videos, analyze their stroke and then put the drills in their workouts to fix the problems. If some of those drills require toys I'll recommend they get them. If the can't or don't, I still give them other drills they can do. So don't feel bad if you don't have everything they want you to have. You can still make due!

Edited by Meulen 2016-02-11 1:36 PM
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