Started using Finis Freestyler paddles... Pretty cool!

Ive had a pair of them for like 6 months now, and compared to what I used to use when I swam high school competitively, they do point out inefficiencies. They force you to reach, not drop your elbow, follow through, and recover properly, then enter successfully again. This is especially true because they only attach to your middle finger, so if you train sloppy with them, they will fall off. Like all paddles, it feels weird to swim without them after a nice pulling set.

I looked at them just now, and I don't understand how they help your technique, specially keeping the elbows high. Can someone explain?

I'm a swim newbie so take it with a grain of salt, but as I understand it the paddles are shaped in such a way that you're forced into a smooth entry, a complete pull, and a recovery with your hand completely out of the water. Anything else will create lots of drag .

 

As for keeping the elbows high, it'll help you real quick to understand the notion of a proper catch and pull/rotation where your back is doing a majority of the work not your shoulders/arms.  If the elbows don't stay high you'll stress they shoulders real quick which is not good.    

Also, any hand motion that is, how can I say, not perpendicular to the forward motion and they'll twist out of your hand.  If you don't comprehend the whole stroke technique, these paddles will help show you how it's done the right way.  From the catch, the pull to the follow-through.  I still used mine once in a while for muscle memory.

First time I used them a friend let me borrow his pair, they came off 2 or 3 times in the first 50, then it (stroke) started to click for me.  I didn't really understand the catch phase of the stroke until I used these.

I love mine!  They've made a huge difference.  Here is a link to a video that teaches how to use them.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OC9WiX2Vy3k

where can a dude get him some of those?

the internets?