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Swim question??Pull bouy good or bad?
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 2006-02-13 5:02 PM |
Member  62  War Eagle!!!! |  Subject: Swim question??Pull bouy good or bad?Is there anything wrong with using pull bouy for my longer swims so that I can slow down and consentrate on form and breathing. I know it is a crutch that is masking my lack of balance but it feels good to not have to worry about my feet sinking when I slow down. I can swim 50 to 100 without my form braking down but I have to keep my speed up because my balance is not good enough to swim slow and not sink. With the pull bouy between my thighs I can slow down and feel myself glide and breath easy. My heartrate stays low and I feel like I can swim a long time. I am doing drills to improve my kick and body rotation to improve my balance but it is going to take some time to see the improvements. My question: Is it OK to use a pull bouy like this or should I consentrate on drills that will improve my balance? DRG |
| 2006-02-13 5:36 PM in reply to: #345085 |
Expert 834  Medina, MN | Subject: RE: Swim question??Pull bouy good or bad? Nothing wrong with it, it's just letting you work on a part of your stroke that you might not otherwise. In fact, it's a lot easier to keep your torso and feet up by the surface if you're moving faster, so actually working on your pull could help you getting your feet up - although that's difference than "balance". Obviously you eventually need to learn to swim well without it, but it sounds like you understand the concept and aren't relying on it just to make it easy on yourself. -Matt |
| 2006-02-13 5:46 PM in reply to: #345094 |
Elite 3650  Laurium, MI | Subject: RE: Swim question??Pull bouy good or bad? personally I would use it on shorter sets only. Before you start swimming long sets, make sure you can swim, without aid, shorter sets. You can increase your total, volume, but keep the set distances within the range you can hold good form. The thing I found about the pull bouy. It helped me when I was trying to get a feel for body position and body roll. I would do alternating 50 sets. Where I'd swim 200 to 400 yards, alternating swim and pull every lap. That way, I'd try and match the body position I was feeling with the pull bouy to my swimming with the goal of not noticing a defference. When I was working like this I noticed my splits were always faster with the pull bouy, as it was increasing my efficiency. The more I worked (using other drills too), my swim splits started approaching my pull bouy splits. Now my pull splits are slower then my swim splits. This is telling me that my body position and stroke are about as efficient as when using the bouy, so the lack of kick is killing my time. |
| 2006-02-13 7:01 PM in reply to: #345099 |
Pro 6582 Melbourne FL Gold member | Subject: RE: Swim question??Pull bouy good or bad? vortmax - 2006-02-13 6:46 PM personally I would use it on shorter sets only. Before you start swimming long sets, make sure you can swim, without aid, shorter sets. You can increase your total, volume, but keep the set distances within the range you can hold good form. The thing I found about the pull bouy. It helped me when I was trying to get a feel for body position and body roll. I would do alternating 50 sets. Where I'd swim 200 to 400 yards, alternating swim and pull every lap. That way, I'd try and match the body position I was feeling with the pull bouy to my swimming with the goal of not noticing a defference. When I was working like this I noticed my splits were always faster with the pull bouy, as it was increasing my efficiency. The more I worked (using other drills too), my swim splits started approaching my pull bouy splits. Now my pull splits are slower then my swim splits. This is telling me that my body position and stroke are about as efficient as when using the bouy, so the lack of kick is killing my time. Excellent feedback. I've just started using the pull bouy and am amazed how fast I am going with it and how to 'feel' the speed against the water. I like your alternating 50's and am going to do that next swim. Don |
| 2006-02-13 7:16 PM in reply to: #345085 |
Master 2033 | Subject: RE: Swim question??Pull bouy good or bad? I use a pull buoy occasionally but only for drills. I found it helpful for learning to roll, and glide. For some reason I couldn't get the upper body part of my stroke down while kicking... But like everyone said don't depend on it. |
| 2006-02-13 8:19 PM in reply to: #345085 |
Member 62 War Eagle!!!! | Subject: RE: Swim question??Pull bouy good or bad? I think yall are right, with the bouy I can feel what a good stroke feels like. I will try the alternating 50's with it until my swim sets are as smooth as with the bouy, then I will be able to add distance with good swim form instead of depending on the bouy. Next question: What drills are good to help with sinking feet? I think what I do is when I go to breath I raise my head instead of rotating my body. I also don't kick enough sometimes I will realize that I am not kicking at all! That can't be good! Don't get me wrong I know what I really need is time in the pool, but some drills may help. Thanks for the replies |
| 2006-02-13 8:45 PM in reply to: #345167 |
Pro 6582 Melbourne FL Gold member | Subject: RE: Swim question??Pull bouy good or bad? DRG - 2006-02-13 9:19 PM I think yall are right, with the bouy I can feel what a good stroke feels like. I will try the alternating 50's with it until my swim sets are as smooth as with the bouy, then I will be able to add distance with good swim form instead of depending on the bouy. Next question: What drills are good to help with sinking feet? I think what I do is when I go to breath I raise my head instead of rotating my body. I also don't kick enough sometimes I will realize that I am not kicking at all! That can't be good! Don't get me wrong I know what I really need is time in the pool, but some drills may help. Thanks for the replies Please let me know if I'm wrong on this you'll, but I think this is were swimming with fins helps. Local Masters instructor takes the view to swim a lot with fins and you'll be faster without them because it develops leg strength too as well as give you speed. BTW, I've earned to kick without really bending the knee at all using the hips & torso. I feel a lot more balance and propulsion from it and it is easy to do just hard to keep doing! Just takes time to integrate everything but I'm getting there. Fins and a board I guess! Sunday in the pool I used the bouy to balance me on my side for a long glide period. I'd take 2 or three strokes to get speed the glide on my side, breath then rotate into a stoke again for speed and repeat glide on the other side. Did 2 50's like this then swam some cooldown trying to put it all together. Don |
| 2006-02-13 9:17 PM in reply to: #345167 |
| Elite 3650 Laurium, MI | Subject: RE: Swim question??Pull bouy good or bad? DRG - 2006-02-13 7:19 PM Next question: What drills are good to help with sinking feet? I think what I do is when I go to breath I raise my head instead of rotating my body. I also don't kick enough sometimes I will realize that I am not kicking at all! That can't be good! Don't get me wrong I know what I really need is time in the pool, but some drills may help. Thanks for the replies what helps this? Yoga. You can keep your feet up and not kick at all. It's all about body position and balance. I could never get it until I started yoga, but side kick drills will help a bunch with this |
| 2006-02-13 9:18 PM in reply to: #345085 |
Expert 1213 Los Gatos, CA | Subject: RE: Swim question??Pull bouy good or bad? Pullbuoy only for drills...it's great to 'feel' what good balance is like but you need to find your way there without the buoy. The buoy actually doesn't represent much buoyancy at all, shows you are not that far off from getting there.... |
| 2006-02-14 7:40 AM in reply to: #345085 |
Giver 18427 | Subject: RE: Swim question??Pull bouy good or bad? One cautionary statement: It's really easy to get "addicted" to pull bouys, so much so that you lose the feel for what it's like to have to keep your legs up yourself. That being said, they do mimic wetsuit swimming pretty well, so if you are never going to swim without one in a race, it's not so bad. |
| 2006-02-14 8:05 AM in reply to: #345085 |
Extreme Veteran 476 Denham Springs | Subject: RE: Swim question??Pull bouy good or bad? I like to use the bouy when I start to get tired.... I use it for a while then go back to regular swimming.
I also use it when I use paddles as I am trying my best to work my upper body swim muscles.
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| 2006-02-14 1:20 PM in reply to: #345085 |
| Expert 786 Princeton, MN | Subject: RE: Swim question??Pull bouy good or bad? I'm going to go the other way (what do I know eh?) I have a pull bouy. I used it a lot. Then I started taking my TI lessons and I haven't used it since. It doesn't help your balance. I've found that paying attention to "lying on my lungs" and keeping my head down (per TI) I have no need for a pull bouy. Even in the TI books Pull bouys are discouraged. Just my 2 cents |
| 2006-02-14 2:38 PM in reply to: #345085 |
Elite 2468 Racine, WI | Subject: RE: Swim question??Pull bouy good or bad? I tried the pull buoys at our Y and found I couldn't rotate with them at all! They are just 2 styrofoams attached by a strap. A more experienced swimmer suggested a smaller one with smoother edges and showed me the one he uses. Any thoughts? |
| 2006-02-14 3:04 PM in reply to: #345085 |
Expert 834 Medina, MN | Subject: RE: Swim question??Pull bouy good or bad? The purpose of them is to simply keep you from kicking and provide flotation for your legs, so really any type will likely be fine, it really comes down to comfort. I have used both and personally prefer the type with the two cannister-shaped styrofoam pieces, just have to make sure the length of the straps is comfortable. |
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