swim gear question
BY: martelbd1 on 2017-03-27 6:44 PM

Hi all,

I am just getting back into Triathlons, and focusing most of my efforts on swimming right now. I am hoping to find some advice here to help me become more efficient. My main problem right now is that my hips and legs are sinking. From what I've read and seen in training videos it seems the most common cause of this is head position. I plan on working a lot on drills to help this, but I am also wondering with swim trunks make a difference. I have been training in board shorts, and I'm wondering if a pair of jammers would help reduce drag and therefore the sinking effect on my hips and legs. The only experience I have swimming with anything other than board shorts was in my first triathlon, a 70.3, and I cut my swim time in half due to added buoyancy from the my wetsuit. So, I am thinking that if the full body wetsuit can help that much, jammers may be worth the investment to help my form.

Thank you in advance for any input!

RE: swim gear question
BY: axteraa on 2017-03-28 7:09 AM

Board shorts are a killer in the water!  Definitely switch to jammers - it won't magically solve your issues with form but it will at least remove one of the things that is working against you.

-----
Arend

RE: swim gear question
BY: simpsonbo on 2017-03-28 10:33 AM

Funky Trunks.Com bro
-----
M35-39 and 40-44 Canadian Record 200 Fly

RE: swim gear question
BY: martelbd1 on 2017-03-29 10:22 PM

Thanks guys! jammers are on order! hopefully it helps a bit, certainly can't hurt!

RE: swim gear question
BY: gary p on 2017-03-30 6:44 PM

Switching from board shorts to jammers isn't going to magically fix you body position issues, but it's not gonna hurt.

FWIW, head position is a good place to start, but you'll also need to learn to engage your core muscles while you swim. Depending on your baseline core strength, you may benefit from dry land core strength exercises.

Edited by gary p 2017-03-30 6:49 PM

RE: swim gear question
BY: jessicarandall on 2017-04-06 6:18 PM

One of the cues that I've found helpful in fixing head position in freestyle is to imagine yourself swimming "downhill."

Swimming with a snorkel can really help you out as well. Do it long course the first time you give it a shot so that you can have adequate time to find rhythm in your stroke (plus turning the first time with a snorkel is a little intimidating for swimmers new to them). While this page is written out with swimmers in mind, the benefits to using a snorkel are applicable to tri athletes: https://www.yourswimlog.com/benefits-training-swim-snorkel/

RE: swim gear question
BY: dandr614 on 2017-04-07 10:09 AM



Agree with this but be careful as when I first thinking and trying to implement this I ended up with a plunged head and not really swimming downhill. Very easy to just "dunk" your head more but that is really not what you are trying to accomplish.
-----
Rich W.
Chatt 70.3 May 2017
IM CdA August 2017