Are swim training aids good or bad?

Pat

Today at the pool, a young woman arrived with all sorts of pool toys. She
did a few laps prior to put on the various training aids, and I noticed that
their use seemed to dictate her stroke.

For example, she was swimming the front crawl with her arms coming over her
head straight and her hands slapping the water upon entry. When she put on
the hand paddles, this is exactly how she slapped the water. With her arm
straight out, there was no extension under the water after her hand entered.

Her feet, as she kicked, showed her heels above the water. When she put on
her long swim fins, that was duplicated exactly.

She carried her head completely out of the water--neither ear was in the
water when she breathed.

So, did the long fins cause her to swim with her heels coming out of the
water? Is this correct form? Did the hand paddles lead to the
arm-completely-stretched-out entry of her hand into the water? Her thumb was
entering first, but her hand wasn't tilted down--just flat.

It is so rare that I see somebody at the pool with all of these pool toys
that I thought she must be a competitive college swimmer just using this
pool because it is less crowded. Now, I am beginning to wonder.

Is she doing it right?

Pat in TX

Steve Freides

"Pat" <Orion@starrynight.com> wrote in message
news:5pec3jFqr7frU1@mid.individual.net...
> Today at the pool, a young woman arrived with all sorts of pool toys.
> She did a few laps prior to put on the various training aids, and I
> noticed that their use seemed to dictate her stroke.
>
> For example, she was swimming the front crawl with her arms coming
> over her head straight and her hands slapping the water upon entry.
> When she put on the hand paddles, this is exactly how she slapped the
> water. With her arm straight out, there was no extension under the
> water after her hand entered.
>
> Her feet, as she kicked, showed her heels above the water. When she
> put on her long swim fins, that was duplicated exactly.
>
> She carried her head completely out of the water--neither ear was in
> the water when she breathed.
>
> So, did the long fins cause her to swim with her heels coming out of
> the water? Is this correct form? Did the hand paddles lead to the
> arm-completely-stretched-out entry of her hand into the water? Her
> thumb was entering first, but her hand wasn't tilted down--just flat.
>
> It is so rare that I see somebody at the pool with all of these pool
> toys that I thought she must be a competitive college swimmer just
> using this pool because it is less crowded. Now, I am beginning to
> wonder.
>
> Is she doing it right?
>
> Pat in TX

You raise a good point. Current wisdom in athletic training is that you
shouldn't train something that's very close to the actual movement used
in your sport while adding addition resistance, and for the reasons you
cite - the body gets confused and starts doing the
heavier/weighted/harder version instead of the real one. The simplified
version of the solution here is to lift weights in the weight room and
swim without aids in the swimming pool.

I always tried to make a difference in what I used the aids for, e.g.,
when I used paddles, I always used them as part of a stroke reduction
drill, and was therefore taking a slower than usual stroke in both the
rate per lap and the actual speed of my hand, I was adding extra glide
time, etc. I think trying to achieve a fast hand through the water with
big paddles on can be asking for injury as well.

Sounds like the person you were watching was pretty clueless.

Just my opinion.

-S-

Steve Freides

"Pat" <Orion@starrynight.com> wrote in message
news:5pec3jFqr7frU1@mid.individual.net...
> Today at the pool, a young woman arrived with all sorts of pool toys.
> She did a few laps prior to put on the various training aids, and I
> noticed that their use seemed to dictate her stroke.
>
> For example, she was swimming the front crawl with her arms coming
> over her head straight and her hands slapping the water upon entry.
> When she put on the hand paddles, this is exactly how she slapped the
> water. With her arm straight out, there was no extension under the
> water after her hand entered.
>
> Her feet, as she kicked, showed her heels above the water. When she
> put on her long swim fins, that was duplicated exactly.
>
> She carried her head completely out of the water--neither ear was in
> the water when she breathed.
>
> So, did the long fins cause her to swim with her heels coming out of
> the water? Is this correct form? Did the hand paddles lead to the
> arm-completely-stretched-out entry of her hand into the water? Her
> thumb was entering first, but her hand wasn't tilted down--just flat.
>
> It is so rare that I see somebody at the pool with all of these pool
> toys that I thought she must be a competitive college swimmer just
> using this pool because it is less crowded. Now, I am beginning to
> wonder.
>
> Is she doing it right?
>
> Pat in TX

You raise a good point. Current wisdom in athletic training is that you
shouldn't train something that's very close to the actual movement used
in your sport while adding addition resistance, and for the reasons you
cite - the body gets confused and starts doing the
heavier/weighted/harder version instead of the real one. The simplified
version of the solution here is to lift weights in the weight room and
swim without aids in the swimming pool.

I always tried to make a difference in what I used the aids for, e.g.,
when I used paddles, I always used them as part of a stroke reduction
drill, and was therefore taking a slower than usual stroke in both the
rate per lap and the actual speed of my hand, I was adding extra glide
time, etc. I think trying to achieve a fast hand through the water with
big paddles on can be asking for injury as well.

Sounds like the person you were watching was pretty clueless.

Just my opinion.

-S-

Steve Freides

"Pat" <Orion@starrynight.com> wrote in message
news:5pec3jFqr7frU1@mid.individual.net...
> Today at the pool, a young woman arrived with all sorts of pool toys.
> She did a few laps prior to put on the various training aids, and I
> noticed that their use seemed to dictate her stroke.
>
> For example, she was swimming the front crawl with her arms coming
> over her head straight and her hands slapping the water upon entry.
> When she put on the hand paddles, this is exactly how she slapped the
> water. With her arm straight out, there was no extension under the
> water after her hand entered.
>
> Her feet, as she kicked, showed her heels above the water. When she
> put on her long swim fins, that was duplicated exactly.
>
> She carried her head completely out of the water--neither ear was in
> the water when she breathed.
>
> So, did the long fins cause her to swim with her heels coming out of
> the water? Is this correct form? Did the hand paddles lead to the
> arm-completely-stretched-out entry of her hand into the water? Her
> thumb was entering first, but her hand wasn't tilted down--just flat.
>
> It is so rare that I see somebody at the pool with all of these pool
> toys that I thought she must be a competitive college swimmer just
> using this pool because it is less crowded. Now, I am beginning to
> wonder.
>
> Is she doing it right?
>
> Pat in TX

You raise a good point. Current wisdom in athletic training is that you
shouldn't train something that's very close to the actual movement used
in your sport while adding addition resistance, and for the reasons you
cite - the body gets confused and starts doing the
heavier/weighted/harder version instead of the real one. The simplified
version of the solution here is to lift weights in the weight room and
swim without aids in the swimming pool.

I always tried to make a difference in what I used the aids for, e.g.,
when I used paddles, I always used them as part of a stroke reduction
drill, and was therefore taking a slower than usual stroke in both the
rate per lap and the actual speed of my hand, I was adding extra glide
time, etc. I think trying to achieve a fast hand through the water with
big paddles on can be asking for injury as well.

Sounds like the person you were watching was pretty clueless.

Just my opinion.

-S-

mwsmith

Pat wrote:
> Today at the pool, a young woman arrived with all sorts of pool toys. She
> did a few laps prior to put on the various training aids, and I noticed that
> their use seemed to dictate her stroke.
>
> For example, she was swimming the front crawl with her arms coming over her
> head straight and her hands slapping the water upon entry. When she put on
> the hand paddles, this is exactly how she slapped the water. With her arm
> straight out, there was no extension under the water after her hand entered.
>
> Her feet, as she kicked, showed her heels above the water. When she put on
> her long swim fins, that was duplicated exactly.
>
> She carried her head completely out of the water--neither ear was in the
> water when she breathed.
>
> So, did the long fins cause her to swim with her heels coming out of the
> water? Is this correct form? Did the hand paddles lead to the
> arm-completely-stretched-out entry of her hand into the water? Her thumb was
> entering first, but her hand wasn't tilted down--just flat.
>
> It is so rare that I see somebody at the pool with all of these pool toys
> that I thought she must be a competitive college swimmer just using this
> pool because it is less crowded. Now, I am beginning to wonder.
>
> Is she doing it right?

It doesn't sound right, but I don't think the aids are the problem.
Generally, using fins will attenuate a large amplitude kick, not the
other way around. And using paddles normally forces you to pay extra
attention to your angle of attack and pull. She sounds like she can
expect major shoulder problems before long.

mwsmith

Pat wrote:
> Today at the pool, a young woman arrived with all sorts of pool toys. She
> did a few laps prior to put on the various training aids, and I noticed that
> their use seemed to dictate her stroke.
>
> For example, she was swimming the front crawl with her arms coming over her
> head straight and her hands slapping the water upon entry. When she put on
> the hand paddles, this is exactly how she slapped the water. With her arm
> straight out, there was no extension under the water after her hand entered.
>
> Her feet, as she kicked, showed her heels above the water. When she put on
> her long swim fins, that was duplicated exactly.
>
> She carried her head completely out of the water--neither ear was in the
> water when she breathed.
>
> So, did the long fins cause her to swim with her heels coming out of the
> water? Is this correct form? Did the hand paddles lead to the
> arm-completely-stretched-out entry of her hand into the water? Her thumb was
> entering first, but her hand wasn't tilted down--just flat.
>
> It is so rare that I see somebody at the pool with all of these pool toys
> that I thought she must be a competitive college swimmer just using this
> pool because it is less crowded. Now, I am beginning to wonder.
>
> Is she doing it right?

It doesn't sound right, but I don't think the aids are the problem.
Generally, using fins will attenuate a large amplitude kick, not the
other way around. And using paddles normally forces you to pay extra
attention to your angle of attack and pull. She sounds like she can
expect major shoulder problems before long.

mwsmith

Pat wrote:
> Today at the pool, a young woman arrived with all sorts of pool toys. She
> did a few laps prior to put on the various training aids, and I noticed that
> their use seemed to dictate her stroke.
>
> For example, she was swimming the front crawl with her arms coming over her
> head straight and her hands slapping the water upon entry. When she put on
> the hand paddles, this is exactly how she slapped the water. With her arm
> straight out, there was no extension under the water after her hand entered.
>
> Her feet, as she kicked, showed her heels above the water. When she put on
> her long swim fins, that was duplicated exactly.
>
> She carried her head completely out of the water--neither ear was in the
> water when she breathed.
>
> So, did the long fins cause her to swim with her heels coming out of the
> water? Is this correct form? Did the hand paddles lead to the
> arm-completely-stretched-out entry of her hand into the water? Her thumb was
> entering first, but her hand wasn't tilted down--just flat.
>
> It is so rare that I see somebody at the pool with all of these pool toys
> that I thought she must be a competitive college swimmer just using this
> pool because it is less crowded. Now, I am beginning to wonder.
>
> Is she doing it right?

It doesn't sound right, but I don't think the aids are the problem.
Generally, using fins will attenuate a large amplitude kick, not the
other way around. And using paddles normally forces you to pay extra
attention to your angle of attack and pull. She sounds like she can
expect major shoulder problems before long.

Duncan Heenan

Any parent will know, to their cost (literally), that a young swimmer's
street cred nowadays depends not on performance in the water, but on having
the right collection of equipment to take to the pool. Clothes must all have
the right logo, their other functions being of secondary importance. The
rest of the stuff will be familiar. Several costumes (latest cut and logo of
course), patent flannel, several towels, anti-chlorine shampoo, conditioner,
skin care products, hair dryer, several sets of flippers -(oops sorry,
fins), specially shaped pull buoy and kick board, several types of paddles,
swim mitts, heart monitor, drinking bottles, stop watch, a dozen pairs of
goggles and two dozen swimming hats. All this requires a huge bag, which
must also carry the logo of the moment.

I have noticed that swimming bags are inversely proportional in size to that
of their owner. This whole trend of this equipment fetish is getting to the
stage where I confidently predict that soon pools will become like a
hypermarket in reverse, with shopping trolleys available in the car park for
the swimmers to unload their clobber to carry it in to the changing room.

I am not qualified to say whether all this stuff is really necessary, but it
is the sine qua non of social acceptance of the young, and since I lost that
status when the Dead Sea wasn't even ill, I'll not comment. I am reminded
however of an a friend at college who decided to develop his puny physique
by buying a Bullworker body-building machine. It gathered dust on display in
the corner of his room for about 6 months at which point he wrote asking for
his money back, on the grounds that owning it had done nothing for him. The
reply he got was as dusty as the machine.

What beats me is how the marketing gurus of the sports equipment companies
can have missed the opportunities for selling specialist equipment to the
more mature swimmer. I know from experience that beyond a certain age,
comfort becomes more important than street cred or even speed, and this
should be the guiding principle. For example, what is worse than getting in
to a cold wet costume? Surely it is not beyond the whit of science to design
a costume warmer which would deliver a warmly caressing garment to the
nether regions. While swimming you could put your socks in there. There is
no treat greater than hot socks, once you are over 40 that is.

That made me think of the anti-verruca rubber socks you sometimes see in
changing rooms. A wider market exists for lightweight wellingtons to get you
through the foot bath without getting your feet cold and wet. Similarly a
pack-down umbrella could be designed to keep those silly pool showers off
you. Ordinary boots and umbrellas are not acceptable - I know as I've been
asked to stop using mine.

I see now that goggle designers are spending thousands to reduce the already
minuscule drag in the water caused by turbulence around the eye sockets. In
my book the money would be better spent on developing goggles you can
actually see through. I have yet to find a pair of anti-mist goggles which
stay anti-mist for more that two swims. The solution is obvious. The only
thing which cured condensation on my windows at home was double glazing, so
how long before double glazed goggles? The only drawback might be the number
of phone calls you would get from people trying to sell them.

Another tendency which increases with age is the frequency with which one
gets overtaken in the pool. A useful accoutrement to help with this would be
a rear view mirror, mounted on the shoulder, so you could move aside if the
overtaker was a friend, or aim your kick if otherwise.

As for these cow-teat drinking bottles swimmers all suck at, I am not
impressed. They ruin a gin and tonic, and beer goes flat in them. So here's
another marketing opportunity - a Portable Poolside Teasmade for during the
swim, and an automatic pint of Guinness which pours itself and stands to
settle five minutes before you get out. There must be a way.

Another useful gizmo for the discerning swimmer would be a portable Corby
trouser press. As many changing rooms suffer the vandalism of having all the
pegs pulled off the wall, clothes often have to be stuffed in to lockers or
left lying on benches. This is not a problem for youths as it generally
improves the look of the sort of things they wear. It's not so welcome
however if you are wearing a month's salary of suit, shoes etc., and you may
be off to see a customer soon after. I have never seen a Corby trouser press
anywhere except in hotel rooms. Strange that.

Whilst in the changing room, a special mirror for senior swimmers would be a
good idea. Many, like me, are the wide bodied type, but don't want to be
reminded of it. Consequently it is common to see us in front of the mirrors
twisting our torsos like Sharron Davies when there's a camera about, to try
to look thinner. The slipped disks this leads to must surely be a drain on
the economy. It would therefore save the National Health Service a fortune
if they paid to have fairground mirrors installed in the changing rooms. The
sort that make you look thin would be just the ticket.

Going in to a business meeting with goggle marks can be off-putting to
customers, so another accessory for the Business Swimmer could be false
glasses to hide behind. Those who already wear spectacles are catered for,
but for those who don't - just think! Not only could you hide your goggle
marks, you could do imitations of Brains from Thunderbirds when the meeting
began to get boring. If your goggle marks were particularly bad you could
add a false nose and moustache to the glasses, and do a Groucho Marx.

Of course many of these things could be made unnecessary if one could afford
a butler to attend you when swimming. Alas that is beyond the purse of most
mortals. It might not work anyway, after all, look at the young. They have
better than a butler - they have a parent, and yet still they seem to need
all that gear. That's the problem of getting old, I just don't understand.

--
Duncan Heenan
(Speaking personally)

-------------------------------------------------

"Pat" <Orion@starrynight.com> wrote in message
news:5pec3jFqr7frU1@mid.individual.net...
> Today at the pool, a young woman arrived with all sorts of pool toys. She
> did a few laps prior to put on the various training aids, and I noticed
> that their use seemed to dictate her stroke.
>
> For example, she was swimming the front crawl with her arms coming over
> her head straight and her hands slapping the water upon entry. When she
> put on the hand paddles, this is exactly how she slapped the water. With
> her arm straight out, there was no extension under the water after her
> hand entered.
>
> Her feet, as she kicked, showed her heels above the water. When she put on
> her long swim fins, that was duplicated exactly.
>
> She carried her head completely out of the water--neither ear was in the
> water when she breathed.
>
> So, did the long fins cause her to swim with her heels coming out of the
> water? Is this correct form? Did the hand paddles lead to the
> arm-completely-stretched-out entry of her hand into the water? Her thumb
> was entering first, but her hand wasn't tilted down--just flat.
>
> It is so rare that I see somebody at the pool with all of these pool toys
> that I thought she must be a competitive college swimmer just using this
> pool because it is less crowded. Now, I am beginning to wonder.
>
> Is she doing it right?
>
> Pat in TX
>

Duncan Heenan

Any parent will know, to their cost (literally), that a young swimmer's
street cred nowadays depends not on performance in the water, but on having
the right collection of equipment to take to the pool. Clothes must all have
the right logo, their other functions being of secondary importance. The
rest of the stuff will be familiar. Several costumes (latest cut and logo of
course), patent flannel, several towels, anti-chlorine shampoo, conditioner,
skin care products, hair dryer, several sets of flippers -(oops sorry,
fins), specially shaped pull buoy and kick board, several types of paddles,
swim mitts, heart monitor, drinking bottles, stop watch, a dozen pairs of
goggles and two dozen swimming hats. All this requires a huge bag, which
must also carry the logo of the moment.

I have noticed that swimming bags are inversely proportional in size to that
of their owner. This whole trend of this equipment fetish is getting to the
stage where I confidently predict that soon pools will become like a
hypermarket in reverse, with shopping trolleys available in the car park for
the swimmers to unload their clobber to carry it in to the changing room.

I am not qualified to say whether all this stuff is really necessary, but it
is the sine qua non of social acceptance of the young, and since I lost that
status when the Dead Sea wasn't even ill, I'll not comment. I am reminded
however of an a friend at college who decided to develop his puny physique
by buying a Bullworker body-building machine. It gathered dust on display in
the corner of his room for about 6 months at which point he wrote asking for
his money back, on the grounds that owning it had done nothing for him. The
reply he got was as dusty as the machine.

What beats me is how the marketing gurus of the sports equipment companies
can have missed the opportunities for selling specialist equipment to the
more mature swimmer. I know from experience that beyond a certain age,
comfort becomes more important than street cred or even speed, and this
should be the guiding principle. For example, what is worse than getting in
to a cold wet costume? Surely it is not beyond the whit of science to design
a costume warmer which would deliver a warmly caressing garment to the
nether regions. While swimming you could put your socks in there. There is
no treat greater than hot socks, once you are over 40 that is.

That made me think of the anti-verruca rubber socks you sometimes see in
changing rooms. A wider market exists for lightweight wellingtons to get you
through the foot bath without getting your feet cold and wet. Similarly a
pack-down umbrella could be designed to keep those silly pool showers off
you. Ordinary boots and umbrellas are not acceptable - I know as I've been
asked to stop using mine.

I see now that goggle designers are spending thousands to reduce the already
minuscule drag in the water caused by turbulence around the eye sockets. In
my book the money would be better spent on developing goggles you can
actually see through. I have yet to find a pair of anti-mist goggles which
stay anti-mist for more that two swims. The solution is obvious. The only
thing which cured condensation on my windows at home was double glazing, so
how long before double glazed goggles? The only drawback might be the number
of phone calls you would get from people trying to sell them.

Another tendency which increases with age is the frequency with which one
gets overtaken in the pool. A useful accoutrement to help with this would be
a rear view mirror, mounted on the shoulder, so you could move aside if the
overtaker was a friend, or aim your kick if otherwise.

As for these cow-teat drinking bottles swimmers all suck at, I am not
impressed. They ruin a gin and tonic, and beer goes flat in them. So here's
another marketing opportunity - a Portable Poolside Teasmade for during the
swim, and an automatic pint of Guinness which pours itself and stands to
settle five minutes before you get out. There must be a way.

Another useful gizmo for the discerning swimmer would be a portable Corby
trouser press. As many changing rooms suffer the vandalism of having all the
pegs pulled off the wall, clothes often have to be stuffed in to lockers or
left lying on benches. This is not a problem for youths as it generally
improves the look of the sort of things they wear. It's not so welcome
however if you are wearing a month's salary of suit, shoes etc., and you may
be off to see a customer soon after. I have never seen a Corby trouser press
anywhere except in hotel rooms. Strange that.

Whilst in the changing room, a special mirror for senior swimmers would be a
good idea. Many, like me, are the wide bodied type, but don't want to be
reminded of it. Consequently it is common to see us in front of the mirrors
twisting our torsos like Sharron Davies when there's a camera about, to try
to look thinner. The slipped disks this leads to must surely be a drain on
the economy. It would therefore save the National Health Service a fortune
if they paid to have fairground mirrors installed in the changing rooms. The
sort that make you look thin would be just the ticket.

Going in to a business meeting with goggle marks can be off-putting to
customers, so another accessory for the Business Swimmer could be false
glasses to hide behind. Those who already wear spectacles are catered for,
but for those who don't - just think! Not only could you hide your goggle
marks, you could do imitations of Brains from Thunderbirds when the meeting
began to get boring. If your goggle marks were particularly bad you could
add a false nose and moustache to the glasses, and do a Groucho Marx.

Of course many of these things could be made unnecessary if one could afford
a butler to attend you when swimming. Alas that is beyond the purse of most
mortals. It might not work anyway, after all, look at the young. They have
better than a butler - they have a parent, and yet still they seem to need
all that gear. That's the problem of getting old, I just don't understand.

--
Duncan Heenan
(Speaking personally)

-------------------------------------------------

"Pat" <Orion@starrynight.com> wrote in message
news:5pec3jFqr7frU1@mid.individual.net...
> Today at the pool, a young woman arrived with all sorts of pool toys. She
> did a few laps prior to put on the various training aids, and I noticed
> that their use seemed to dictate her stroke.
>
> For example, she was swimming the front crawl with her arms coming over
> her head straight and her hands slapping the water upon entry. When she
> put on the hand paddles, this is exactly how she slapped the water. With
> her arm straight out, there was no extension under the water after her
> hand entered.
>
> Her feet, as she kicked, showed her heels above the water. When she put on
> her long swim fins, that was duplicated exactly.
>
> She carried her head completely out of the water--neither ear was in the
> water when she breathed.
>
> So, did the long fins cause her to swim with her heels coming out of the
> water? Is this correct form? Did the hand paddles lead to the
> arm-completely-stretched-out entry of her hand into the water? Her thumb
> was entering first, but her hand wasn't tilted down--just flat.
>
> It is so rare that I see somebody at the pool with all of these pool toys
> that I thought she must be a competitive college swimmer just using this
> pool because it is less crowded. Now, I am beginning to wonder.
>
> Is she doing it right?
>
> Pat in TX
>

Duncan Heenan

Any parent will know, to their cost (literally), that a young swimmer's
street cred nowadays depends not on performance in the water, but on having
the right collection of equipment to take to the pool. Clothes must all have
the right logo, their other functions being of secondary importance. The
rest of the stuff will be familiar. Several costumes (latest cut and logo of
course), patent flannel, several towels, anti-chlorine shampoo, conditioner,
skin care products, hair dryer, several sets of flippers -(oops sorry,
fins), specially shaped pull buoy and kick board, several types of paddles,
swim mitts, heart monitor, drinking bottles, stop watch, a dozen pairs of
goggles and two dozen swimming hats. All this requires a huge bag, which
must also carry the logo of the moment.

I have noticed that swimming bags are inversely proportional in size to that
of their owner. This whole trend of this equipment fetish is getting to the
stage where I confidently predict that soon pools will become like a
hypermarket in reverse, with shopping trolleys available in the car park for
the swimmers to unload their clobber to carry it in to the changing room.

I am not qualified to say whether all this stuff is really necessary, but it
is the sine qua non of social acceptance of the young, and since I lost that
status when the Dead Sea wasn't even ill, I'll not comment. I am reminded
however of an a friend at college who decided to develop his puny physique
by buying a Bullworker body-building machine. It gathered dust on display in
the corner of his room for about 6 months at which point he wrote asking for
his money back, on the grounds that owning it had done nothing for him. The
reply he got was as dusty as the machine.

What beats me is how the marketing gurus of the sports equipment companies
can have missed the opportunities for selling specialist equipment to the
more mature swimmer. I know from experience that beyond a certain age,
comfort becomes more important than street cred or even speed, and this
should be the guiding principle. For example, what is worse than getting in
to a cold wet costume? Surely it is not beyond the whit of science to design
a costume warmer which would deliver a warmly caressing garment to the
nether regions. While swimming you could put your socks in there. There is
no treat greater than hot socks, once you are over 40 that is.

That made me think of the anti-verruca rubber socks you sometimes see in
changing rooms. A wider market exists for lightweight wellingtons to get you
through the foot bath without getting your feet cold and wet. Similarly a
pack-down umbrella could be designed to keep those silly pool showers off
you. Ordinary boots and umbrellas are not acceptable - I know as I've been
asked to stop using mine.

I see now that goggle designers are spending thousands to reduce the already
minuscule drag in the water caused by turbulence around the eye sockets. In
my book the money would be better spent on developing goggles you can
actually see through. I have yet to find a pair of anti-mist goggles which
stay anti-mist for more that two swims. The solution is obvious. The only
thing which cured condensation on my windows at home was double glazing, so
how long before double glazed goggles? The only drawback might be the number
of phone calls you would get from people trying to sell them.

Another tendency which increases with age is the frequency with which one
gets overtaken in the pool. A useful accoutrement to help with this would be
a rear view mirror, mounted on the shoulder, so you could move aside if the
overtaker was a friend, or aim your kick if otherwise.

As for these cow-teat drinking bottles swimmers all suck at, I am not
impressed. They ruin a gin and tonic, and beer goes flat in them. So here's
another marketing opportunity - a Portable Poolside Teasmade for during the
swim, and an automatic pint of Guinness which pours itself and stands to
settle five minutes before you get out. There must be a way.

Another useful gizmo for the discerning swimmer would be a portable Corby
trouser press. As many changing rooms suffer the vandalism of having all the
pegs pulled off the wall, clothes often have to be stuffed in to lockers or
left lying on benches. This is not a problem for youths as it generally
improves the look of the sort of things they wear. It's not so welcome
however if you are wearing a month's salary of suit, shoes etc., and you may
be off to see a customer soon after. I have never seen a Corby trouser press
anywhere except in hotel rooms. Strange that.

Whilst in the changing room, a special mirror for senior swimmers would be a
good idea. Many, like me, are the wide bodied type, but don't want to be
reminded of it. Consequently it is common to see us in front of the mirrors
twisting our torsos like Sharron Davies when there's a camera about, to try
to look thinner. The slipped disks this leads to must surely be a drain on
the economy. It would therefore save the National Health Service a fortune
if they paid to have fairground mirrors installed in the changing rooms. The
sort that make you look thin would be just the ticket.

Going in to a business meeting with goggle marks can be off-putting to
customers, so another accessory for the Business Swimmer could be false
glasses to hide behind. Those who already wear spectacles are catered for,
but for those who don't - just think! Not only could you hide your goggle
marks, you could do imitations of Brains from Thunderbirds when the meeting
began to get boring. If your goggle marks were particularly bad you could
add a false nose and moustache to the glasses, and do a Groucho Marx.

Of course many of these things could be made unnecessary if one could afford
a butler to attend you when swimming. Alas that is beyond the purse of most
mortals. It might not work anyway, after all, look at the young. They have
better than a butler - they have a parent, and yet still they seem to need
all that gear. That's the problem of getting old, I just don't understand.

--
Duncan Heenan
(Speaking personally)

-------------------------------------------------

"Pat" <Orion@starrynight.com> wrote in message
news:5pec3jFqr7frU1@mid.individual.net...
> Today at the pool, a young woman arrived with all sorts of pool toys. She
> did a few laps prior to put on the various training aids, and I noticed
> that their use seemed to dictate her stroke.
>
> For example, she was swimming the front crawl with her arms coming over
> her head straight and her hands slapping the water upon entry. When she
> put on the hand paddles, this is exactly how she slapped the water. With
> her arm straight out, there was no extension under the water after her
> hand entered.
>
> Her feet, as she kicked, showed her heels above the water. When she put on
> her long swim fins, that was duplicated exactly.
>
> She carried her head completely out of the water--neither ear was in the
> water when she breathed.
>
> So, did the long fins cause her to swim with her heels coming out of the
> water? Is this correct form? Did the hand paddles lead to the
> arm-completely-stretched-out entry of her hand into the water? Her thumb
> was entering first, but her hand wasn't tilted down--just flat.
>
> It is so rare that I see somebody at the pool with all of these pool toys
> that I thought she must be a competitive college swimmer just using this
> pool because it is less crowded. Now, I am beginning to wonder.
>
> Is she doing it right?
>
> Pat in TX
>

Steve Freides

Count me in to purchase the automatic Stout dispenser.

-S-

"Duncan Heenan" <duncanheenan@tiscali.co.uk> wrote in message
news:4732bf99$1_1@mk-nntp-2.news.uk.tiscali.com...
> Any parent will know, to their cost (literally), that a young
> swimmer's street cred nowadays depends not on performance in the
> water, but on having the right collection of equipment to take to the
> pool. Clothes must all have the right logo, their other functions
> being of secondary importance. The rest of the stuff will be familiar.
> Several costumes (latest cut and logo of course), patent flannel,
> several towels, anti-chlorine shampoo, conditioner, skin care
> products, hair dryer, several sets of flippers -(oops sorry, fins),
> specially shaped pull buoy and kick board, several types of paddles,
> swim mitts, heart monitor, drinking bottles, stop watch, a dozen pairs
> of goggles and two dozen swimming hats. All this requires a huge bag,
> which must also carry the logo of the moment.
>
> I have noticed that swimming bags are inversely proportional in size
> to that of their owner. This whole trend of this equipment fetish is
> getting to the stage where I confidently predict that soon pools will
> become like a hypermarket in reverse, with shopping trolleys available
> in the car park for the swimmers to unload their clobber to carry it
> in to the changing room.
>
> I am not qualified to say whether all this stuff is really necessary,
> but it is the sine qua non of social acceptance of the young, and
> since I lost that status when the Dead Sea wasn't even ill, I'll not
> comment. I am reminded however of an a friend at college who decided
> to develop his puny physique by buying a Bullworker body-building
> machine. It gathered dust on display in the corner of his room for
> about 6 months at which point he wrote asking for his money back, on
> the grounds that owning it had done nothing for him. The reply he got
> was as dusty as the machine.
>
> What beats me is how the marketing gurus of the sports equipment
> companies can have missed the opportunities for selling specialist
> equipment to the more mature swimmer. I know from experience that
> beyond a certain age, comfort becomes more important than street cred
> or even speed, and this should be the guiding principle. For example,
> what is worse than getting in to a cold wet costume? Surely it is not
> beyond the whit of science to design a costume warmer which would
> deliver a warmly caressing garment to the nether regions. While
> swimming you could put your socks in there. There is no treat greater
> than hot socks, once you are over 40 that is.
>
> That made me think of the anti-verruca rubber socks you sometimes see
> in changing rooms. A wider market exists for lightweight wellingtons
> to get you through the foot bath without getting your feet cold and
> wet. Similarly a pack-down umbrella could be designed to keep those
> silly pool showers off you. Ordinary boots and umbrellas are not
> acceptable - I know as I've been asked to stop using mine.
>
> I see now that goggle designers are spending thousands to reduce the
> already minuscule drag in the water caused by turbulence around the
> eye sockets. In my book the money would be better spent on developing
> goggles you can actually see through. I have yet to find a pair of
> anti-mist goggles which stay anti-mist for more that two swims. The
> solution is obvious. The only thing which cured condensation on my
> windows at home was double glazing, so how long before double glazed
> goggles? The only drawback might be the number of phone calls you
> would get from people trying to sell them.
>
> Another tendency which increases with age is the frequency with which
> one gets overtaken in the pool. A useful accoutrement to help with
> this would be a rear view mirror, mounted on the shoulder, so you
> could move aside if the overtaker was a friend, or aim your kick if
> otherwise.
>
> As for these cow-teat drinking bottles swimmers all suck at, I am not
> impressed. They ruin a gin and tonic, and beer goes flat in them. So
> here's another marketing opportunity - a Portable Poolside Teasmade
> for during the swim, and an automatic pint of Guinness which pours
> itself and stands to settle five minutes before you get out. There
> must be a way.
>
> Another useful gizmo for the discerning swimmer would be a portable
> Corby trouser press. As many changing rooms suffer the vandalism of
> having all the pegs pulled off the wall, clothes often have to be
> stuffed in to lockers or left lying on benches. This is not a problem
> for youths as it generally improves the look of the sort of things
> they wear. It's not so welcome however if you are wearing a month's
> salary of suit, shoes etc., and you may be off to see a customer soon
> after. I have never seen a Corby trouser press anywhere except in
> hotel rooms. Strange that.
>
> Whilst in the changing room, a special mirror for senior swimmers
> would be a good idea. Many, like me, are the wide bodied type, but
> don't want to be reminded of it. Consequently it is common to see us
> in front of the mirrors twisting our torsos like Sharron Davies when
> there's a camera about, to try to look thinner. The slipped disks this
> leads to must surely be a drain on the economy. It would therefore
> save the National Health Service a fortune if they paid to have
> fairground mirrors installed in the changing rooms. The sort that make
> you look thin would be just the ticket.
>
> Going in to a business meeting with goggle marks can be off-putting to
> customers, so another accessory for the Business Swimmer could be
> false glasses to hide behind. Those who already wear spectacles are
> catered for, but for those who don't - just think! Not only could you
> hide your goggle marks, you could do imitations of Brains from
> Thunderbirds when the meeting began to get boring. If your goggle
> marks were particularly bad you could add a false nose and moustache
> to the glasses, and do a Groucho Marx.
>
> Of course many of these things could be made unnecessary if one could
> afford a butler to attend you when swimming. Alas that is beyond the
> purse of most mortals. It might not work anyway, after all, look at
> the young. They have better than a butler - they have a parent, and
> yet still they seem to need all that gear. That's the problem of
> getting old, I just don't understand.
>
> --
> Duncan Heenan
> (Speaking personally)
>
> -------------------------------------------------
>
> "Pat" <Orion@starrynight.com> wrote in message
> news:5pec3jFqr7frU1@mid.individual.net...
>> Today at the pool, a young woman arrived with all sorts of pool toys.
>> She did a few laps prior to put on the various training aids, and I
>> noticed that their use seemed to dictate her stroke.
>>
>> For example, she was swimming the front crawl with her arms coming
>> over her head straight and her hands slapping the water upon entry.
>> When she put on the hand paddles, this is exactly how she slapped the
>> water. With her arm straight out, there was no extension under the
>> water after her hand entered.
>>
>> Her feet, as she kicked, showed her heels above the water. When she
>> put on her long swim fins, that was duplicated exactly.
>>
>> She carried her head completely out of the water--neither ear was in
>> the water when she breathed.
>>
>> So, did the long fins cause her to swim with her heels coming out of
>> the water? Is this correct form? Did the hand paddles lead to the
>> arm-completely-stretched-out entry of her hand into the water? Her
>> thumb was entering first, but her hand wasn't tilted down--just flat.
>>
>> It is so rare that I see somebody at the pool with all of these pool
>> toys that I thought she must be a competitive college swimmer just
>> using this pool because it is less crowded. Now, I am beginning to
>> wonder.
>>
>> Is she doing it right?
>>
>> Pat in TX
>>

Steve Freides

Count me in to purchase the automatic Stout dispenser.

-S-

"Duncan Heenan" <duncanheenan@tiscali.co.uk> wrote in message
news:4732bf99$1_1@mk-nntp-2.news.uk.tiscali.com...
> Any parent will know, to their cost (literally), that a young
> swimmer's street cred nowadays depends not on performance in the
> water, but on having the right collection of equipment to take to the
> pool. Clothes must all have the right logo, their other functions
> being of secondary importance. The rest of the stuff will be familiar.
> Several costumes (latest cut and logo of course), patent flannel,
> several towels, anti-chlorine shampoo, conditioner, skin care
> products, hair dryer, several sets of flippers -(oops sorry, fins),
> specially shaped pull buoy and kick board, several types of paddles,
> swim mitts, heart monitor, drinking bottles, stop watch, a dozen pairs
> of goggles and two dozen swimming hats. All this requires a huge bag,
> which must also carry the logo of the moment.
>
> I have noticed that swimming bags are inversely proportional in size
> to that of their owner. This whole trend of this equipment fetish is
> getting to the stage where I confidently predict that soon pools will
> become like a hypermarket in reverse, with shopping trolleys available
> in the car park for the swimmers to unload their clobber to carry it
> in to the changing room.
>
> I am not qualified to say whether all this stuff is really necessary,
> but it is the sine qua non of social acceptance of the young, and
> since I lost that status when the Dead Sea wasn't even ill, I'll not
> comment. I am reminded however of an a friend at college who decided
> to develop his puny physique by buying a Bullworker body-building
> machine. It gathered dust on display in the corner of his room for
> about 6 months at which point he wrote asking for his money back, on
> the grounds that owning it had done nothing for him. The reply he got
> was as dusty as the machine.
>
> What beats me is how the marketing gurus of the sports equipment
> companies can have missed the opportunities for selling specialist
> equipment to the more mature swimmer. I know from experience that
> beyond a certain age, comfort becomes more important than street cred
> or even speed, and this should be the guiding principle. For example,
> what is worse than getting in to a cold wet costume? Surely it is not
> beyond the whit of science to design a costume warmer which would
> deliver a warmly caressing garment to the nether regions. While
> swimming you could put your socks in there. There is no treat greater
> than hot socks, once you are over 40 that is.
>
> That made me think of the anti-verruca rubber socks you sometimes see
> in changing rooms. A wider market exists for lightweight wellingtons
> to get you through the foot bath without getting your feet cold and
> wet. Similarly a pack-down umbrella could be designed to keep those
> silly pool showers off you. Ordinary boots and umbrellas are not
> acceptable - I know as I've been asked to stop using mine.
>
> I see now that goggle designers are spending thousands to reduce the
> already minuscule drag in the water caused by turbulence around the
> eye sockets. In my book the money would be better spent on developing
> goggles you can actually see through. I have yet to find a pair of
> anti-mist goggles which stay anti-mist for more that two swims. The
> solution is obvious. The only thing which cured condensation on my
> windows at home was double glazing, so how long before double glazed
> goggles? The only drawback might be the number of phone calls you
> would get from people trying to sell them.
>
> Another tendency which increases with age is the frequency with which
> one gets overtaken in the pool. A useful accoutrement to help with
> this would be a rear view mirror, mounted on the shoulder, so you
> could move aside if the overtaker was a friend, or aim your kick if
> otherwise.
>
> As for these cow-teat drinking bottles swimmers all suck at, I am not
> impressed. They ruin a gin and tonic, and beer goes flat in them. So
> here's another marketing opportunity - a Portable Poolside Teasmade
> for during the swim, and an automatic pint of Guinness which pours
> itself and stands to settle five minutes before you get out. There
> must be a way.
>
> Another useful gizmo for the discerning swimmer would be a portable
> Corby trouser press. As many changing rooms suffer the vandalism of
> having all the pegs pulled off the wall, clothes often have to be
> stuffed in to lockers or left lying on benches. This is not a problem
> for youths as it generally improves the look of the sort of things
> they wear. It's not so welcome however if you are wearing a month's
> salary of suit, shoes etc., and you may be off to see a customer soon
> after. I have never seen a Corby trouser press anywhere except in
> hotel rooms. Strange that.
>
> Whilst in the changing room, a special mirror for senior swimmers
> would be a good idea. Many, like me, are the wide bodied type, but
> don't want to be reminded of it. Consequently it is common to see us
> in front of the mirrors twisting our torsos like Sharron Davies when
> there's a camera about, to try to look thinner. The slipped disks this
> leads to must surely be a drain on the economy. It would therefore
> save the National Health Service a fortune if they paid to have
> fairground mirrors installed in the changing rooms. The sort that make
> you look thin would be just the ticket.
>
> Going in to a business meeting with goggle marks can be off-putting to
> customers, so another accessory for the Business Swimmer could be
> false glasses to hide behind. Those who already wear spectacles are
> catered for, but for those who don't - just think! Not only could you
> hide your goggle marks, you could do imitations of Brains from
> Thunderbirds when the meeting began to get boring. If your goggle
> marks were particularly bad you could add a false nose and moustache
> to the glasses, and do a Groucho Marx.
>
> Of course many of these things could be made unnecessary if one could
> afford a butler to attend you when swimming. Alas that is beyond the
> purse of most mortals. It might not work anyway, after all, look at
> the young. They have better than a butler - they have a parent, and
> yet still they seem to need all that gear. That's the problem of
> getting old, I just don't understand.
>
> --
> Duncan Heenan
> (Speaking personally)
>
> -------------------------------------------------
>
> "Pat" <Orion@starrynight.com> wrote in message
> news:5pec3jFqr7frU1@mid.individual.net...
>> Today at the pool, a young woman arrived with all sorts of pool toys.
>> She did a few laps prior to put on the various training aids, and I
>> noticed that their use seemed to dictate her stroke.
>>
>> For example, she was swimming the front crawl with her arms coming
>> over her head straight and her hands slapping the water upon entry.
>> When she put on the hand paddles, this is exactly how she slapped the
>> water. With her arm straight out, there was no extension under the
>> water after her hand entered.
>>
>> Her feet, as she kicked, showed her heels above the water. When she
>> put on her long swim fins, that was duplicated exactly.
>>
>> She carried her head completely out of the water--neither ear was in
>> the water when she breathed.
>>
>> So, did the long fins cause her to swim with her heels coming out of
>> the water? Is this correct form? Did the hand paddles lead to the
>> arm-completely-stretched-out entry of her hand into the water? Her
>> thumb was entering first, but her hand wasn't tilted down--just flat.
>>
>> It is so rare that I see somebody at the pool with all of these pool
>> toys that I thought she must be a competitive college swimmer just
>> using this pool because it is less crowded. Now, I am beginning to
>> wonder.
>>
>> Is she doing it right?
>>
>> Pat in TX
>>

Steve Freides

Count me in to purchase the automatic Stout dispenser.

-S-

"Duncan Heenan" <duncanheenan@tiscali.co.uk> wrote in message
news:4732bf99$1_1@mk-nntp-2.news.uk.tiscali.com...
> Any parent will know, to their cost (literally), that a young
> swimmer's street cred nowadays depends not on performance in the
> water, but on having the right collection of equipment to take to the
> pool. Clothes must all have the right logo, their other functions
> being of secondary importance. The rest of the stuff will be familiar.
> Several costumes (latest cut and logo of course), patent flannel,
> several towels, anti-chlorine shampoo, conditioner, skin care
> products, hair dryer, several sets of flippers -(oops sorry, fins),
> specially shaped pull buoy and kick board, several types of paddles,
> swim mitts, heart monitor, drinking bottles, stop watch, a dozen pairs
> of goggles and two dozen swimming hats. All this requires a huge bag,
> which must also carry the logo of the moment.
>
> I have noticed that swimming bags are inversely proportional in size
> to that of their owner. This whole trend of this equipment fetish is
> getting to the stage where I confidently predict that soon pools will
> become like a hypermarket in reverse, with shopping trolleys available
> in the car park for the swimmers to unload their clobber to carry it
> in to the changing room.
>
> I am not qualified to say whether all this stuff is really necessary,
> but it is the sine qua non of social acceptance of the young, and
> since I lost that status when the Dead Sea wasn't even ill, I'll not
> comment. I am reminded however of an a friend at college who decided
> to develop his puny physique by buying a Bullworker body-building
> machine. It gathered dust on display in the corner of his room for
> about 6 months at which point he wrote asking for his money back, on
> the grounds that owning it had done nothing for him. The reply he got
> was as dusty as the machine.
>
> What beats me is how the marketing gurus of the sports equipment
> companies can have missed the opportunities for selling specialist
> equipment to the more mature swimmer. I know from experience that
> beyond a certain age, comfort becomes more important than street cred
> or even speed, and this should be the guiding principle. For example,
> what is worse than getting in to a cold wet costume? Surely it is not
> beyond the whit of science to design a costume warmer which would
> deliver a warmly caressing garment to the nether regions. While
> swimming you could put your socks in there. There is no treat greater
> than hot socks, once you are over 40 that is.
>
> That made me think of the anti-verruca rubber socks you sometimes see
> in changing rooms. A wider market exists for lightweight wellingtons
> to get you through the foot bath without getting your feet cold and
> wet. Similarly a pack-down umbrella could be designed to keep those
> silly pool showers off you. Ordinary boots and umbrellas are not
> acceptable - I know as I've been asked to stop using mine.
>
> I see now that goggle designers are spending thousands to reduce the
> already minuscule drag in the water caused by turbulence around the
> eye sockets. In my book the money would be better spent on developing
> goggles you can actually see through. I have yet to find a pair of
> anti-mist goggles which stay anti-mist for more that two swims. The
> solution is obvious. The only thing which cured condensation on my
> windows at home was double glazing, so how long before double glazed
> goggles? The only drawback might be the number of phone calls you
> would get from people trying to sell them.
>
> Another tendency which increases with age is the frequency with which
> one gets overtaken in the pool. A useful accoutrement to help with
> this would be a rear view mirror, mounted on the shoulder, so you
> could move aside if the overtaker was a friend, or aim your kick if
> otherwise.
>
> As for these cow-teat drinking bottles swimmers all suck at, I am not
> impressed. They ruin a gin and tonic, and beer goes flat in them. So
> here's another marketing opportunity - a Portable Poolside Teasmade
> for during the swim, and an automatic pint of Guinness which pours
> itself and stands to settle five minutes before you get out. There
> must be a way.
>
> Another useful gizmo for the discerning swimmer would be a portable
> Corby trouser press. As many changing rooms suffer the vandalism of
> having all the pegs pulled off the wall, clothes often have to be
> stuffed in to lockers or left lying on benches. This is not a problem
> for youths as it generally improves the look of the sort of things
> they wear. It's not so welcome however if you are wearing a month's
> salary of suit, shoes etc., and you may be off to see a customer soon
> after. I have never seen a Corby trouser press anywhere except in
> hotel rooms. Strange that.
>
> Whilst in the changing room, a special mirror for senior swimmers
> would be a good idea. Many, like me, are the wide bodied type, but
> don't want to be reminded of it. Consequently it is common to see us
> in front of the mirrors twisting our torsos like Sharron Davies when
> there's a camera about, to try to look thinner. The slipped disks this
> leads to must surely be a drain on the economy. It would therefore
> save the National Health Service a fortune if they paid to have
> fairground mirrors installed in the changing rooms. The sort that make
> you look thin would be just the ticket.
>
> Going in to a business meeting with goggle marks can be off-putting to
> customers, so another accessory for the Business Swimmer could be
> false glasses to hide behind. Those who already wear spectacles are
> catered for, but for those who don't - just think! Not only could you
> hide your goggle marks, you could do imitations of Brains from
> Thunderbirds when the meeting began to get boring. If your goggle
> marks were particularly bad you could add a false nose and moustache
> to the glasses, and do a Groucho Marx.
>
> Of course many of these things could be made unnecessary if one could
> afford a butler to attend you when swimming. Alas that is beyond the
> purse of most mortals. It might not work anyway, after all, look at
> the young. They have better than a butler - they have a parent, and
> yet still they seem to need all that gear. That's the problem of
> getting old, I just don't understand.
>
> --
> Duncan Heenan
> (Speaking personally)
>
> -------------------------------------------------
>
> "Pat" <Orion@starrynight.com> wrote in message
> news:5pec3jFqr7frU1@mid.individual.net...
>> Today at the pool, a young woman arrived with all sorts of pool toys.
>> She did a few laps prior to put on the various training aids, and I
>> noticed that their use seemed to dictate her stroke.
>>
>> For example, she was swimming the front crawl with her arms coming
>> over her head straight and her hands slapping the water upon entry.
>> When she put on the hand paddles, this is exactly how she slapped the
>> water. With her arm straight out, there was no extension under the
>> water after her hand entered.
>>
>> Her feet, as she kicked, showed her heels above the water. When she
>> put on her long swim fins, that was duplicated exactly.
>>
>> She carried her head completely out of the water--neither ear was in
>> the water when she breathed.
>>
>> So, did the long fins cause her to swim with her heels coming out of
>> the water? Is this correct form? Did the hand paddles lead to the
>> arm-completely-stretched-out entry of her hand into the water? Her
>> thumb was entering first, but her hand wasn't tilted down--just flat.
>>
>> It is so rare that I see somebody at the pool with all of these pool
>> toys that I thought she must be a competitive college swimmer just
>> using this pool because it is less crowded. Now, I am beginning to
>> wonder.
>>
>> Is she doing it right?
>>
>> Pat in TX
>>

andresmuro@aol.com

On Nov 7, 10:47 am, "Pat" <Or...@starrynight.com> wrote:
> Today at the pool, a young woman arrived with all sorts of pool toys. She
> did a few laps prior to put on the various training aids, and I noticed that
> their use seemed to dictate her stroke.
>
> For example, she was swimming the front crawl with her arms coming over her
> head straight and her hands slapping the water upon entry. When she put on
> the hand paddles, this is exactly how she slapped the water. With her arm
> straight out, there was no extension under the water after her hand entered.
>
> Her feet, as she kicked, showed her heels above the water. When she put on
> her long swim fins, that was duplicated exactly.
>
> She carried her head completely out of the water--neither ear was in the
> water when she breathed.
>
> So, did the long fins cause her to swim with her heels coming out of the
> water? Is this correct form? Did the hand paddles lead to the
> arm-completely-stretched-out entry of her hand into the water? Her thumb was
> entering first, but her hand wasn't tilted down--just flat.
>
> It is so rare that I see somebody at the pool with all of these pool toys
> that I thought she must be a competitive college swimmer just using this
> pool because it is less crowded. Now, I am beginning to wonder.
>
> Is she doing it right?
>
> Pat in TX

Using aids requires that you know what you are using the for. Just
putting an aid and stroking w/o using it for the appropriate need is a
waste. Aids can improve a feature or make something worse. Take hand
paddles for example, they can work on forcing a good pull all the way
back and increasing resistance. B and giving you a good workout to
your lats. But that requires that you position the hands properly
during the pull and that you also do an appropriate recovery and
glide. Otherwise, they are useless. I rarely swim with aids, but when
I swim, my speed improves considerably because aids will enhance a
particular feature of the stroke. I often swim distance with nothing
on. There are often people swimming next to me with finds or
handpadles that move way slower than me. With those aids used properly
they should be flying by me.

Andres