Paddles

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Cupcake Girl
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Paddles

Postby Cupcake Girl » Fri Dec 30, 2011 11:17 am

Earlier this year I bought the Finis PT Swim paddles. Not sure they were really what I needed or what I need right now. :-? :-?

So I am looking for a more traditional paddle. However, which one is the one? At the pool I see everyone with square ones (Speedo/Leader) but my local store only carries TYR Catalyst and the reviews are mixed. :roll:

Thoughts?

I can obviously order anything online, so which to choose.....

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Re: Paddles

Postby Mark.AU » Fri Dec 30, 2011 11:55 am

I'm sorry I can't help with the original question, I've never used them. Having said that, what is it you're trying to achieve with the paddles? Just curious.
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Re: Paddles

Postby Cupcake Girl » Fri Dec 30, 2011 12:15 pm

Mark 2.0 wrote: what is it you're trying to achieve with the paddles? Just curious.


Paddles are supposed to "increase the resistance on your arms and develop upper body strength." Which in theory is supposed to make you better/faster. Who knows.

Unlike you I don't have Popeye arms :wink: but I'm trying :lol: and the now-fired-coach, for various reasons, had me using them in some drill work. I kept all of my workouts, so I'll still need them. The masters group I will be joining uses them sometimes too.

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Re: Paddles

Postby CinC » Fri Dec 30, 2011 12:49 pm

I'm assuming that they don't have them available for use at your pool?

FWIW, Dave has a pair of those TYR ones and has no complaints.
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Re: Paddles

Postby Mark.AU » Fri Dec 30, 2011 1:06 pm

Cupcake Girl wrote:Paddles are supposed to "increase the resistance on your arms and develop upper body strength." Which in theory is supposed to make you better/faster. Who knows.

That they will, and also improve your feel for the water. The TYR paddles should be fine, almost anything that creates more resistance will work for you. Just make sure not to use them too hard/much as they can hurt you if your technique isn't really solid.

Why did you fire the coach?
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Re: Paddles

Postby Cupcake Girl » Fri Dec 30, 2011 1:48 pm

CinC wrote: I'm assuming that they don't have them available for use at your pool?

Correct. I just use their boards, otherwise, I'm self-equipped.

CinC wrote: FWIW, Dave has a pair of those TYR ones and has no complaints.

Good to know!

Mark 2.0 wrote: Why did you fire the coach?

Long story. I'll tell you one day post-race once I have lots of adult beverage in me. :lol: But In a nutshell, we just weren't compatible. So I'm going to try this season without a coach and see how that goes. Could be great, could be a disaster, either way, I'm just going to enjoy myself.

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Re: Paddles

Postby MINITEE » Fri Dec 30, 2011 2:46 pm

I have the TYR Catalyst paddles as well... I have never had an issue with them!
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Re: Paddles

Postby Wu wei » Fri Jan 06, 2012 4:40 pm

Tyr Catalyst are great paddles. I suggest size XS (green). Tyr Strokemakers are decent too.

Every triathlete should have three items in their swim kit:
paddles
buoy
band

I disagree with Mark on the overuse of paddles. It's not the paddles causing the hurt ... it's lack of swim mileage.
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Re: Paddles

Postby Mark.AU » Fri Jan 06, 2012 7:22 pm

Wu wei wrote:Tyr Catalyst are great paddles. I suggest size XS (green). Tyr Strokemakers are decent too.

Every triathlete should have three items in their swim kit:
paddles
buoy
band

I disagree with Mark on the overuse of paddles. It's not the paddles causing the hurt ... it's lack of swim mileage.

I disagree with Greg that every triathlete needs those props. I'm FOP out of the water, typically top 5% overall, and I don't have any of them. What all triathletes really need is to be shown good form and to practice it with 1000's and 1000's and 1000's of metres.
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Re: Paddles

Postby La » Fri Jan 06, 2012 8:59 pm

When I've used paddles, I definitely notice the good and bad parts of my stroke. I can't recall what brand I have, but of those I've used, I like the ones that are slightly oval in shape and only slightly bigger than your hand/fingers.
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Re: Paddles

Postby Wu wei » Sat Jan 07, 2012 2:33 pm

Mark 2.0 wrote: I'm FOP out of the water, typically top 5% overall


So am I...

Mark 2.0 wrote: What all triathletes really need is to be shown good form and to practice it with 1000's and 1000's and 1000's of metres.


Yes, mileage is important. Toys help keep that "good" form while fatigued from bike/run sessions. Isolating the legs out of most workouts puts the focus where it's needed.
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Re: Paddles

Postby ROW » Fri Jan 13, 2012 10:58 pm

Wu wei wrote:Tyr Catalyst are great paddles. I suggest size XS (green). Tyr Strokemakers are decent too.

Every triathlete should have three items in their swim kit:
paddles
buoy
band

I disagree with Mark on the overuse of paddles. It's not the paddles causing the hurt ... it's lack of swim mileage.

I'm a faster swimming and swim usually 25km a week and I disagree. The resistance of the paddles will put a lot of stress on your shoulders. And you do not need all of hat equipment. I've only recently started using fins and paddles. Before I was using strictly a kick board and pull buoy and I was fine.

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Re: Paddles

Postby ROW » Fri Jan 13, 2012 10:58 pm

Wu wei wrote:Tyr Catalyst are great paddles. I suggest size XS (green). Tyr Strokemakers are decent too.

Every triathlete should have three items in their swim kit:
paddles
buoy
band

I disagree with Mark on the overuse of paddles. It's not the paddles causing the hurt ... it's lack of swim mileage.

I'm a faster swimming and swim usually 25km a week and I disagree. The resistance of the paddles will put a lot of stress on your shoulders. And you do not need all of hat equipment. I've only recently started using fins and paddles. Before I was using strictly a kick board and pull buoy and I was fine.

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Re: Paddles

Postby Cupcake Girl » Sat Jan 14, 2012 7:38 pm

ROW wrote: I'm a faster swimming and swim usually 25km a week and I disagree

you seriously swim 25K a week? That's 3,571m/day. sounds a bit much for someone doing sprints.

ROW wrote: I've only recently started using fins and paddles. Before I was using strictly a kick board and pull buoy and I was fine.

I'm confused. you agree paddles are good or bad as you are now a user of them.

BTW, I got the TYR paddles and have already noticed a difference. No, I don't use them daily, but once, maybe twice a week in select drills.

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Re: Paddles

Postby ROW » Sat Jan 14, 2012 8:29 pm

Cupcake Girl wrote:
ROW wrote: I'm a faster swimming and swim usually 25km a week and I disagree

you seriously swim 25K a week? That's 3,571m/day. sounds a bit much for someone doing sprints.

ROW wrote: I've only recently started using fins and paddles. Before I was using strictly a kick board and pull buoy and I was fine.

I'm confused. you agree paddles are good or bad as you are now a user of them.

BTW, I got the TYR paddles and have already noticed a difference. No, I don't use them daily, but once, maybe twice a week in select drills.
You swim more to get better at swimming no matter the distance. Plus I'm a competitive swimmer to. I just don't swim for triathlon. Plus racing draft legal triathlon you must be a very good swimmer as in averaging under 1:20 per 100m in open water.

Anyways I think paddles are a great tool to use to learn to pull right. And to build strength. But using them too much could lead to a injury. It should be apart of your training but most of your swimming should be just plain swimming, no toys or tools.

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Re: Paddles

Postby Cupcake Girl » Sat Jan 14, 2012 9:55 pm

ROW wrote: Plus racing draft legal triathlon you must be a very good swimmer as in averaging under 1:20 per 100m in open water.

Every swim leg in a triathlon is draft-legal. You don't need to be good in order to draft, just fast enough to tuck in behind someone -you can still do that and be dead last in the swim.

You didn't answer the question - you swim 3,571m/day.

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Re: Paddles

Postby ROW » Sat Jan 14, 2012 9:58 pm

Cupcake Girl wrote:
ROW wrote: Plus racing draft legal triathlon you must be a very good swimmer as in averaging under 1:20 per 100m in open water.

Every swim leg in a triathlon is draft-legal. You don't need to be good in order to draft, just fast enough to tuck in behind someone -you can still do that and be dead last in the swim.

You didn't answer the question - you swim 3,571m/day.

You don't really understand. I race junior elite draft legal triathlon.

And my swims vary in length most of my weeks I swim 6-8 times a week.

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Re: Paddles

Postby eme » Sat Jan 14, 2012 10:20 pm

The junior elite level allows drafting on the bike, not just in the water. I haven't officiated at any draft legal races yet, normally I am the one catching our juniors for drafting on the bike in regular races :lol:

For paddles, I find they really help me with hand position - you 'know' if you get it wrong with a paddle.

I don't use them all the time, but my coach does throw them in the mix of my swim workouts. They are a tool, the same as a kickboard, pull buoy, etc.

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Paddles

Postby Jwolf » Sat Jan 14, 2012 11:11 pm

I think he means that in draft-legal triathlon you have to be in the first group out of the water in order to be in the front pack on the bike.
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Re: Paddles

Postby eme » Sun Jan 15, 2012 8:46 am

Jwolf wrote:I think he means that in draft-legal triathlon you have to be in the first group out of the water in order to be in the front pack on the bike.


No, it means that in certain races, qualified elite racers are allowed to draft on the bike (most amateur races forbid drafting on the bike).

This is a more competitive level of triathlon and follows ITU (International Triathlon Union) rules, which Triathlon Canada's rules are based upon.

From the Triathlon Canada Rules:

http://triathloncanada.com/rtecontent/document/Triathlon_Canada_Competition_Rules.pdf

For elite and junior competitors only, the drafting rule will be eliminated for Triathlon National Championship events, Duathlon National Championship events and National Cup events. It will NOT be eliminated for age group competitions or for Long Distance Triathlon. It is within the power of each PGB to organize events within their jurisdiction where the draft rule applies to elite and junior athletes.


H.1.2a Junior
Junior athletes are those competitors aged 16 – 19 as on December 31 in the year of competition who compete in the Sprint Distance drafting race.
a) Lower Age Limit : If an athlete is 15 years old and turns 16 in the year of the competition they are eligible to
compete.
b) Upper Age Limit:: If an athlete is 18 years old and turns 19 in the year of the competition they are eligible to
compete.
c) Qualification criteria and team selection is determined by each PGB.


*PGB - Provincial Governing Body (i.e. Trithlon Manitoba where I officiate).

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Re: Paddles

Postby Mark.AU » Sun Jan 15, 2012 9:26 am

eme wrote:
Jwolf wrote:I think he means that in draft-legal triathlon you have to be in the first group out of the water in order to be in the front pack on the bike.

No, it means that in certain races, qualified elite racers are allowed to draft on the bike (most amateur races forbid drafting on the bike).

In the context of the ROW's comment, Jennifer is right. ROW means that in that style of race, if you're not fast enough in the water to be in the lead swim pack, when you come through T1 you won't be in the lead bike pack. This then makes it very difficult to bridge up to the leaders during the bike and have a chance to be with them in T2 and then have a chance at the win.

eme wrote:This is a DIFFERENT STYLE of triathlon and follows ITU (International Triathlon Union) rules, which Triathlon Canada's rules are based upon.

Fixed that for you.
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Re: Paddles

Postby Jwolf » Sun Jan 15, 2012 9:47 am

Mark 2.0 wrote:
eme wrote:
Jwolf wrote:I think he means that in draft-legal triathlon you have to be in the first group out of the water in order to be in the front pack on the bike.

No, it means that in certain races, qualified elite racers are allowed to draft on the bike (most amateur races forbid drafting on the bike).

In the context of the ROW's comment, Jennifer is right. ROW means that in that style of race, if you're not fast enough in the water to be in the lead swim pack, when you come through T1 you won't be in the lead bike pack. This then makes it very difficult to bridge up to the leaders during the bike and have a chance to be with them in T2 and then have a chance at the win.


Yes, my comment was in response to what ROW meant by saying that he needed to be a fast swimmer to race in draft-legal races. I wasn't commenting about the rules about when drafting on the bike is allowed.
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Re: Paddles

Postby Wu wei » Thu Jan 19, 2012 3:12 pm

ROW wrote:
Wu wei wrote:Tyr Catalyst are great paddles. I suggest size XS (green). Tyr Strokemakers are decent too.

Every triathlete should have three items in their swim kit:
paddles
buoy
band

I disagree with Mark on the overuse of paddles. It's not the paddles causing the hurt ... it's lack of swim mileage.

I'm a faster swimming and swim usually 25km a week and I disagree. The resistance of the paddles will put a lot of stress on your shoulders. And you do not need all of hat equipment. I've only recently started using fins and paddles. Before I was using strictly a kick board and pull buoy and I was fine.


You're right. Only a Sith deals in absolutes. :lol:

Do what your coach tells you to do. Swimming 25km a week is going to do wonders for your swimming.
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