BEST SWIMMING HAND PADDLES

Triathlon Taren explains why TechPaddles are the best hand paddles to use while triathlon swim training in the pool and why triathletes should use them instead of traditional swimming hand paddles.
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[@edclarkey3054]

Can you do a video on shoulder mobility exercises for swimming. My shoulder flexibility is terrible.

[@craigtebeau3259]

Makes sense - thank you for the helpful review. I still think that the Finis paddles are useful for learning hand entry - but good point on the over-reliance on the false catch improvement. Can't wait to spend some time with these - tower 26 is a great resource - but I love getting your take on this stuff. .

[@Hueys93]

Complaints about the weather always make me smile. You could always move here to Australia, but then you’d be contending with the heat, not snow (it was 30c the other day, mind you, today is only 18c). Converting my stroke from a pool stroke to a tri stroke is something I’m currently working on. While I haven’t swam squad for nearly 10 years, it’s not something you forget quickly, especially when you were a teacher too. My brother has it easier though. He’s just starting to get in to triathlon and he hasn’t done any squad swimming, so we can work on that more easily. Edit: Are some of these drills going to be on the training platform by any chance?

[@brettlaplante6180]

"Front quadrant swimming", often called a slight catch-up style swimming is often more hydrodynamic. It's not nearly as fast as having your arms perfectly opposite, but it's much more efficient. It serves two purposes: 1) it makes your body more streamlined, and 2) it "can" provide a little lift so that you have less of your body IN the water, and water provides significantly more resistance than air. This is often why you'll find more distance-oriented swimmers with more of a front quadrant swimming style stroke. It's about getting speed while staying efficient, not just about going fast. Additionally, often the hand paddles aren't used necessarily to develop a stroke but to engage specific muscles like your lats. This is predicated on having good form to begin with, and having the swimmer aware of their arm position.

[@mikedickerson3944]

This made no logical sense. Base argument is that pool swimming (college, high school, Thorpe, Phelps) and open water swimming (triathletes) are different. Ok, fine. But all the flaws you list as being pool-swimming based (front quadrant, wiggling core, dropped elbow) have nothing to do with pool swimming-they are all just swimming flaws, and you don’t develop them from swimming in the pool. And these new paddles don’t create the conditions that you say are unique to open water swimming (current, wind, choppiness). If they help develop body tautness while swimming, fine, but you should have that no matter where you swim. You’ve got some real straw-man arguments. Front Quadrant swimming? That’s just horrible technique no matter where you are. Elite pool swimmers can get away with front quadrant swimming because their kicking is powerful enough to propel them while one arm is doing nothing? That’s just ridiculous. No elite swimmer, or someone with good technique, has an arm doing nothing at any time. That’s like cycling one-legged or running without swing an arm. Just a ludicrous scenario. You hold up the yellow paddles and say they make it easier to produce force, but the red paddles you are extolling, you say that they make it more difficult. Hogwash. First, start with getting your elbows up. It’s not the yellow paddles’ fault that you drop your elbows. So now you’re in a better position in the catch phase of the stroke. The difference between the paddles now manifests. Both kinds require extra effort to push water during the catch, but the yellow ones require that force to come from the hands, while the red ones try to emphasize the forearms. Now THAT is an interesting question: is it better to focus on hand-based or forearm-based power? I’d like to see that examined. I think that people’s strokes breakdown over time because their hands get too tired to keep pulling water at the same rate. So their technique deteriorates-either their wrist breaks or their elbow shifts position-so they can finish the stroke with less resistance from the water. So when I see these new paddles (or hear about swimming with fists), I see a tool/technique that EXplicitly eliminates the hand, doing nothing to strengthen it at all. So the wrist-the weakest part of your body doing work while swimming and the pivot point most likely to break down while swimming-is almost completely ignored. I find this appalling and shocking. But I could be wrong. However, nothing Jerry Rodriguez says through you came close to educating me further on the subject.

[@realalbertan]

I would agree... swimmer since age 8 (1985)... All these so called "Tri swimming coaches" methods are debunked by 10k open water guys... stroke traits are more individualized. The biggest problem with triathletes in swimming is their unwillingness to train like a swimmer. Drop dead speed matters ... if you want to get faster you gotta get faster.

[@williamward2472]

@@realalbertan Most triathletes look at the amount of time and effort it will take to make up 2 to 3 minutes where the ROI doesn't justify the effort. But if they want to be a front pack swimmer, they need to train at significantly higher volume and train at race and threshold pace to get faster. Drills simply make you a good driller, not a good swimmer

[@williamward2472]

The finis paddles make swimming easy, the tech paddles definitely make you work harder.. not because there's more resistance, but because you really have to focus on the proper catch position or you aren't really moving any water like you can with the finis..but when you take them off, your feel for the water is significantly better. That's been my experience. Nobody enjoys using them, but they like the results post paddle set.

[@IronWill]

Looks tough! I might invest in some of these for my Ironman training. I've never seen them before in Australia tough - where is best to find them online?

[@EricGlenn]

I love your feelings about the weather... 😂😂😂

[@TakingSquash833]

Do you recommend the small or medium as there is a few sizes on there site. They suggest small for children though. Just not sure on the ones I would get. Thanks

[@Goil44]

How’s the app called you’re using? Liking your videos

[@aligferrari]

In my second week of T26. Workouts are brutally good. Only used these paddles once. What I will say is ... INTERESTING

[@RockScissorsPaperPress]

My Masters swimming coach said my stroke power improved drastically whey I did what's called the catch up drill. She had me swim like that for a few weeks just to get the feel of it. I moved a lot faster and powerfully. Looks a lot like front-quadrant swimming.

[@williamward2472]

Glad it helped you get a feel for the water. Now never use it again. The catch up drill is the absolute worst drill you can do for open water swimming. Right up there with swimming on your side and switch drills. Gerry Rodrigues says if you want to be a good driller, do these drills. If you want to swim fast, you have to train fast. There are no short cuts.

[@8wiegert]

Hi Taren, you say that you have the big ones and everybody else in your club has the small ones. If i want to get a pair of them, what size would you recommend? I'm 185cm/75 KG

[@MrSinn76]

I have limited use in one arm and I'm using paddles for strength training not form what kind would you recommend for it

[@chadtilley8796]

Did I understand correctly that you recommend the SMALL size for adults training? Online it states they are grade school children. Just want to confirm. Thank you!

[@karlosfandango6637]

I'm afraid I can't really do that stroke with my elbows out, because I would dislocate my right shoulder. (I dislocate it to much tbh).

[@alastairhastie1]

Anyone know where to get these in the uk? nothing coming up on amazon or google other than a speedo set that’s definitely different?

[@heikkisanelma6625]

wow! Snow, wish we had some!

[@TriathlonTaren]

We will have more than enough to go around for the next several months, unfortunately.

[@heikkisanelma6625]

@@TriathlonTaren hope to have white xmass on here.. its bleak and blunt If its just dark.. Evert winter i miss My home town at The Arctic circle

[@juanhillb]

Hello... any link to buy it? Thanks

[@tommyjohn8601]

Where do we get them Taren?

[@lifeontwowheels3964]

There is so many open lanes so why you dont just normal water run?

[@scottramsay2832]

Taren can you buy on amazon.ca?

[@mochidomo]

Haha, college athlete that grew up with that shoulder mobility here 🙋🏻‍♂️😂 It's ok though, my running is absolutely shirt!

[@theswimclub8582]

tech paddles are the best for EVF.. where can i buy these in india

[@NoxiousNoodles]

Comparing these to conventional paddles is a bit daft to be honest. They serve a very different purpose to hand or finger paddles (when used right at least and are held on by a few fingers very loosely, rather than strapped down tight like you see with most who don't know how to use them). It's almost like comparing fins to kickboards. Not wanting to sound harsh here, and they are useful, but this is far too great a generalisation.

[@brianyee5862]

I have not been able to purchase these within Canada although I've looked around a fair bit. Does anyone have any sites that ship to Canada (and have a secure SSL certificate because while some swim sites do seem to sell them they are don't seem to have secure payment sessions)?

[@realalbertan]

Tennis balls are in stock 🇨🇦

[@InvestorAcademyPodca]

The water doesn't know what event you are in, there is a way to be the most efficient and fast swimmer and it doesn't depend on what you call yourself. I do agree that there are flaws and mobility issues, but doesn't it make sense to gain mobility and swim as close to the fastest swimmers as possible as opposed to trying to invent some new type of stroke?

[@gauterh]

Its definately "the paddle I love to hate" - feels like sh*rt, but it makes me faster... But I'm wondering: 1. Why did you end up getting the big ones? 2. why do you recomend the small ones?

[@williamward2472]

Because paddles with larger surface area actually slow your stroke rate down. Elite triathletes are typically at 80spm or faster in open water. Thus, most of us need to train to increase our stroke rate, not slow it down...while maintaining good mechanics of course.

[@synaone]

in fact they have 3 models, small, medium and large. Small in the website says it is for children... did Taren really mean small or medium?

[@keatonbrody3975]

Where can i find these paddles?? Looked on Amazon couldn't find em

[@lfsass]

www.techpaddle.com/ I almost bought one of those but shipping to Canada is way too expensive

[@timpillsbury5536]

Why is front quadrant swimming bad for open water? That’s pretty much the basis for Total Immersion swimming, and Terry Laughlin held open water swim records using this “style”. I’m not saying it’s the fastest way to swim, but it’s an efficient swim stroke so you’re not burning up your legs and energy before you bike and run. It sounded like you said FQ swimmers do a lot of kicking...I’m not sure where that’s coming from either.

[@trevorclark4055]

Mel forgot to put the other paddling

[@annev.gormley7834]

Taren are you saying to buy the small size which is labeled for children on the TechPaddle website ?

[@TriathlonTaren]

Yes!

[@asmrlyfe8522]

Should we get the medium or the small one ?

[@zekehorton8545]

Small it seems

[@annev.gormley7834]

But on their website it says small is for children...?

[@advex4428]

Go put them aerobars onto the fatbike and ride it in the snow. Joking, but I think that's what it was actually constructed for. OBTW, another great swimming vid!!

[@Losing4Life]

So where do you find these to purchase?

[@realalbertan]

Use a tennis ball

[@williamward2472]

www.techpaddle.com

[@Trenpy]

Does anyone know where I can buy these in Europe? Can't find them...

[@TriathlonTaren]

Have you tried searching on Amazon in your area?

[@newlifestartsnow4444]

Try www.techpaddle.com/#/paddles

[@heikkisanelma6625]

Mr. T - you can basically do this with a standard force paddle: make a fist and grap the edge of the paddle with your fingers... no need to buy new pieces of plastic...

Heikki Sanelma Exactly what I was thinking.

[@williamward2472]

This is true. Actually one of the best ways to teach how a proper catch feels.

[@michaelcross2563]

The paddles of Death... I can just hear Gerry's voice in that audio file.... "No Substitutions..."

[@TriathlonTaren]

His voice haunts my dreams! Haha

[@michaelcross2563]

@@TriathlonTaren "Hey guys, Coach Gerry here., bringing you another workout from hell...." hahaha

[@lukesimms2443]

What is in yours mesh bag for a swim session

[@realalbertan]

Stroke Maker Paddles, Finis Agility paddles, Arena Powerfin pro, 2 different ankle bands, 25m resistance band/belt for power training, Arena snorkel, finis tempo trainer pro, I'm an ex college swimmer... I'm cringing watching this video... I wouldn't take advice from someone slower than my 11 year old. I would use a tennis ball instead of these. The myth that triathlon swimming is special sells coaching plans $$$ ... each person has an optimal technique that is suited to their physiology and that's what coaches help you figure out.

[@newlifestartsnow4444]

@@realalbertan What is your 11 yo's 100m swim pace? I like the idea of using a ball in each hand but are tennis ball optimal? Won't they become soggier and, therefore, heavier the longer they are in the water? Or is this the point?

[@jm6734]

I have these yellow Finis paddles. I think you're exaggerating a bit. I feel I actually can do some "swing strokes" with them. Also good for strenght training. But I'm shure your ROBO-PADDLES are the real shiznizz :D

[@alexandrosvasileiou9635]

More important than speedos??

[@TriathlonTaren]

Nothing is more important than Speedos.

[@HughesElites]

Swim coaches just love to contradict each other.