Paddles are most commonly used for swimmers looking to develop their upper body strength as they work the muscles in the back, chest, arms and shoulders. They do this by stopping the water from flowing through your fingers, allowing you to perform your arm pull with more power.
Using paddles when training comes with huge benefits. They can help you to develop your swimming technique as you become much more aware of your arm pull and general swimming stroke. So, if you feel a lot of resistance when you pull, then your hand is positioned correctly, and you are pushing the maximum amount of water under your body to help you move.
Your stroke lengthens when you wear hand paddles which means that you reach further with your leading arm and you are able to pull more water. A longer stroke means that you get a better distance per stroke, so each arm pull becomes much more efficient.
It’s best not to do too much too quickly when you start to use hand paddles. You need to build up your hand paddle use gradually to avoid the risk of injury. If you’re a first-time user, aim for smaller sized paddles to start with. When swimming with your paddle on, keep the palm of your hand open and flat as you would when swimming normally. This will make it feel more natural and so when you take your paddles off you continue to swim in this good position.
Experienced swimmers who are looking to increase their training should try using a larger, wider paddle as it gives more resistance than a finger paddle or smaller paddle. You could also try adding in a pull buoy so it puts your body into a better position and prevents any leg kick, making your upper body work harder.
If you experience any muscle pain then you should stop using your paddles; they are designed to push you but it shouldn’t hurt.
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