How to Find the Right Swim Paddles

Swim paddles can be an incredible tool to help you swim more easily through the water. Once swimmers have their stroke down well, they will be able to use these paddles to strengthen their arm, shoulder and upper body muscles to create better endurance in the water, as well as speed up your times across the pool. However, you can cause more problems if you aren’t ready to use these as part of your training methods or if you choose the wrong paddles. Therefore, it is essential to make sure you choose the right ones.

The Size

In general, swim paddles shouldn’t be any larger than 10 percent larger than your hand size. Many people seem to think the larger, wide paddles are the best ones because they create the most resistance. However, this is not the best way to use paddles. When you use paddles that are too large for your hands, it will make your joints and muscles work that much harder and increase the risks of injury. This is one of the biggest mistakes swimmers make.

Avoid Finger Paddles

Some people think finger paddles can be a useful tool to have in the pool. Unfortunately, these swim paddles are among the worst options you can choose. This is because of their design. With the way they are designed, they actually put undue strain on your fingers, which isn’t going to have a positive impact on your swimming technique or endurance.

Avoid Protruding Edges

Some swim paddles feature protruding edges along the bottom of the paddles. Some people seem to think these protruding edges simply create more resistance in the water and make the paddles more effective. This is not often the case, though. Instead, these protruding edges alter the way your hands and arms must move through the water to gain the forward projection you require. This means you will not be effectively training in the proper methods so when you remove the paddles, your swimming will not be improved.

Your Preferences

In addition to the things you should avoid with swim paddles, there are still plenty of types of paddles from which you can choose. Once you have ruled out what you don’t want in your paddles, you can move on to looking at what you do want in your paddles. If you aren’t sure what features you should look for, it is best to talk to your coach or someone else who is experienced in swimming and swim training.

When you are swimming through the water, you need your arms, shoulders and upper body to be as strong as possible. One of the best ways to ensure this strength and improve your endurance is with swim paddles. Before you choose just any paddles, you should know what you should look for and what you should avoid before you make a purchase. It is always best to talk to the person who helps with your training to ensure you make the right choices.