Swim Drills- Pull Buoy
Discussion
I bought a Zoggs pull buoy from Amazon to do some swim drills and help with my freestyle technique.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Zoggs-Pull-Buoy/dp/B000OPP...
I tried it in various positions between ankles and thighs but it didn't seem to work. I kept rolling from side to side - I guess that is because my legs aren't stabilizing me. The worse thing was that it didn't seem to do that good a job of holding my legs up and they were dragging. Am I doing something wrong or do I need a bigger pull buoy (I am 6'5'' and weight 17.7 stone)?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Zoggs-Pull-Buoy/dp/B000OPP...
I tried it in various positions between ankles and thighs but it didn't seem to work. I kept rolling from side to side - I guess that is because my legs aren't stabilizing me. The worse thing was that it didn't seem to do that good a job of holding my legs up and they were dragging. Am I doing something wrong or do I need a bigger pull buoy (I am 6'5'' and weight 17.7 stone)?
First up, I'm not a proper swimmer (I know there are a few fishes on here that could probably be of better service to you), but a couple of things from my point of view:-
a) Your pool buoy shouldn't be anywhere near your ankles. When I use mine, it's just below my crotch, I don't consciously squeeze it, just relax and use the bouyancy to support my hips.
b) If you're rolling (without control) from side to side, that sounds more like an issue with weak core muscles/technique rather than anything to do with the additional bouyancy from the pool buoy.
c) You may need a bigger pool buoy and it's certainly something to try, but the pool buoy is there to support your hips, not your legs . . . your speed through the water will help trim your legs out. The slower you're travelling, the greater the drop in your legs will be. That's the curse of swimming unfortunately!!!
The only thing I'd add is just try and relax in the water. Rely on the pool buoy to just support your hips so you can isolate your top half and concentrate on your catch and pull - don't rely on using one too much though!
a) Your pool buoy shouldn't be anywhere near your ankles. When I use mine, it's just below my crotch, I don't consciously squeeze it, just relax and use the bouyancy to support my hips.
b) If you're rolling (without control) from side to side, that sounds more like an issue with weak core muscles/technique rather than anything to do with the additional bouyancy from the pool buoy.
c) You may need a bigger pool buoy and it's certainly something to try, but the pool buoy is there to support your hips, not your legs . . . your speed through the water will help trim your legs out. The slower you're travelling, the greater the drop in your legs will be. That's the curse of swimming unfortunately!!!
The only thing I'd add is just try and relax in the water. Rely on the pool buoy to just support your hips so you can isolate your top half and concentrate on your catch and pull - don't rely on using one too much though!
Thanks for the tips. I will try the pull buoy further up my legs and try and swim a bit faster.
dangerousB - I think you are right about the rolling. My core is weak and so is my technique. I have a swim clinic with a PT next week and am doing some core work so hopefully that will resolve itself.
drgav2005 - I try and look straight down when swimming with the buoy or without but I find that makes it harder to roll round to breathe.
dangerousB - I think you are right about the rolling. My core is weak and so is my technique. I have a swim clinic with a PT next week and am doing some core work so hopefully that will resolve itself.
drgav2005 - I try and look straight down when swimming with the buoy or without but I find that makes it harder to roll round to breathe.
944fan said:
Thanks for the tips. I will try the pull buoy further up my legs and try and swim a bit faster.
dangerousB - I think you are right about the rolling. My core is weak and so is my technique. I have a swim clinic with a PT next week and am doing some core work so hopefully that will resolve itself.
drgav2005 - I try and look straight down when swimming with the buoy or without but I find that makes it harder to roll round to breathe.
You should maybe try looking just a little forward. Only a few degrees mind! otherwise the head comes too high and the hips will go down. Ideally your arse should be threatening to break the surface in that recirculating flow behind you. dangerousB - I think you are right about the rolling. My core is weak and so is my technique. I have a swim clinic with a PT next week and am doing some core work so hopefully that will resolve itself.
drgav2005 - I try and look straight down when swimming with the buoy or without but I find that makes it harder to roll round to breathe.
For you definitely keep the pull buoy at the thigh. The further from the hips you place it the more strength you need in the core to keep you from sagging like a collapsed sofa in the middle! You might wanna try it right up at the top, right near the plums. You can move it down as you get stronger.
It shouldn't be any harder to breathe when looking down. When I swim I am breathing looking slightly backwards, so I can catch air from the little depression that forms around the face. Means you don't have to turn the head anymore than 90 degrees. Less usually because the breathing goes in tandem with the body rotation so you shouldnt have to turn from the neck much really.
If you find it hard to breathe then you maybe breathing at the wrong point in the stroke and over rotating to compensate hence why you feel unsteady rotationally with the buoy. The buoy will probably compound this if you rotate too much and it will want to pull you all the way round. Make sure you aren't crossing the arms over the center line at the front of the stroke (or any other part really) either. This will also mess your rotation up.
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