Training with Swim Fins

Last Updated on August 10, 2024 by admin

**Training with swim fins provides the swimmer with many benefits**

In this article, we’ll provide advice, hacks and tips on the many benefits to swimmers of training with swim fins.

What are swim fins?

Swim fins are short fins/flippers used by competitive swimmers during training. They are available in a variety of shapes, sizes and weights.

Types of swim fins

There are many different types of fins.

Those used for either diving or snorkelling tend to have a larger fin and are unsuitable for swimming training.
There are also a growing number of ‘fitness’ fins, of which the majority are also unsuitable for swimming training.

Swim fins suitable for training

There is a large variety of fins available that are suitable for swimming training.

Most of the largest swimming equipment manufacturers produce a range of fins for both children and adults.
They are sometimes referred to as training fins or training flippers.
Whichever swim fins you use, the most important considerations are that they have short fins, they are of one-piece construction and they do not have a heel adjuster.

Zoomers

Zoomers are shorter than the standard training fin and are designed to help develop a shallower and faster kick.

Monofins

Monofins are largely single, two-footed fins.

They are specialist pieces of swimming equipment designed to help develop a swimmer’s underwater dolphin kick.
Senior competitive swimmers usually use these, as they tend to be expensive pieces of swimming kit.

The benefits of using swim fins

**The primary use of swim fins is to develop a swimmer’s leg kick.**

Training with fins provides the swimmer with many benefits. These include,

Arm stroke development

Using fins helps the swimmer to focus on their arm stroke and body position.

This is especially useful when teaching younger or inexperienced swimmers butterfly

Leg kick development

The primary use of swim fins is to develop a swimmer’s leg kick.

Kicking is an important and sometimes undervalued key swimming skill.
- The leg muscles are amongst the largest in the body, having a trained, effective leg kick minimises energy and oxygen consumption, whilst maximising propulsion.
- Therefore, kicking needs to be constantly and consistently developed and practiced.
- Many coaches divide their leg kick sets 50/50 with half with swim fins and the other half without swim fins.

Increased ankle flexibility

Training with swim fins is a great way of increasing a swimmer’s ankle flexibility.

Good ankle flexibility enables their feet to be positioned in a pointed (plantar flexion) position, which provides increased leg kick propulsion.

Introduction to a new drill

Swim fins are often great when first learning a new drill.

They allow the swimmer to focus on their technique, without becoming fatigued.

For example, using swim fins for younger or inexperienced swimmers when they are first learning to breathe correctly during freestyle.

Speed development

Swimmers often train with swim fins to help them develop their swim speed.

Wearing swim fins increases the swimmer’s leg speed, which in turn naturally increases their arm speed.

For example, many butterfly swimmers use the Popov drill.

This requires the swimmer to perform a butterfly arm action, with a freestyle leg kick.
This is a great arm speed drill for wearing fins.
Not only do they help develop a swimmer’s arm speed, but they help reduce fatigue.

Underwater dolphin kicking

The underwater dolphin kick is a fast and powerful underwater kicking technique.

It has become an increasingly important swimming skill, playing a key part in the development of butterfly, backstroke and freestyle starts and turns.
Using fins allows the swimmer to focus on developing the combination of body undulation and a dolphin kick.
This combination is fundamental to an effective underwater dolphin kick.

Recovery swims

Using swim fins can be very beneficial after a tough training set as a part of a recovery swim. For example, an easy kick set with a kickboard or an easy swim with swim fins.

Warm-ups and cool-downs

Swim fins can play an important role in developing effective warm-up and cool-down procedures.

Swimming warm-ups are of key importance to swimmers because to swim well the swimmer’s muscles need to be warmed.

This increases their flexibility and enhances their range of movement, making them more efficient whilst swimming.
Swimming with warm and supple muscles reduces the chance of stiffness, soreness or injury.
An effective warm-up also prepares the swimmer’s heart to pump large amounts of oxygen-rich blood throughout the body while swimming.

At the end of the training session, it’s important to perform a post-session cool-down after leaving the pool.

This helps to disperse any lactic acid which may have built up in the swimmer’s muscles during the session
This can result in stiffness and/or soreness.

For example, sets of easy kicking and swimming with swim fins are both effective ways of warming up and cooling down.