Swimming With Pull Buoy Between Ankles

Using a pull buoy between the ankles.

Swimming with pull buoy between ankles.

The pull buoy is a basic piece of swimming equipment used to improve a swimmer s power. The action of swimming with a buoy is called pulling because only the arms are used for forward momentum. For some this can help give them increase rotation and helps develop their core. Some coaches and swimmers place a pull buoy between their ankle.

Pull buoys should primarily be used as a tool to support the legs while learning the arm movements in the breaststroke backstroke front crawl etc as the legs are supported you can isolate the arm movements while learning the new swimming stroke and only use a small flutter kick or no kick at all. I like to do 3 5 100 200 with the buoy between my ankles during the warm up to wake up my arms and my overall feel for the waters. Maintaining a stable core is an important part of a good freestyle. Push off and start swimming.

Swimming with a pull buoy might be easier but add a pair of hand paddles and a band to the equation and things start to get a whole lot harder. Pull buoys can be used for a variety of pulling. A number of the leading swimming equipment manufacturers now produce specialist ankle buoys. Hold the pull buoy tight between the ankels by squeezing the legs together.

Keep the hips at the surface by tightening the core. This allows you to focus on developin. Put on a pull buoy at the ankles not between the thighs as typical. If you want to get truly serious about developing upper body power and strength ditch the pull buoy and go strictly with the band around your ankles.

Being optional does not make pull buoys less relevant to swimmers of all levels and skills. For example see how to use a pull buoy while learning the sidestroke. This standard drill is a good one to help accomplish this. Even with this new position i would not recommend swimming the whole swim set with it.

The pull buoy is a swim aid designed to help isolate your arms and provide support to your body without having to kick. It is meant to train arms motion together with your upper body strength and general endurance while swimming. The band in particular will escalate things.