Fins for Beginners

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One of the first tools I suggest investing in for both experienced and beginner swimmers is fins. Fins are great for a number of reasons: they can help with ankle flexibility; the additional propulsion improves body position in the water; the improved body position allows you to focus on certain elements of your stroke without having to worry about your legs sinking; it makes certain strokes (ahembutterfly) so much easier to practice and learn. Plus it's just fun to go fast.

There are many options out there when it comes to type of fins. Long fins, short fins, silicon fins, rubber fins, stiff fins, flexible fins... 

But when it comes to beginners who are still learning the basics of swimming, I tend to agree with Swim Smooth's recommendation of a longer fin. Here's why: shorter fins tend to be more rigid than longer fins, which make it more difficult to kick and can be harder on swimmers with inflexible ankles. The point of fins for beginners is to make swimming a little bit easier, to give you a sense of what it feels like to ride higher in the water so you can focus on your underwater pull, recovery, and rotation.

The cons to longer fins is that it slows your kick tempo. But again, as long as you are using the fins so you can focus on other elements of your technique and aren't using them for the entirety of the workout, they can be incredibly beneficial.

In the past I have recommended the Cressi Light Swim Fins, the Finis Long Floating Fins, or the Speedo Rubber Swim Fins for new swimmers.

Just a few of the many things beginners can do with fins to improve your kick and stroke: 

  • 3/6/3 drill (freestyle)

  • Freestyle rotation drills (no arms, one arm, freestyle pause)

  • Free, fly, and backstroke kick (especially if you are struggling with any of these kicks, make sure if you are doing backstroke kick you keep your arms in a tight streamline, and for fly try to make sure those hips clear the water--or get your butt to break the surface of the water)

And PRO TIP: if you walk around the pool deck with your fins on, there goes all your street cred (plus you’ll probably faceplant).

Additional helpful articles on fins:

Training with fins (Your Swim Log)

Should Beginner Swimmers Use Fins (LiveHealthy)

8 Benefits of Swimming with Fins (MySwimPro)

Swimming Drills with Fins (Coach Robb)

 

 

EquipmentmehKicking, Fins