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Swimming Techniques - Fins for Legs
Improve Freestyle, Backstroke, Butterfly
~ shinfin™ Better Swim Techniques ~
Improve swimming techniques with fins for legs = freedom for feet
Better freestyle, backstroke and butterfly swim techniques
If you are a good to elite swimmer looking for ways to improve your swimming technique, especially your kick and streamline efficiency, then this page for you. I describe the evolutionary way that shinfin™ swim fins can help to improve your swim techniques for freestyle, backstroke and butterfly (they are not designed for breaststroke).
To avoid damaging an already good swimming technique, your swim fins must "feel right" when you swim with them. All your body movements (arms too) should be similar with and without your fins. You should use the same muscles, in the same muscle sequence as your natural stroke. Your good swimming techniques should still be there as soon as you take off your fins. This tells you that your swimming fins are working with your natural swimming technique. (You should not have to swim laps to recover your natural swimming stroke like you do after taking off foot flippers.)
To improve your swimming technique, your swim fins must do even more. They must match and enhance the swimming techniques of good/elite swimmers. They must help to optimise your horizontal, efficient body position and natural streamlined kick from your hips. They must help to improve your kick efficiency using power from your thighs, buttocks, stomach and torso - the correct muscles that good/elite swimmers use. Your swim fins should continue to "feel right" when you swim slower (perhaps to work on your upper body technique), or swim faster (perhaps with a higher beat kick). Whatever your speed, your swim fins should guide your swimming technique to become smoother, more streamlined and more efficient. You should feel your swim technique improvements as soon as you take your fins off and immediately swim without them. Then you know your swimming fins are enhancing your natural swimming technique.
I have designed shinfin™ swim fins to provide all these benefits and more, for improving freestyle, backstroke and butterfly swimming techniques. They achieve this by connecting power directly to your legs, above your ankle joints. This means that your feet and ankles are free to move naturally (not strained like with foot flippers). Your kick power comes from the correct muscles in your thighs, buttocks, stomach and torso. They help to keep your body horizontal and improve your streamlined kick, stroke efficiency and speed. You can even adjust the fin position on your leg to suit your swimming technique. So shinfin™ swim fins enhance the right muscles, in the right sequence, without giving you bad habits. This is why shinfin™ swim fins are a sgnificant evolution from all foot flippers for swimming technique.
~ match elite freestyle, backstroke, butterfly (not breaststroke)
~ achieve efficient, streamlined body position
~ increase leg power with correct swimming technique
~ extra speed from up and down kicks
~ adjust fin height on leg to change power
~ adjust fin angle around leg to suit your kick direction
~ for swim techniques with slow, medium and fast kick rates
~ for swimming techniques with 2, 4 & 6-beat kicks
~ fin power connects direct to your legs
~ increase your power from thighs, buttocks, stomach, torso
~ strengthen same muscles as swimming without fins
~ strengthen same muscle sequence as without fins
~ improve cardiovascular capacity and strength
~ improve your foot movement, unrestricted by the fins
~ improve your ankle flex, unrestricted by the fins
~ relaxed & comfortable feet and ankles
~ relaxed and comfortable calf muscles
~ no extra strain in Achilles tendons
~ ideal fins for teaching swim technique
~ one size fits adults and children
~ legs stay horizontal, even for slow swimming
~ avoid bent knee"bicycle kick"
~ for full stroke and kick-only swimming techniques
~ improve swim technique with or without a kickboard
~ fins help improve swimming technique of arms too
~ normal dive - curl your toes over the edge
~ flip-turn and easy push-off from wall
~ safer walking, water entry and exit
I have designed shinfin™ swim fins to match elite streamlined kicks for freestyle, backstroke and butterfly. Since about 1990, I have developed over 50 prototypes. Testing has included beginner and intermediate swimmers through to elite swimmers at the Australian Institute of Sport and in the Australian Olympic Team. Testing has also included physically and intellectually disabled swimmers. I have studied swim techniques with shinfin™ swim fins, with foot flippers and without any fins, using underwater video equipment and biomechanical analysis.
Good and elite swimmers and swim coaches quickly recognise the natural, streamlined kick of shinfin™ swim fins and their swimming technique benefits. You feel how they help to keep your body horizontal for less drag. You feel how they guide you to kick from your hips, with only a little knee-bend. You feel the power of shinfin™ swimming fins coming from the big muscles in your upper legs, buttocks, stomach and torso. These are same muscles you use for good "no-fins" swimming techniques (without straining your feet, ankles and calf muscles like foot flippers). You also feel how they give the correct body balance to support your arm stroke. So you know your swim technique with shinfin™ swim fins is strengthening your natural kick - you can feel it. That's why they also improve your "no-fins" swimming technique (arms too), stroke efficiency and speed. I offer you shinfin™ swim fins as biomechanically advanced swim fins, an evolutionary step up from all foot flippers to improve your swimming technique.
Most swimmers and coaches know that foot flippers corrupt your kick and change your whole swimming technique too. Foot flippers cannot work with proper swimming techniques (even if you cut them short across the toes) basically because they are connected to your feet. They stiffen and cramp your feet and ankles, and disrupt water flow. Foot flippers change your body position and your ankle, knee and hip movements, often to a "bicycle-kick" with knees bent too low. You can't kick at your normal rate and you use different muscles. You know your swim technique is wrong because your body remembers the corrupt foot flipper kick even after you take them off. That's why it takes a few laps of the pool without foot flippers, before your swimming technique feels natural again. Some coaches cut foot flippers short to try to improve them, but they are still connected to your feet so the problems remain. Other coaches refuse to use foot flippers at all for swimming training.
I must say that I have noticed a considerable improvement in my kicking style. My kicking is a lot more fluid and powerful. All in all I am very happy with my purchase and follow up customer care. I actually look forward to swimming laps now I have shinfin™ fins - which is a huge turn around for me :) - Josie from Auchenflower, Australia.
Love 'em. My swimming technique has improved markedly, just as you said. Body position has become more streamlined because my kick has improved. Only really noticed when I forgot them one time. I get some funny looks but they're a good conversation-starter. Great product, man – innovative. Had really flash swimmers gawking but too proud to ask (guess they wondered why their coaches weren't into it). Perhaps you just need to promote them here? – Phil from Auckland, New Zealand.
Have really enjoyed the fins this season and am a bit embarrassed by the attention they attract at the pool! My brother and my 11 year old nephew have both tried them and whilst the boy is not convinced the adult thought they were great and could feel them improving his swimming technique after one use! One great thing is being able to share them - much easier than with conventional flippers! But, I am a bit reluctant 'cause I love them so much...maybe more of the family will convert as time goes on. - Amanda from Sydney, Australia.
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