About this product
Hand paddles increase the surface area of your hand, so every stroke moves more water. The obvious effect is strength: the lats, shoulders and forearms all work harder over the same distance. The less obvious effect is the one that actually matters, which is feedback.
A paddle is rigid and flat. If your hand enters at the wrong angle, or the wrist collapses at the start of the pull, or you push water backwards without first setting the catch, the paddle slips – and you feel it instantly, every stroke. Swimming without paddles the same fault is invisible, because a bare hand simply slices through and you never notice. Coaches use paddles as a diagnostic as much as a training load.
The drainage holes are there for the shoulder. A solid paddle with no holes puts a big load on the rotator cuff at the front of the stroke, which is how swimmers injure themselves with paddles. Holes bleed off some of the peak load and also stop the paddle skating on entry.
Build up slowly. A few lengths at the start, not a whole session, and stop the set the moment the stroke rate drops or the shoulders feel anything sharp. Paddles are the training aid most likely to cause an injury, and always for the same reason: too big, too soon, over too many lengths.
Swimming Hand Paddles - Ergonomic PP Paddles with Silicone Straps