FINIS Freestyler Hand Paddles Reviews

By Tammy from St. Catharines, Ontario on 3/8/2013

These paddles helped my hand entry right away.  Lightweight and easy to carry in my swim bag.

By Todd from Virginia, MN on 2/27/2013

I bought these for my son, and after using them twice, he said that he is forced to keep his elbows high during his pull pattern, and that if his form slips, the paddles give him immediate feedback.  He is excited to use these paddles through the rest of the season to see how much he improves.

By wwbigfish from Nashville, TN on 12/22/2012

Use the paddles every time I'm in the pool! Has greatly helped my stroke and also helped me to build some strength. The greatest thing is I do not have to worry about crossing over and damaging my shoulders. The freestyler is a must have for any swimmer. Will keep you honest about your form. For added fun use with a pool buoy!

By David from Denver on 4/21/2012

Great product to learn to swim and improve stroke efficaincy.
Does not place a-lot of stress on shoulders.

By Elisabeth H. from Germantown, MD on 2/12/2012

These are great to improve your stroke..hand entry and pull. These have helped improve my form.

By Beth from Rochester, NY on 1/4/2012

These paddles are perfect for stroke improvement. Great for getting the elbow up a little higher and better alignment underwater -- I tend to cross in the front.

By Heather M. from Decatur, GA on 12/26/2011

Size: Feels true to size

I've used these in 2 of my swims and I'm still not sold on how effective or helpful they are for me. They don't feel like much resistance.

By popcorn from wisconsin on 12/11/2011

I swim laps and was hoping this paddle would improve my performance.  Too large for my hands.  a smaller version may be fine.

By MFish from Madison, WI on 11/29/2011

Am working on entering the water with a straighter hand and the Finis hand paddles were recommended by my coach.  I can feel when I am doing the right entry when I am using the paddles...they keep me on target during the learning process. So far, no problems and has been a very helpful product.

By 2K from Yorktown, VA on 11/24/2011

I’m a triathlete, so I like my pool toys and these are my new favorite.  I say the jury is still out because I can’t tell if the paddles are improving my stroke long term by enforcing muscle memory or just providing a temporary crutch.   I am in the Tri off-season and only swimming once per week for marathon cross training, so my form suffers some from lack of routine swimming.   That said, the paddles work as advertised.  They force my hands and arms into the proper position and highlight poor form.  They emphasize the catch and high elbow because they wobble and slip to the side unless I pull straight back.  The arc at the wrist also helps keep my fingers pointed down and palm facing the rear (not down) during the pull or I can feel pointy edges touch my wrist reminding me to correct.  On stroke recovery, they encourage me to extend my stroke at the back end and fully extend at the front end without over-gliding.
On the down side, I do have a tendency to grasp the edges instead of holding my hand flat during pull and recovery.  They also make flip turns difficult because they catch water and pull off during the flip (may just be my poor turn technique)