Swim analysis utilising the new SmartPaddle

A review of the all new Swim analysis utilising the new SmartPaddle by Trainesense available at Dinamic Multisport.

By Crispin Barrett

On the topic of power paddles and my training I was completely skeptical at first – I mean let’s get real – how can these add value to my already brilliant form!?? So when Dinamic coaching offered me the chance to try them curiosity bit me…

First things first. You can either opt for an assessment without the paddles or with the paddles in order to provide feedback on your existing swim technique/form. Surely power paddles are more just a toy for training and possibly give you ‘nice’ power readings to show whether you are strong or not compared to those in your competitive sports field. But oh wow wait for the surprise…..

I had, previously, completed a brief assessment on my swim form, so I was aware of a “few” minor issues. And here comes the ‘kicker’ surprise…the paddles, added to the video, by illustrating how my form is affecting my power in each stroke, and they plot the exact points of where power starts & ends while illustrating where power is being wasted along the path of each actual stroke.

These paddles brought a new dimension, to my assessment, in addition to the video footage taken. Being able to assess the paddle readings alongside the video footage brought tremendous clarity to me to better understand the error of my form not to mention how amazing our bodies are that they compensate in such a way for poor form!

Yes I will be going back to “school” for the basics, like drill work, as we are now ever more aware of not only how much power I am losing but exactly where I am losing it.

So to break it down yes the information gleaned from the video swim assessment does provide you with a full suite of information on your swim form, through the visual cues, which if needed you can make changes to improve. What the addition of the paddles provides is the final touches to better see and understand one’s entire swim stroke, from hand entry through the catch to the pull and through to recovery of the stroke.

Having this information available for a knowledgeable coach, to interpret, will definitely put one on the road to, if not a, better faster swimmer then at least a swimmer with less injuries.

It won’t assist a swimmer with proprioception or spatial awareness, quite like the Form Goggles, in the water, and this is not a tool to be used like the Power Meters for cycling or the Foot-Pod Power Meters for running, this is a tool designed to assist swimmers to improve their form to see gains with regards less wasted power / force.

The session seriously blew me away with the amount of data it makes available when combined with video recordings, and yes I hear the possible murmurs of “paralysis through analysis” but this could happen with any athlete tool when not used properly.