Kiefer Ergo Hand Paddles – Product Review
Despite the fact that I have no interest in racing any triathlons anytime soon and it’s even less likely that I’ll start swim racing, I have been spending a fair amount of time in the water recently. During each of the last six months (since finishing the Bear in late September), I have swam nearly as much I used to swim during my Ironman training days! One big difference is that I used to swim by myself and for the last few months, I’ve been swimming with my friend Evan. He’s a “real” swimmer who trains for swim meets (as opposed to a triathlete swimmer training for long endurance swims) and as a result, instead of the long sets at steady pace that I used to do, most of the swimming we do is focused on shorter, higher-intensity sets with slightly longer rest and a focus on correct form. We do tons of 50s and sometimes a 100 or two. I’m having fun doing it and have seen a fair amount of improvement over the last few months. (Every so often, he and I will time ourselves for an all-out 50. The first time I tried it, I swam low 37 seconds. Most recently, I swam 35.6! That’s nothing for a good swimmer, but I’m psyched about it.)
A couple months ago, Kiefer contacted me to ask if I’d like to try one of their products. They asked me to do an honest review of whatever product I chose. Seemed like a fair deal to me!
Since I’m trying to focus more on form instead of just grinding out the laps, I decided that the best tool to add to my swim bag would be hand paddles. (My pool has kickboards and pull buoys for us to use, so I don’t need to own those.) One issue with my swimming is that I don’t get enough power out of my pull. My hands enter the water a little lopsided and often I give up on the pull before I’ve actually finished it. Although I don’t know the science behind it, I do know that better form = more power = more speed. And when it comes down to it, faster is better! I got the paddles hoping that they would force me to think more carefully about my hand position throughout the pull.
The Kiefer Ergo Hand Paddle seems like it is a good choice for me.
Unlike other “flat” paddles I’ve tried before, I like that they’re contoured (concave in the middle) and fit comfortably in my hand. The elastic straps are snug but don’t feel like they’re pinching at all.
They come in large and medium (based on hand width and length) – I got the large. As you can see in the first picture, they’re only a little bigger than my hand so while I’m getting the benefit of using a paddle, they’re not putting too much extra stress on my shoulders and elbows. But since they do have a bigger surface area than my hand, they really accentuate the feeling of pulling a lot of water behind me. And the best thing from a form-training perspective is that you know right away if you’re getting sloppy. If my hands don’t enter the water flat, the paddle wobbles. The same thing happens if I give up on the pull too early. I only use the paddles for part of my swim workout once or maybe twice per week. That feels like the right amount to get the training benefit but not so much that I’m becoming reliant on them to swim “right”.
The Kiefer Ergo Hand Paddles sell for $10.95 on Kiefer.com.
As a final note, Kiefer.com sells tons of swim equipment, clothing and gear (and other stuff like pool and safety equipment), and they sell Kiefer products as well as products from most major brands. Their prices are reasonable (the Kiefer brand products are super well priced.) The website is easy to use and the customer service has been great.