Why Triathletes Shouldn't Overuse a Pull Buoy

Hey swimmers! This is coach Milo.

Welcome to another Q&A session where I answer questions from you all on the internet.

Today's question is:

"Why Triathletes Shouldn't Overuse a Pull Buoy"

Summary:

Milo offers a nuanced take: the pull buoy isn't inherently bad, and given the choice between an hour of kicking and three hours of swimming with a buoy, he'd take the buoy because it's easier. People like it because it takes the legs out of the equation. But that's exactly the risk for triathletes and open water swimmers, who need their legs to develop hip-driven technique. He explains the mechanic in detail: you kick with the right foot a moment before pulling with the right hand, which drives the dropped right hip upward so you can rotate and pull, then repeat on the left. That coordination is the two-beat kick, and he urges swimmers to master two-beat hip-driven technique rather than leaning on the buoy and leaving their legs idle.

Answer:

The truth is, it's not really a bad thing. Between kicking for an hour and swimming for three hours, I might choose swimming for three hours with a pull buoy, because it's actually easier. A lot of people like the pull buoy because it takes the legs out of the equation. But for triathletes and open water swimmers, the reason you want to use your legs is so you can learn hip-driven technique inside your races. Basically, you're using your feet to help you rotate side to side. You want to kick with your right foot a moment before you pull with your right hand, because when you kick with your right foot, if you're on your side, it moves your right hip, which is down, up. Then you pull with your shoulder and your hand and go to the other side, where you do the same thing: kick with your left foot, move that left hip up, then pull with your left arm. That is called the two-beat kick. Become a master of the two-beat hip-driven technique. Look it up on Google, it is awesome. If you overuse the buoy, you never build that leg-driven rotation, and that's the part that actually makes you a better open water and triathlon swimmer.