The Bottom Line
Swimpaddles.com's Star Swim paddles are a smart design that fit in the "not too big, not too small" category of hand paddles. These hand paddles are a great choice for swimmers looking for a paddle with plenty of adjustabilty in size and resistance. They will help swimmers develop increased swim power and strength, and will help develop or maintain good swimming technique. I plan on using these winning paddles in my daily swimming workouts.
Pros
- Adjustable to fit a variety of hand sizes
- Slightly flexible material improves pull pattern feedback
- Paddle shape enhances a good entry and catch
- Holes in the paddle help maintain the feel for the water
- Adjustability allows variable paddle resistance
Cons
- Paddles are not recommended for swimmers with shoulder problems
- Occasional pressure on wrist during catch phase due to paddle design
- One size only - might be too large for younger swimmers
Description
- Star-shapped paddles with water-flow holes
- Paddle position can be adjusted forward and backwards
- Smaller paddle tip encourages a good entry and catch
- Wider middle paddle body increases water pressure and resistance
- Flexible paddle materail moves as water pressure changes during each stroke
Guide Review - The Star Swim Paddle
I tried the Star Paddles in swim workouts over a two-week period, swimming or pulling with them at least 500-meters, three to five times each week. I also had others try them for a similar period of time, and they had favorable comments, too.
I like the design and felt that it helped with both power development and technique reenforcement. The shape of the paddle generally mimics the shape of the hand, with a narrower tip and a wider middle portion. This shape seemed to help me get a good entry and extension. I was able to find a good catch position quickly and naturally, and subsequently hold water swam freestyle.
I also found that hand paddles flexed slightly as I pulled. This flex, along with the holes in the paddles, gave me feedback as I swam, letting me know when I was catching water and when I had lost it. I could tell when I was holding a good catch or a great catch by the flex of the paddles.
The paddle is worn by inserting the middle and ring finger through surgical tubing. The tubing's insertion holes can be varied - this allows the the amount of resistance provided by the paddle to be adjusted, and also allows the paddles fit to be altered for different size swimmers' hands.
Swimmers can also try using different fingers with the mounting strap, moving the feedback pressure of the paddle from mid-palm to outer-palm or inner-palm. This was an interesting experiment which gave different and useful feedback from various phases of the stroke.