Pull buoy and paddles are the most commonly used training equipment in swimming, and also among the most misused. Here is how to integrate them intentionally to strengthen, not compensate.
Pull buoy and paddles are the most commonly used training equipment in swimming. They are also among the most frequently misused. The swimmer who does every session with a pull buoy has a kick problem they are hiding. The coach who stacks paddles onto every arm set is adding load without a plan.
This article is about intentional use.
The pull buoy lifts the hips by adding buoyancy at the lower body. This removes the kick from the equation and allows the swimmer to focus entirely on arm mechanics. That is its value. It is genuinely useful:
But the pull buoy becomes a crutch when used at every session, included in warm-ups as a default, or relied upon by beginner swimmers who have not yet developed a functional kick. A swimmer who cannot hold a horizontal position without a pull buoy needs to fix their body position. The pull buoy should not be the fix.
Paddles increase the propulsive surface and add resistance to each stroke cycle. Used correctly, they develop pulling strength and reinforce proper hand entry and catch mechanics.
A commonly observed field guideline among coaches is that paddles should not be larger than the swimmer's hand plus roughly 20 to 30 percent. This is not a research-validated threshold but a practical heuristic: larger paddles amplify stroke errors and increase shoulder strain without proportional benefit for most club-level swimmers.
The pull buoy plus paddles combination is the standard tool for aerobic arm sets. It isolates the upper body, raises the workload, and allows sustained effort at controlled intensity.
A proportion commonly observed among coaches is to keep this combination to 20 to 30 percent of total session volume. This is not an absolute rule, but a practical reference point: beyond that within a single session, arm-leg coordination training decreases and the swimmer begins to depend on assisted flotation.
Not every session type calls for the same equipment. Here is a working reference for coaches:
| Session type | Pull buoy | Paddles | Pull buoy + paddles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aerobic base | Yes (up to 30%) | Small sizes only | Yes (up to 30%) |
| Threshold | Yes | Yes, if established | Yes, main tool |
| Speed / sprint | No | No | No |
| Technical | Yes, arm isolation | No | No |
| Recovery | Only if legs need rest | No | No |
| Warm-up | No | Never | Never |
The purpose of any equipment choice is to create a specific adaptation. Use the pull buoy because you want to train the arms in isolation. Use paddles because you want to develop pulling strength. If the reason is "it is easier" or "we always do it this way", that is not a training decision.
320+ active coaches · 7,500+ training sessions · Since 2017
Plan your arm sets with intention. In Padlie, you can annotate each block with the equipment used and build a session history that actually reflects what was trained.
Try for free →