Swimmer's drag producing belt

#This invention relates generally to athletic training devices, and has particular reference to a novel drag producing belt for swimmers training for competition.

#In training competitive swimmers, it has been recognized that the development of the swimming muscles ranks in importance with the swimmer's technique and wind conditioning. One method of development that has been advocated is weight lifting but this is not completely satisfactory because the muscular development does not really correspond to that required for swimming. At the present time, many coaches believe that a more appropriate way to develop swimming muscles is to increase the weight that the swimmer must carry and/or the resistance to his movement through the water while actually swimming laps during training. This strengthens the swimming muscles and the swimmer's endurance and thus improves his competitive ability.

#Heretofore, swimmers have added weight and increased drag during practice sessions by wearing several T-shirts and shorts or cut off jeans over their regular suits. This means that extra garments must be carried to practices and extra wet garments must be carried back home. Increasing weight and drag by wearing additional garments can also have the disadvantage of distributing the added weight and drag unevenly on the swimmer which can increase the tendency for his body to roll or dip.

#FIG. 1 is a view of a swimmer wearing the drag producing belt of the invention;

#FIG. 2 is an elevation of the belt in opened out position;

#FIG. 3 is a view showing the belt on a swimmer, looking towards the swimmer's back;

#Referring now to the drawings, 10 generally indicates the drag creating device of the invention which is essentially comprised of an elongated belt member 12 and a plurality of pockets 14 secured to the belt in a manner to be described. The belt 12 is preferably made of a fabric such as canvas and is provided at its opposite ends with an interengaging fastening material 16 available commercially under the trademark "VELCRO". The "VELCRO" fastening is sufficiently adjustable to enable the same belt to be worn by swimmers of several different waist sizes.

#The pockets 14 are preferably made from a commercially available nylon tricot mesh cloth that has a multiplicity of small, uniformly spaced holes 18 as best shown in the FIG. 6 detail. Each pocket is a self contained, cup-like unit having an open upper end 20 as shown in FIGS. 2-5. In order to keep the upper ends of the pockets in an open, uncollapsed condition, the upper edge of each pocket may have incorporated therein a relatively stiff strip 22 of elastic material, see FIG. 2. From its open upper end, each pocket tapers down to a single, straight bottom edge 24 as best shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.

#The pockets 14 are secured to the belt 12 by having a portion of the upper edge of each pocket, FIG. 5, sewn or otherwise securely fastened to the belt, the pockets being disposed so that the open ends thereof face in the direction of the swimmer's movement through the water regardless of whether he is swimming on his stomach or back. As indicated in FIGS. 3 and 4, the pockets are located on the belt so that when worn there are two pockets on the front and two on the back in a symmetrical arrangement. Such an arrangement causes the drag forces to be uniformly distributed over the swimmer's body as is desired.