at first I be confuse at how many reviewer be recommend this product in order to create more drag and make one 's swimming workout harder ... I have have the opposite experience when I start use they : they actually make my freestyle feel a lot easier , almost like wear fin but for the hand ! of course , I be a swimming noob and klutz . I mean , I do know how to swim , but badly -- despite be able to run marathon , I can barely swim 50 meter without get completely wind . so , I be read a book call `` total immersion '' and try to improve my efficiency in the water . and every little `` training wheel '' help -- I use these fin , and then during the later stage of my workout -lrb- about 20 minute in -rrb- I use fin , and then as a cool-down , fin and a kickboard . these glove have be incredibly helpful in my slow but steady development . one of my longstanding fault have be failure to cup my hand by squeeze my finger together , thus lose traction in the water ... these glove solve that problem immediately ! so , for the swimming-incompetent like myself , these glove be really a godsend . EDIT 10\/23\/2011 : well , I have to say that these glove really be for conditioning you arm and shoulder ... take they off and you hand suddenly feel feather-light and swimming be much easier . I wear they only occasionally now ... they be the equivalent of wear wrist weight . yes you do move more water with each stroke but the glove create so much drag that you can not get in nearly as many stroke as when not wear they . so it just depend on what you want they for .