These paddles are great. I'm an intermediate swimmer, non-competitive, and found these paddles very smooth. I thought I might be frustrated all information about these paddles emphasized they would fall off if stroke was incorrect. They stayed on, and I didn't even feel the pinch at my thumb some complained about. I have very small hands and found size S a perfect fit.

Excellent gear for drills in order to improve arm position and catch

If I don't perform my stroke well when using these paddles, the stroke simply put, does not feel comfortable.
When I do the stroke correctly when using the paddles, I feel very comfortable and glide very smoothly through the water and feel great.
I highly recommend these paddles, they will take about 200m to get used to and then your stroke and body position start to realign. Great paddles

Great for improving technique but also help catch speed:)