Help me break through a wall please!

Hi, I've looked at your videos, and I'm sure there are people who have great advice on your form. It looks very good to me, and 24.2 for a 50 free is fast in my book. The one thing I noticed, is that you have no SDK, no underwater kick. You dive in, glide, take a couple of flutter kicks and surface. Then you turn, push off, the same there, two flutter kicks and to the surface. Work on your streamline dolphin kicks (SDK), and that alone should take you down the tenths you are seeking. Good luck!

I have a feeling people aren't commenting because there isn't a lot to say--you've got a great sprint stroke! I do think your start could be better. Really think about pushing with the legs as your first movement. It seems to me like you're lifting your head first rather than pushing forward. You hold your head quite high when you are swimming, but it seems to work for you.

You can have someone time various starting styles at the 15M, use whichever method is fastest.

you're already posting solid times, with lots of opportunities to hone your act and shave a second or two...That would put him in with the big fishes. Get a good coach if you haven't already

Thanks for the reply guys. Seeing that I swim mostly short course, I think you're right about working my underwater. I have a long course meet on the 23rd, so I'll see how I go there. My starts have always sucked.

Andy, I agree with Kirk: nothing obviously wrong with your crawl. Some thoughts anyway... • Work on your reaction time and spring off the blocks, and see if you can find a larger (preferably fin) block to hone a level track start (out, not up). • Wear a high-quality tight jammer. • Find competition who can beat you. Nothing like going head-to-head – and a loss or two – to push you further. • Although plenty of great sprinters push water with a high head position, see if you can relax and lengthen the back of your neck to cause the water to flow more smoothly over the top of your head. This would also raise your rear end and cause you more benefit from a strong kick. • You have a good shoulder-driven sprint style, but you appear to use 10-11 stroke cycles per 25M, which is almost certainly higher than ideal for you. As you pointed out, your right arm truncates its entry. Your left arm comes around the bend a bit, causing a sideslap, creating front-end turbulence and also sending you slightly off-course. Try to starve your stroke count in practice, while maintaining your desired pace. Even in a shoulder-driven style, there should be a smoothly-piercing, side-stretching reach and high-elbow scoop. Learning to hold pace in practice with fewer strokes will make you both stronger and more efficient. When you race, you may go back to something close to the stroke count you now have, but you'll be faster and more powerful. • As for SDKs, I would emphasize learning to break out in a way that conserves and immediately builds on all the speed you get off a wall or starting block. That may include a series of SDKs, or one or two snaps before your flutter kick begins, or you may arrow right into an earlier breakout. Whatever causes you to smoothly achieve your surface plane without loss of momentum. Bottom line: you're already posting solid times, with lots of opportunities to hone your act and shave a second or two...

Hi Andy You look young strong and fast. 24.2 & 23.9 are pretty good, is that short course meters or long course. I watched your youtubes on my phone and didn't see much technique type stuff. Other than, 1) learn & develop an awesome track start 2) wear a jammer If you want to get faster, continue with speed work and strength training. How often do you train? What's your current routine? Hows your kick? flutter kick with a board and SDK Swim Faster Faster Has plenty of ideas to help you get faster do the sets in HELP! My ___ is Horrible Who knows how fast you can get but what ever improvement you have will happen by doing the little things right.

While I'd love to shave a full second, 2 seconds would put me in the low 22's which probably isn't likely given I only swim once a week! OK, so here's more advice for you: swim more!

Wow thanks for the great replies! Woofus I'll definately put some of your advice to the test this weekend. I'm racing in Obihiro on Sunday, and then in Nopporo (long course) on Friday the 23rd. I live and work in Hokkaido, Japan so the competition I face is usually in the high 25' low 26 second bracket. While I'd love to shave a full second, 2 seconds would put me in the low 22's which probably isn't likely given I only swim once a week! I'll try and get some video of this Sunday's racing. Going to work my underwater and keep my head down. Once again, thank you so much!

These are short course 25 meter races. The pools here in Hokkaido are all quite old, and I haven't come across any blocks where I could feasibly do a track start. All the blocks are tiny, and some are not even angled forward. I used to swim 50km a week in school, but quit when I was 20. Now I'm 28 and have just gotten back into swimming. Work keeps me pretty busy, so I only swim once a week. Just about 1.5 km. It's just for fun. I don't race 100's or 200's because I just don't have the fitness. 25's and 50's I can get away with anaerobic, so I don't really need to be too fit! What's a jammer? Is that a fast suit? I'm from an era before those! I like my Alexandre Popov style costume! This weekend I'm swimming a 25 and 50 free, and a 50 fly down in Obihiro. It's SC. I'll really work my SDK and try and keep my head down. Fingers crossed I can get a 23.