I already posted this in the "stereotypes" thread. I'm not training with a team right now. I usually utilize open swim hours at my gym. As such, I have a lot of exposure to people with poor technique.
I never offer unsolicited advice. I think doing so would be presumptuous and even rude. However, it kills me when I see someone with a strong work ethic who clearly enjoys swimming but never, ever gets one lesson on technique. There are many people like this at my gym: they are generally fit, show up every morning at 5:30 and spend at least an hour doing laps. And yet, over the course of months or even years they never get any better. 30 strokes a length, head flailing, no shoulder roll, no flip turns... you know. No intervals, no stroke work, no drills, just mindless paddling from one end to the other.
In ten minutes, I feel I could give some of them advice on stroke basics and a few drills that would immediately improve their efficiency. I would really enjoy this. There I am in the next lane over, swimming at roughly twice the pace they are with half the effort. I'm an approachable guy, being friendly, saying hello and no one ever has asked me for tips. Ever. I don't get it. I ran for years and would actively seek people out who could give me tips on stride, training or race tactics. Now that I'm demonstrating for the world to see a skill I clearly have, no one want some free advice? I don't get it.
Swimming is in many respects just as technique intensive as any skilled-based sport like tennis or golf. People spend small fortunes getting some coaching there, why not with swimming? Maybe people just don't care to swim with proper technique. Maybe they don't know that there is such a thing as proper technique. However, I'm not sure I understand someone who forces themselves up at the crack of dawn for years to do anything who does not care whether or not they improve at that thing. It seems pointless and mind-numbingly boring.
Several of the fitness swimmers I know are in this category. They set a goal of swimming X amount of laps or for X length of time, and that's it. Whether they're swimming Popov-esque freestyle or doing doggy paddle, it doesn't matter. Just get in and hit their goal.
We've got a number of those swimmers on my team, triathletes and open water swimmers, in particular. Half the time I just cringe when I see their technique, or lack thereof. I don't think any of them have ever asked for my feedback or advice on their stroke, but I have made a point of giving them tips and advice when I'm coaching them, and sometimes when I'm swimming, too. Some of them pay no heed to anything I say, whereas others have really taken off with the advice I've given them. We've got one OW swimmer who joined the team this fall, and with the help of the advice I gave him, dropped about 45 minutes on a 10k swim this year from his lifetime best on that swim.
This is all within the confines of swim practice, though. I generally don't swim enough on my own to have people ask me for help.
I already posted this in the "stereotypes" thread. I'm not training with a team right now. I usually utilize open swim hours at my gym. As such, I have a lot of exposure to people with poor technique.
I never offer unsolicited advice. I think doing so would be presumptuous and even rude. However, it kills me when I see someone with a strong work ethic who clearly enjoys swimming but never, ever gets one lesson on technique. There are many people like this at my gym: they are generally fit, show up every morning at 5:30 and spend at least an hour doing laps. And yet, over the course of months or even years they never get any better. 30 strokes a length, head flailing, no shoulder roll, no flip turns... you know. No intervals, no stroke work, no drills, just mindless paddling from one end to the other.
In ten minutes, I feel I could give some of them advice on stroke basics and a few drills that would immediately improve their efficiency. I would really enjoy this. There I am in the next lane over, swimming at roughly twice the pace they are with half the effort. I'm an approachable guy, being friendly, saying hello and no one ever has asked me for tips. Ever. I don't get it. I ran for years and would actively seek people out who could give me tips on stride, training or race tactics. Now that I'm demonstrating for the world to see a skill I clearly have, no one want some free advice? I don't get it.
Swimming is in many respects just as technique intensive as any skilled-based sport like tennis or golf. People spend small fortunes getting some coaching there, why not with swimming? Maybe people just don't care to swim with proper technique. Maybe they don't know that there is such a thing as proper technique. However, I'm not sure I understand someone who forces themselves up at the crack of dawn for years to do anything who does not care whether or not they improve at that thing. It seems pointless and mind-numbingly boring.
Several of the fitness swimmers I know are in this category. They set a goal of swimming X amount of laps or for X length of time, and that's it. Whether they're swimming Popov-esque freestyle or doing doggy paddle, it doesn't matter. Just get in and hit their goal.
We've got a number of those swimmers on my team, triathletes and open water swimmers, in particular. Half the time I just cringe when I see their technique, or lack thereof. I don't think any of them have ever asked for my feedback or advice on their stroke, but I have made a point of giving them tips and advice when I'm coaching them, and sometimes when I'm swimming, too. Some of them pay no heed to anything I say, whereas others have really taken off with the advice I've given them. We've got one OW swimmer who joined the team this fall, and with the help of the advice I gave him, dropped about 45 minutes on a 10k swim this year from his lifetime best on that swim.
This is all within the confines of swim practice, though. I generally don't swim enough on my own to have people ask me for help.
