Perhaps too much for my own good, perhaps because I am a teacher, and am used to telling folks how to do things (I teach math, not swimming).
I am a breaststroker, and although I myself have to iron out some kinks, I am hands down the best breaststroke swimmer that I have seen at the local Y.
I will sometimes give advice, but usually before doing so, I will ask, do you mind if I give you some feedback. Sometimes, I will see someone doing breaststroke who basically has a good rhythm and the right idea, but is doing some one thing that is impeding them. Usually people are very receptive. I would never give advice to someone who was an accomplished swimmer.
It has never crossed my mind to offer advice unsolicited. Personally, I hate unsolicited advice. I have been asked for swimming advice, though, and I am happy to offer it when asked.
But, I'll take it a step further: I hate unsolicited advice from somebody who doesn't know what they are talking about!
Reminds me of a few times I've had unsolicited weight training advice at the gym. It seems like some men like to give us womenfolk pointers (even when they don't seem particularly athletically competent themselves). The fact that they are men makes them experts, you know...
I'll never forget this older male know-it-all Masters swimmer who sat down on the bench next to me at my first Masters meet, in 2010. .
let me guess...... :afraid:
let me guess...... :afraid:
No, it's not who (I think) you think. :rolleyes: But, I don't know his name and haven't seen him at a meet since 2010.
Actually, the person who I think you are guessing (name withheld) has never given me any advice on my stroke. But, he does :blah: :blah: :blah: about everything else! And, this same person beats me when we have been in the same breaststroke heats; often in neighboring lanes. :bitching:
No, it's not who (I think) you think. :rolleyes: But, I don't know his name and haven't seen him at a meet since 2010.
Actually, the person who I think you are guessing (name withheld) has never given me any advice on my stroke. But, he does :blah: :blah: :blah: about everything else! And, this same person beats me when we have been in the same breaststroke heats; often in neighboring lanes. :bitching:
Time to get that breaststroke practice in in order to beat that person in the future :) no more :blah::blah:
Why don't any of you swim at my pool? :-(
Come swim at our pool anytime! We get all excited when a new person shows up and we have a chance to get acquainted. It's great when new people show up and are able to get coaching for the first time. Our coach is really enthusiastic and sets the tone for kidding, joking and giving advice. It sets up the new person as one who is enduring what we are, too, and they become one of us. Most of the time, newbies will ask things like "How do you do that drill again?" or something to that effect.
If I were alone, I would feel weird if a total stranger came up to me and offered to give me advice, not only because it would kick me out of my concentration but also because it would feel intrusive and unexpected.
On the other hand, someone saying hi and making a compliment first would open up the possibility of friendship and give-and-take conversation. When I'm swimming alone most people don't even make eye contact, so it seems like they're avoiding anything even remotely resembling advice. Depends where you swim and who you're with.
Reminds me of a few times I've had unsolicited weight training advice at the gym. It seems like some men like to give us womenfolk pointers (even when they don't seem particularly athletically competent themselves). The fact that they are men makes them experts, you know...
Yep. Just went skiing with a male friend yesterday, who gave me the absolutely wrong advice about how to plant my ski pole. (And I just confirmed it to make sure I wasn't losing my mind or that ski advice hadn't somehow changed when I wasn't looking). Meanwhile, his skiing was a complete mess. Now, not everyone who skis cares about ski technique, but as it happens, I do. But I just said, "Hunh, that wasn't how I was taught" and he said "Oh, well, I might be wrong about that." So, why open up your mouth if you really don't know what the f you're talking about? *sigh*
I'm not expert enough to offer advice to most people, so I don't. Most people don't offer me unsolicited advice, although occasionally people do--one gent who was obviously a good swimmer, and we often swam in adjoining lanes. I think I may have approached him first, maybe admiring something like his turns. I forget. But when he offered advice, I listened.
The one time I offered advice: lap swim was over, and open had started. When that happens, I usually, hang around and do some water running and such, maybe work a little on a stroke, something along those lines. One man was swimming across the width of the pool (okay since the lap lanes were taken down). He said he'd seen me swimming and that he hoped to be able to join the lap swim but didn't have the endurance. I'd watched him go back and forth and noticed that he'd start very fast and run out of steam, so I suggested he might try slowing down at the beginning. He did so and thanked me. It was clear he was swimming more easily.
In that case, the advice grew out of a conversation--and maybe that's the best way to approach such an issue. I wouldn't presume to offer him advice unless we'd already begun talking. And similarly with the people who have advised me: it usually grows out of some conversation.
I will listen and take note if a person seems to know what s/he is doing. I will be annoyed if it's someone who just wants to be one-up: one woman (who mostly water-walked) called to me at one point when I choked a little on some water after a hard 50, "you need to learn how to breathe."
She tended to want to run things, supervise people, and it had nothing to do with really offering help. So I basically ignored her comment and kept on.
Guess it depends on a person's approach.
It has never crossed my mind to offer advice unsolicited. Personally, I hate unsolicited advice. I have been asked for swimming advice, though, and I am happy to offer it when asked.
But, I'll take it a step further: I hate unsolicited advice from somebody who doesn't know what they are talking about!
I'll never forget this older male know-it-all Masters swimmer who sat down on the bench next to me at my first Masters meet, in 2010. He said he had been watching me swim breaststroke and proceeded to tell me how my pull was getting caught in the prayer position and how much it was slowing me down. (Throughout my races, he kept telling my husband the same thing...) Hmmm, interesting. Not only had my coach never mentioned it to me (because that was the one thing I WASN'T doing wrong in my stroke), but King Frog (aka former World Record Breaststroker Allen Stark) never mentioned that to me either, when he reviewed my videos here on the forums. Hmmm, Jim Rude never mentioned that either... Nor, did Ande... Or Woofus B. Loofus... Or Cokie Lepinski... You get the point.
Mind you, there were plenty of things I needed to work on in my breaststroke, but, darn it, as often as I reviewed the video of my races at that meet, that was one flaw I never detected.
Meanwhile, when I finally saw him swim breaststroke at another meet, it was pathetic. :afraid: Could he have been projecting??? :rolleyes:
