What is the average stroke count for a 25 yd free swim? Assuming no block start? I'm trying to count mine and was wondering where I should be aiming for.
Former Member
I did all of my stroke countig with 1 dolphin kick and it was 10 or 11.
The last couple of days I started using SPL counts on my backstroke to help me not crash the wall on the side without backstroke flags. It's still not fool-proof, I get into a rhythm and 20 seems about right, but every now and again I'll be at 18 and "sense" I need to turn... sure enough. Yesterday I was doing 200s and 20 sPL was the magic number, today I was doing 100s and the SPL was all over the place. I'm new to back stroke, is this fluctuation (17-20) normal? Should I be aiming for more consistency?
The last couple of days I started using SPL counts on my backstroke to help me not crash the wall on the side without backstroke flags. It's still not fool-proof, I get into a rhythm and 20 seems about right, but every now and again I'll be at 18 and "sense" I need to turn... sure enough. Yesterday I was doing 200s and 20 sPL was the magic number, today I was doing 100s and the SPL was all over the place. I'm new to back stroke, is this fluctuation (17-20) normal? Should I be aiming for more consistency?
My stroke count is all over the place, but depending on the speed/number of SDKs I'm doing, it usually falls into the same ballpark given similar variables. For example, my stroke count increases each 25 for the first 75 of the 200 back in a race, but then *usually* stays the same for the rest of the race.
All that said, I never go by stroke count when I'm swimming, whether in a race or in practice--I always just go based on feel and the flags.
Man, reading these posts really makes me wish I was taller! :P I haven't done a stroke count in quite a while.. but I'm usually in the 20+ range for free. I try to focus less on counting them (unless I'm trying to gauge improvement) and work more on lengthening. Being only 5'2", I need all the s t r e t c h I can get!
Man, reading these posts really makes me wish I was taller! :P I haven't done a stroke count in quite a while.. but I'm usually in the 20+ range for free. I try to focus less on counting them (unless I'm trying to gauge improvement) and work more on lengthening. Being only 5'2", I need all the s t r e t c h I can get!
Do you wish you were a baller?
Man, reading these posts really makes me wish I was taller! :P I haven't done a stroke count in quite a while.. but I'm usually in the 20+ range for free. I try to focus less on counting them (unless I'm trying to gauge improvement) and work more on lengthening. Being only 5'2", I need all the s t r e t c h I can get!Stroke count might be overrated during a race. On a pb 50 relay leg I took 14 strokes to the turn without a breath, but I turned short. On the way back I took a breath, then had to hussle taking 20 strokes to touch in24.62. I watched a video of it and I was barely under 12 to the feet. My armspan is 6'3".
Do you wish you were a baller?
Yes! How did you know!? ;)
Stroke count might be overrated during a race. On a pb 50 relay leg I took 14 strokes to the turn without a breath, but I turned short. On the way back I took a breath, then had to hussle taking 20 strokes to touch in24.62. I watched a video of it and I was barely under 12 to the feet. My armspan is 6'3".
That's good to know. And it's part of why I rarely do stroke counts. Us little people have to make up for our lack of length with more strength. I figure, I can keep up with 13-16yo girls who are taller than me, so I must not be doing TOO badly, right? :P
I saw somewhere on Swimswam yesterday (maybe their Twitter feed) that Breeja Larson took 25 strokes total in her 100 breaststroke at the SEC championships. I counted mine in practice last night and it was roughly 800 per 100.
