What's considered a good time for a 50 yard sprint?

Well, I did a 26.3 in practice, but it was handheld, so it is possible it was up to +/- 0.5 off. Anyway , remember I am 55 and didn't swim competitively for 35 years, so it was like starting over. At 18, I did 28.0 for 50 meters (that was respectable back in 1976, though I actually wasn't fast enough for our free relay...I was mainly a breaststroke specialist), which is about 25.00 in yards. I am happy to be so close. There is no reason to feel bad about where you are...no matter how good...unless you are an Olympian, someone will be faster. I try to only race against myself...and even there, the time doesn't always tell the whole story...I could have a crappy start, but feel great in the water. There are so many variables on any given day. Also, I think the benefits of longevity as a swimmer begin to be less important once you hit a certain benchmark...I mean, you have already been at it 15+ years. I find improving my time at this point is going to happen in very small bits. ha! I've only been swimming since my late 20s (I'm 44 now), and I can do a similar 50 to you :) Seeing your post makes me feel much better. To the OP...it can be frustrating comparing yourself to the best in your age group. If you haven't, I'd join a team. There's people of all speeds, and you can be challenged if you want. Just in the past 2-3 years when I switched teams, I've noticed some significant improvements.

Well, I did a 26.3 in practice, but it was handheld, so it is possible it was up to +/- 0.5 off. Anyway , remember I am 55 and didn't swim competitively for 35 years, so it was like starting over. At 18, I did 28.0 for 50 meters (that was respectable back in 1976, though I actually wasn't fast enough for our free relay...I was mainly a breaststroke specialist), which is about 25.00 in yards. I am happy to be so close. There is no reason to feel bad about where you are...no matter how good...unless you are an Olympian, someone will be faster. I try to only race against myself...and even there, the time doesn't always tell the whole story...I could have a crappy start, but feel great in the water. There are so many variables on any given day. Also, I think the benefits of longevity as a swimmer begin to be less important once you hit a certain benchmark...I mean, you have already been at it 15+ years. I find improving my time at this point is going to happen in very small bits. ha! I've only been swimming since my late 20s (I'm 44 now), and I can do a similar 50 to you :) Seeing your post makes me feel much better. To the OP...it can be frustrating comparing yourself to the best in your age group. If you haven't, I'd join a team. There's people of all speeds, and you can be challenged if you want. Just in the past 2-3 years when I switched teams, I've noticed some significant improvements.