Hello!
I´m from Germany 25 years old and I hope my english is understandable... :)
I´m swimming for 3 years now, and I really love it and want to be as good as i can!
For the last year i started practicing very hard. 5-7 times a week, but i have the problem that i dont see any improvements in the 50m of any stroke...
I dont have a Trainer, and there are no forums like this in german where i could ask someone. at the moment i´m swimming with someone i know from university (but he is a much better swimmer than me, 25.2s on 50m) but he doesnt know how to help either, hes just telling me to keep training^^ thats what i will do anyway!!
Maybe someone has experienced a similiar problem and knows how to fix it. i will try to explain where the problems in my swimming skills are...
when i started swimming and learned the techniques by myself, watchning youtube videos and reading a lot of books about swimming i have been improving very fast until i swim ~30s on 50m short course. that was about 1,5years after i started. about half a year later i was down to 28.8s on 50m short course, but from this point on wasnt improving anymore. that 28.8 is still my best time...
last weekend i swam 30.1 on 50m long course. i dont understand it because i put so much effort in my swimming training, and i got better i.e. in holding good times in intervalls, or in 100m and 200m and longer distances. but no improvement in 50m. i believe i´m naturally a sprinter, i always was, in evry sport i did, canoeing, and bicycling which i first did on the street but then changed to velodrome. still i love swimming more than any other sport i did.
that 30.1 makes me kind of upset... so that i want to train even harder >.
Hi Narco,
It's great that you are seeking to improve your swimming on your own, and seeking advice from videos/books and from this forum. However, as others have suggested here, you should try to get an independent stroke analysis from a coach, whether on-deck or online. You seem to be focusing mainly on improving your time in the 50 free - and while your time is certainly important, it is not going to improve without first improving the mechanics of your stroke. Getting an opinion from a properly qualified coach will allow you to determine your areas of weaknesses and what types of drills and workouts you need to pursue in order to improve.
Based on your video, there are several weaknesses in your stroke technique that are not allowing you to improve as much as you can. For example, your left arm is not finishing completely - therefore you are not getting as much distance per stroke. There are a variety of drills that can improve the symmetry and balance in your stroke. Your arms are also slipping and spinning through the water, as opposed to helping you move forward more efficiently. In other words, you are not making gains that are proportionate to the amount of effort you are putting in to the stroke. Here is a link to an article that provides some drills to help you develop your catch : www.swimspire.com/.../
You might also want to consider getting customized workouts based on your specific needs. I noticed that the workout you gave as a sample is significantly lacking in drills and technique work, which at this point is something you need most.
Good luck!
Hi Narco,
It's great that you are seeking to improve your swimming on your own, and seeking advice from videos/books and from this forum. However, as others have suggested here, you should try to get an independent stroke analysis from a coach, whether on-deck or online. You seem to be focusing mainly on improving your time in the 50 free - and while your time is certainly important, it is not going to improve without first improving the mechanics of your stroke. Getting an opinion from a properly qualified coach will allow you to determine your areas of weaknesses and what types of drills and workouts you need to pursue in order to improve.
Based on your video, there are several weaknesses in your stroke technique that are not allowing you to improve as much as you can. For example, your left arm is not finishing completely - therefore you are not getting as much distance per stroke. There are a variety of drills that can improve the symmetry and balance in your stroke. Your arms are also slipping and spinning through the water, as opposed to helping you move forward more efficiently. In other words, you are not making gains that are proportionate to the amount of effort you are putting in to the stroke. Here is a link to an article that provides some drills to help you develop your catch : www.swimspire.com/.../
You might also want to consider getting customized workouts based on your specific needs. I noticed that the workout you gave as a sample is significantly lacking in drills and technique work, which at this point is something you need most.
Good luck!
