So many swimmers classify themselves as a "sprinter", "breaststroker", "middle distance", "IMer", etc.
Since training can affect the outcome, how can you tell if your talent matches what you're training?
To clarify with an example: How can you tell if you're really meant to be a distance swimmer vs. you like distance and you've trained yourself into it?
There's definitely something to be said for just doing what you like and going with it. Or to just take an all around approach similar to what is recommended for age groupers.
But what if you want to pick something to really throw your focus into?
Is there an objective way to decide what distance a person should focus on or what stroke a person should focus on?
If you have a specialty, how did you decide?
If you have a specialty, how did you decide?
Could be this is a different question for people who started younger but I think breaststrokers tend to be breaststrokers because they do best (relative to other people) in that stroke. It's probably one of the more obvious strokes people either naturally do well or don't. Those of us who started young probably specialized (at least eventually) largely based on certain events that qualified us for our highest level meets. I was a better 200 breaststroke swimmer than 100 or 50 - I know that based on my times and placings vs. others in that event. As an age grouper, though, my coach had us swimming every event at some point during every season - and we trained for everything also. It's easier to get to know what you are best at when you try everything.
This may be harder to do for those who start out as masters swimmers (though you still have the advantage of best times in everything)! Go to meets and try lots of events - see how you place relative to others. More importantly - see what you like to train and race!
If you have a specialty, how did you decide?
Could be this is a different question for people who started younger but I think breaststrokers tend to be breaststrokers because they do best (relative to other people) in that stroke. It's probably one of the more obvious strokes people either naturally do well or don't. Those of us who started young probably specialized (at least eventually) largely based on certain events that qualified us for our highest level meets. I was a better 200 breaststroke swimmer than 100 or 50 - I know that based on my times and placings vs. others in that event. As an age grouper, though, my coach had us swimming every event at some point during every season - and we trained for everything also. It's easier to get to know what you are best at when you try everything.
This may be harder to do for those who start out as masters swimmers (though you still have the advantage of best times in everything)! Go to meets and try lots of events - see how you place relative to others. More importantly - see what you like to train and race!
