I practice a lot of drills to improve my technique and I always try to feel if I am catching and holding water. But if I try to swim fast everything falls apart and I don't grab any water. I'm extremely inefficient and fatigue easily.
what is the best way for me to train to get past this problem? I woukd like to be able to compete and see progress in my times. Would more work in the weight room help me control my form? More pace 50s trying to descend? I'd like to do more interval work but if I make the interval challenging I end up not making it after a few reps due to all the energy I waste spinning. I don't have a coach or a practice group. How do elite swimmers manage to grab water and pull themselves past their anchor at high turnover rates?
One thing I'd also suggest is that you do some sets of 25s/50s where you start with normal stroke but then try to decrease to the least you can do before increasing the effort. Pay attention to what you do to decrease the number and try to retain elements of that when you build back up. It really is a case of 'playing' with your stroke sometimes. Another analogy is like when you try to find the 'bite' point in driving with clutch control, if you drive with gears that is! Not such a good analogy for Americans who are more used to automatics!
One thing I'd also suggest is that you do some sets of 25s/50s where you start with normal stroke but then try to decrease to the least you can do before increasing the effort. Pay attention to what you do to decrease the number and try to retain elements of that when you build back up. It really is a case of 'playing' with your stroke sometimes. Another analogy is like when you try to find the 'bite' point in driving with clutch control, if you drive with gears that is! Not such a good analogy for Americans who are more used to automatics!
