Now that I've gone through the hassle of signing up as a member of this dicussion group, this gets more and more fun. Maybe I'll get fired from my job :)
Anyway... I'm sure that ALL Masters level swimmers have heard of Total Immersion (from now on referred to as TI) swimming, correct? What are everyone's opinions about TI swimming? I am most curious because as a coach of age group swimmers, I was looking for training videos for our kids. I happened upon TI and liked what I saw... at first.
Here's some background for my experience with TI... very well put together, most of what they teach has been in existence for some time anyway, and they certainly are good for teaching novice/beginner swimmers the basic technique for swimming.
However, when looking to swim fast, and I mean fast, not lap swim quality, but truly competitively, I thing TI has missed to boat completely. Yes, smooth and efficient swimming is nice, but did anyone see the NCAA's? There are 20 year old men swimming 9 strokes per length in breaststroke! We have a number of age group coaches in my area teaching their kids how to swim breaststroke at 6 or 7 strokes a length!!! What gives? Extended glide is one thing, but when you slow down your stroke to such an extent just to achieve long and fluid strokes you sacrifice speed tremendously.
Hey, if you can swim 9 strokes a length at 1 second per stroke that is WAY better than 6 strokes a length at 2 seconds per stroke. Simple math.
Anthony Ervin of Cal swam the 100 free in the follwing SPL... 12 (start)/15/16/16. I could be off but that's what I was able to get from the (ahem- PALTRY) ESPN coverage. Now TI has goal SPL's of 12/13! Hello, if the BEST sprinter in history takes 8 cycles, shouldn't that tell us something? Turnover is very important. Same with streamlining, yes streamlines are nice and quite important but A.E. pops up after 5 yards MAX out of each turn. You only serve yourself well if your streamline is faster than you can swim, most age group swimmers would be well-served to explode out of the turn and swim within 3-4 yards.
Alas, it's been a slow day finishing my work for the week. Just looking to start a nice discussion. It's been my experience that a lot of Masters level swimmers are also engaged in coaching age group swimming at some level, and therefore I feel we can get some good dialogue going on this issue.
Now I've just used TI as an example because that's what I've had my experience with, but more general is what keys do you all stress when trying to mold competitive swimmers?
Au revoir,
-Rain Man
Parents
Former Member
Ion-
I think you are over-analyzing yourself a bit too much. That could be part of your problem.
I think one thing everyone trying to help you out is more or less saying is find the correct combination of stroke work and yardage to get you back on track with your times from '94.
Never having seen you swim, I will be going out on a big limb here to offer advice, but here goes...
Check your wall-work. More races are won and lost on the turns at the highest competetive levels than anywhere else in the stroke. Proof? Watch NCAA women 4x100 free relay from this year and watch the 2nd swimmer from Auburn (Coparropa) pass Danielle Becks of Cal on turn 3. You'll fully appreciate the value of a good turn. Go hard into and out of. A good turn technique progression is
1- swim 3 strokes into a flip and repeat down the pool (don't do any turns at the wall yet). Focus on using your swimming speed to initiate the turn. No "glide-turns" i.e. stop swimming and glide into the flip. Time it so your last stroke pulls you into a flip.
2. Now practice at the wall. Many repeats from 5-6 yards out, swim into a flip. No touching the wall yet, be patient.
3. Now practice the foot plant on the wall. Swim in from 5-6 yards at high speed, flip and plant the feet. Do this until you are comfortable with your foot placement on the wall.
4. Streamline to side from drill 3. This will take some work to find the fastest possible way for you to flip, plant, push off, and strealine to your side. After that you are golden, short quick kick, pull with the bottom arm, no breath, and go.
Always work your turns in practice, or else you will be doing those 1 second slower turns all practice then expect to miraculously pick up the speed at a meet... impossible.
Swim in a line. I was taught this back when I learned to swim, have taught it from the time I started coaching, and now of course it's been *re-invented* by TI (poke a little fun for Emmett). Basically it boils down to minimizing extraneous movement. Is your head always stable? If not, guaranteed you will throw your stroke off, and moreso as you race and become tired. Always swim in a line. You can do slow swim 25's sans breathing to verify this. Head stable, hands enter at or near shoulder-width (preferably). Add breathing to get comfortable with breathing while maintaining the line and returning to it.
Next, one of the main things I've been harping on... learn to take your controlled in-line stroke to the next level. Vary speeds during your workout. 15x100 on 1:20 does you no good if you go 1:15 each time. Try 8x100 on 2:00 or 2:30 but learn to take the practice stroke to race pace, say 1:05's. To do this, the turnover must increase with minimal "slippage" effect. The reason the interval is much slower is to allow proper recovery to ensure that you can swim race pace with good form each time.
Do 200's, 300's on ample intervals that you can alternate 50 smooth/25 fast throughout the 200 or 300. Build 75's or 150's. Vary the distance. Just because you specialize in the 100 and 200, you don't have to swim purely 100's and 200's at practice.
Some "burnout" sets are occasionally necessary, quick interval, little rest, lungs bursting, muscles aching... but don't overdo them. The majority of your practice should be sets that focus on control and form (and TURNWORK!) or the fast-paced sets with ample rest. Speedwork is extremely important to maintain a competetive level of swimming.
Hope that helps you out a little. Good luck, and no more complaining. Erase the slate, set a goal of improving the few aspects that I and others have mentioned, and go after it.
-RM
Ion-
I think you are over-analyzing yourself a bit too much. That could be part of your problem.
I think one thing everyone trying to help you out is more or less saying is find the correct combination of stroke work and yardage to get you back on track with your times from '94.
Never having seen you swim, I will be going out on a big limb here to offer advice, but here goes...
Check your wall-work. More races are won and lost on the turns at the highest competetive levels than anywhere else in the stroke. Proof? Watch NCAA women 4x100 free relay from this year and watch the 2nd swimmer from Auburn (Coparropa) pass Danielle Becks of Cal on turn 3. You'll fully appreciate the value of a good turn. Go hard into and out of. A good turn technique progression is
1- swim 3 strokes into a flip and repeat down the pool (don't do any turns at the wall yet). Focus on using your swimming speed to initiate the turn. No "glide-turns" i.e. stop swimming and glide into the flip. Time it so your last stroke pulls you into a flip.
2. Now practice at the wall. Many repeats from 5-6 yards out, swim into a flip. No touching the wall yet, be patient.
3. Now practice the foot plant on the wall. Swim in from 5-6 yards at high speed, flip and plant the feet. Do this until you are comfortable with your foot placement on the wall.
4. Streamline to side from drill 3. This will take some work to find the fastest possible way for you to flip, plant, push off, and strealine to your side. After that you are golden, short quick kick, pull with the bottom arm, no breath, and go.
Always work your turns in practice, or else you will be doing those 1 second slower turns all practice then expect to miraculously pick up the speed at a meet... impossible.
Swim in a line. I was taught this back when I learned to swim, have taught it from the time I started coaching, and now of course it's been *re-invented* by TI (poke a little fun for Emmett). Basically it boils down to minimizing extraneous movement. Is your head always stable? If not, guaranteed you will throw your stroke off, and moreso as you race and become tired. Always swim in a line. You can do slow swim 25's sans breathing to verify this. Head stable, hands enter at or near shoulder-width (preferably). Add breathing to get comfortable with breathing while maintaining the line and returning to it.
Next, one of the main things I've been harping on... learn to take your controlled in-line stroke to the next level. Vary speeds during your workout. 15x100 on 1:20 does you no good if you go 1:15 each time. Try 8x100 on 2:00 or 2:30 but learn to take the practice stroke to race pace, say 1:05's. To do this, the turnover must increase with minimal "slippage" effect. The reason the interval is much slower is to allow proper recovery to ensure that you can swim race pace with good form each time.
Do 200's, 300's on ample intervals that you can alternate 50 smooth/25 fast throughout the 200 or 300. Build 75's or 150's. Vary the distance. Just because you specialize in the 100 and 200, you don't have to swim purely 100's and 200's at practice.
Some "burnout" sets are occasionally necessary, quick interval, little rest, lungs bursting, muscles aching... but don't overdo them. The majority of your practice should be sets that focus on control and form (and TURNWORK!) or the fast-paced sets with ample rest. Speedwork is extremely important to maintain a competetive level of swimming.
Hope that helps you out a little. Good luck, and no more complaining. Erase the slate, set a goal of improving the few aspects that I and others have mentioned, and go after it.
-RM
