Would you all say there are more, less, or about the same amount of injuries in the sport of swimming now than say 15 years ago?
It seems as if many posters have dealt with an injury during their swimming careers, whether it be shoulder (mainly) or knee problems. Some have alluded to the use of kickboards as being a source of shoulder pain.
What do you think can be done to further minimize the risk of injury in swimming? Or is it just the nature of the sport that there will always be shoulder injuries? Professional baseball pitchers take all the precautions in the world and some are still bitten by the injury bug. Likewise with your conscientious swimmers.
Just looking for ideas/thoughts from everyone on what they do to adequately prepare for and recover from the amount of shoulder activity that is necessary in swimming.
Thanks folks,
RM
Kevin -
Thank you for commenting on the coronal plane - what I call the front plane of the body.
I see three technical developments that lead to shoulder injuires.
a) Swimming flat will lead to shoulder problems for many swimmers. Swimming flat means the hands and elbows have to be behind the coronal plane. Only the most flexible swimmers are going to get away with this without shoulder problems.
b) High elbow catch which is one of the current techniques being pushed because the Australians do it. Unless you have sufficient strength, keeping the elbow close to the water during the initial phase of the stroke will lead to significant shoulder strain.
c) Pulling outside the shadow of the body. By this, I mean the right hands stays outside the right side of the body and the left hand stays outside the left side of the body. THis puts many strain on the shoulders far moreso that crossing over during the pull.
Unfortunately, "B" and "C" are being pushed as significant trends in swimming these days. AND, not only are they being pushed at the upper age group level, it is being pushed in the pre-teen age groups be some coaches I know. This leads to stressed joints and instability.
The great, fast swimmers are unique in that many of them are extremely flexible and very strong. They get away with things that much of the swimming population cannot do without problems. Coaches and swimmers should not simply assume that everyone can do what the great swimmers do.
That means that coaches have to go back to basic proper technique. Pull under your body, finish your pull, rotate onto your side, recover with your hand in the coronal plane, start your pull in the coronal plane, etc..
Stroke mechanics have to be individualized to the swimmer - thus the saying - "Different Strokes for different folks."
Paul Windrath
ps - I do not believe Spitz would have been faster today with the "new" techniques. Anyone who has watched him swim understands that his physical structure allowed him to do things even today's swimmers cannot do.
Kevin -
Thank you for commenting on the coronal plane - what I call the front plane of the body.
I see three technical developments that lead to shoulder injuires.
a) Swimming flat will lead to shoulder problems for many swimmers. Swimming flat means the hands and elbows have to be behind the coronal plane. Only the most flexible swimmers are going to get away with this without shoulder problems.
b) High elbow catch which is one of the current techniques being pushed because the Australians do it. Unless you have sufficient strength, keeping the elbow close to the water during the initial phase of the stroke will lead to significant shoulder strain.
c) Pulling outside the shadow of the body. By this, I mean the right hands stays outside the right side of the body and the left hand stays outside the left side of the body. THis puts many strain on the shoulders far moreso that crossing over during the pull.
Unfortunately, "B" and "C" are being pushed as significant trends in swimming these days. AND, not only are they being pushed at the upper age group level, it is being pushed in the pre-teen age groups be some coaches I know. This leads to stressed joints and instability.
The great, fast swimmers are unique in that many of them are extremely flexible and very strong. They get away with things that much of the swimming population cannot do without problems. Coaches and swimmers should not simply assume that everyone can do what the great swimmers do.
That means that coaches have to go back to basic proper technique. Pull under your body, finish your pull, rotate onto your side, recover with your hand in the coronal plane, start your pull in the coronal plane, etc..
Stroke mechanics have to be individualized to the swimmer - thus the saying - "Different Strokes for different folks."
Paul Windrath
ps - I do not believe Spitz would have been faster today with the "new" techniques. Anyone who has watched him swim understands that his physical structure allowed him to do things even today's swimmers cannot do.
