Timed Swim Stroke Count!

I think it's important to remember the real goal of these drills is to learn to swim more efficiently at higher speed NOT to get a lower score. The score is just there as a way to make sure that you are not sacrificing speed in order to lower your stroke count. The basic idea is to play around with your stroke to find ways to make it more efficient without making it slower. As Kirk says, slower with lower stroke count is still slower, the hope is that by playing with your stroke you will learn how to swim faster.

This is what it is all about... TSSC Timed Swim Stroke Count... Your stroke count is down to 8 or 10 but the timed swim time is up to 50 sec for 50m this is not good. It is better to stroke a little faster and get your swim time down.

I'm not a pool swimmer, but I swim more for triathlons, and it would matter as the length of the swim increases, as it will be more efficient and energy saving. Think of a 2.4 mile swim (ironman) doing 50 strokes per 50m as opposed to 25 strokes per 50m. The times may be the same, but I guarantee the guy who swam the 50 strokes per 50m would be way more tired for the bike and run disciplines that follow. I would think in shorter races it wouldn't matter. Originally posted by knelson We do it quite a bit as a short warmup set, but I have to say I think it's a little flawed. The idea is to get the lowest combined score, but really the only thing that matters in swimming is the time. If someone can swim a 19 second 50 free, but it takes him 50 strokes, why is that worse than swimming a 19 second 50 free in 25 strokes?

When I swam the long distance races, I turned over at race pace 60 - 62 strokes a min the other guys did anywhere from70 - 75 per minute. We were all tired after the race. A swimmer we called Windmill Willie did 100 strokes a minute and Gambi an Italian also did 100 a min. Knelson... It is flawed however the secret is to swim fast with a slow turnover. So you must become more efficient in swimming and get the most out of your efforts. When I raced the 100 every one said if I tried harder I would be faster. I was turning over slower than any one else yet I was putting out the best I could and did beat a lot of guys who turned over faster. In the 1954, 55 and 56 I was rated in the top five sprinters in the world. I had to be efficient as I was only training 800 yards a day. The secret is to swim fast, with a slow turnover.

short course yards.. 14 strokes per length and 36 seconds.. =64.

Originally posted by Michael Heather 28 for LCM 50 at 42 seconds Time plus strokes = 70 - if par is 72 (golf) you are two under par. Anything under par is good.