Since I am sort of forced to swim alone rather than on a master's team this summer I often end up swimming after/before/next to someone who has horrible technique. I'm not nitpicking here, but I'm talking about dragging legs, barely getting arms out of the water, and nearly stopping to breathe on freestyle, or arms that kind of lazily flop down during the backstroke.
The question is, if you see someone doing something like that do you offer help with their stroke / or pointers?
Currently, I don't. But I'm somewhat torn. I don't want to sound arrogant and like I know everything, or to hurt someone's feelings, but I can't help thinking how much less energy these people would expend, and how much more success they would have swimming if they swam correctly. So, what do you do?
As a rule I don’t give unsolicited advice to strangers, unless they ask. I will make comments to the people I swim with regularly or I’ll point something out to our coach and see if she wants to pass it along to another swimmer.
“but I can't help thinking how much less energy these people would expend, and how much more success they would have swimming if they swam correctly.” Who’s to say that the goal of the other swimmer is to burn maximum calories per length, instead of going faster? If this is the case then, the inefficient stroke will be just as effective as an Ian Crocker-esque butterfly.
As a rule I don’t give unsolicited advice to strangers, unless they ask. I will make comments to the people I swim with regularly or I’ll point something out to our coach and see if she wants to pass it along to another swimmer.
“but I can't help thinking how much less energy these people would expend, and how much more success they would have swimming if they swam correctly.” Who’s to say that the goal of the other swimmer is to burn maximum calories per length, instead of going faster? If this is the case then, the inefficient stroke will be just as effective as an Ian Crocker-esque butterfly.
