I submit that swimming is one of the worst sports in terms of following fad techniques simply because someone has been successful using that technique.
I submit that talent or genetics, aerobic capacity, workout intensity as well as mental toughness play a far greater roll than mere stroke technique in the end.
Seems like the US latches on to the winner's stroke techniques all too often as the way explain success and teach kids. Front quadrant swimming like Ian Thorpe..... head down sprinting like Popoff..... these guys would be successful in their events with or without these techniques in my opinion.
Except for the latest cheating techniques...... i.e. flip turns on backstroke, underwater dolphin kick on backstroke, head under on breastroke, full body suits, and the soon to be dolphin kick on breastroke pull outs, the sport has not improved a whole lot in the last 25 years.... especially when you compare it to 25 years previous to 1980..... (1955)
Thought for the day...... :-)
John Smith
Parents
Former Member
I can see valid points on all sides of this issue.
John mentions "cheating techniques". In my opinion, for the strokes in question, that has been the major factor for improvements in times over recent years. I look back at what it used to take to WIN the high school state meets back in the 70s for backstroke and breaststroke, and now some of those times would barely be qualifying times today.
But we have seen improvements beyond that, as was pointed out with the 100M free example.
Maybe we latch on to "fads" because we are a culture that demands immediate results. We want to see a record broken at every meet. So with the wheels of progress grinding slowly, we place our eggs in the next (and the next) fad basket, hoping that it will be the magic bullet for the next record.
BTW, I wouldn't necessarily call the changes "cheating". But it gets the idea across so I won't quibble. I'll add improved pool design to the list. Improved gutter design. Improved lane-line design. (I wonder how some of the swinmers of generations past would have fared had they not had to swim with rope-and-bobber lane lines...)
And I predict that somewhere in the not-too-distant-future, we will have to start regulating (or at least certifying) the content of the water chemicals. Denser water could make for improved times. (Broimine vs chlorine. Concentration of chlorine. Salts. Etc.)
I can see valid points on all sides of this issue.
John mentions "cheating techniques". In my opinion, for the strokes in question, that has been the major factor for improvements in times over recent years. I look back at what it used to take to WIN the high school state meets back in the 70s for backstroke and breaststroke, and now some of those times would barely be qualifying times today.
But we have seen improvements beyond that, as was pointed out with the 100M free example.
Maybe we latch on to "fads" because we are a culture that demands immediate results. We want to see a record broken at every meet. So with the wheels of progress grinding slowly, we place our eggs in the next (and the next) fad basket, hoping that it will be the magic bullet for the next record.
BTW, I wouldn't necessarily call the changes "cheating". But it gets the idea across so I won't quibble. I'll add improved pool design to the list. Improved gutter design. Improved lane-line design. (I wonder how some of the swinmers of generations past would have fared had they not had to swim with rope-and-bobber lane lines...)
And I predict that somewhere in the not-too-distant-future, we will have to start regulating (or at least certifying) the content of the water chemicals. Denser water could make for improved times. (Broimine vs chlorine. Concentration of chlorine. Salts. Etc.)
