I've noticed at lot of dicsussion in recent threads about TI principles,
As you can see from my location, I'm on the other side of the atlantic and TI has started to make an impact over here.
I've come across a lot of people in my local University pool who seem to have been mesmerised by the TI message and it is now common for me to see people swimming on their sides with one outstreached arm and a submerged head.
When the time comes to breath these guys have their heads so deep from pressing their bouy that they end up lifting it so high that they loose whatever alignment they had in the first place.
From talking to them, none of them seem to want to develop a proper kick and build up endurance so they can develop
good form.
I have decided to post a list of TI priciples and my own critism of these, feel free to add to the list or post a TI defence!
TI PRINCIPLE 1
Side to Side Rotation
to get into Low Drag Fish-like Position
Criticism
Rotation is good to get extentsion and
a good catch + power into the stroke,
Excessive rotation slows down the stroke.
TI PRINCIPLE 2
Swim DownHill
Press your Bouy
Criticism:
Holding head too deep creates drag
Makes breathing Difficult
TI PRINCIPLE 3
No Kicking
Criticism
Kicking essential to fast swimming
+ to maintain good form particularly
for male swimmers.
TI PRINCIPLE 4
Front Quadrant Swimming/
Distance per stroke,
Criticism
A reasonably high Stroke rate is necessay for
fast swimming,
Unless you have a very strong kick a glide
phase in your stroke will cause decelleration
TI PRINCIPLE 5
Drills will make you a better swimmer
Criticism
Drills are important, but there is no
substitute for good quality fast training.
Parents
Former Member
TI is actually an accumulation of the ideas of coaches from as far back as the forties, it is based on all the things that my coach and other coaches had thought of and refined into a great sales pitch.
This does not say it is not good but to me it is not the end all and be all to swim well. Things are added as they are developed. Like Swim Down Hill that was taught by Matt Mann in the 50s, front quadrant swimming as the Japanese came up with in the 50s, S stroke in the 50s. Terry compiled these well, he was not the inventor. It is a good sales package. But you do not win races by just lowering your stroke count.
The windmill style went out with a swimmer we called Windmill Willie in 1948.
TI is actually an accumulation of the ideas of coaches from as far back as the forties, it is based on all the things that my coach and other coaches had thought of and refined into a great sales pitch.
This does not say it is not good but to me it is not the end all and be all to swim well. Things are added as they are developed. Like Swim Down Hill that was taught by Matt Mann in the 50s, front quadrant swimming as the Japanese came up with in the 50s, S stroke in the 50s. Terry compiled these well, he was not the inventor. It is a good sales package. But you do not win races by just lowering your stroke count.
The windmill style went out with a swimmer we called Windmill Willie in 1948.
