Criticism of TI Principles

Former Member
Former Member
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.
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  • Former Member
    Former Member
    Originally posted by newmastersswimmer Correct me if I'm wrong....but doesn't Ion Thorpe pretty much follow the principles of TI with his long (almost catch up style) form of freestyle?...and he was a successful Olympian (of a sorts right?) Newmastersswimmer Yes, Thorpe looks like TI. I think Thorpe's front quadrant is the instinctive long distance swimmer's self defense to distance. With two arms in front, some of the mass of the swimmer is shifted in front, the swimmer's center of gravity moves up. Then the long distance swimmer can pull the body easier. Not faster, but easier to last long distance. I have this instinctive self defense too. But Thorpe trains hard in kicking with a board. In 2000, he was doing 5 x 100 Long Course with a kickboard, leaving every 5:00, and coming in 1:01. TI says no to do this. Thorpe pulls with paddles and buoy. TI says not to do this. Thorpe shortened his stroke for the 2004 Athens Olympics. In 2001, when he battled Hackett in the 800 free in Fukoaka, Thorpe and Hackett both used not the front quadrant, but the rotary style because they were very fit to use it in long distance. (Ask me for Colwin's quote describing this race, it's in Swim magazine)
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  • Former Member
    Former Member
    Originally posted by newmastersswimmer Correct me if I'm wrong....but doesn't Ion Thorpe pretty much follow the principles of TI with his long (almost catch up style) form of freestyle?...and he was a successful Olympian (of a sorts right?) Newmastersswimmer Yes, Thorpe looks like TI. I think Thorpe's front quadrant is the instinctive long distance swimmer's self defense to distance. With two arms in front, some of the mass of the swimmer is shifted in front, the swimmer's center of gravity moves up. Then the long distance swimmer can pull the body easier. Not faster, but easier to last long distance. I have this instinctive self defense too. But Thorpe trains hard in kicking with a board. In 2000, he was doing 5 x 100 Long Course with a kickboard, leaving every 5:00, and coming in 1:01. TI says no to do this. Thorpe pulls with paddles and buoy. TI says not to do this. Thorpe shortened his stroke for the 2004 Athens Olympics. In 2001, when he battled Hackett in the 800 free in Fukoaka, Thorpe and Hackett both used not the front quadrant, but the rotary style because they were very fit to use it in long distance. (Ask me for Colwin's quote describing this race, it's in Swim magazine)
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