What is a good stroke count?

What things can have an affect on your stroke count on any given lap? -Force and quality of your kick -length of pushoff -glide length between strokes -glide into turn -force/speed of each arm stroke My point is that trying to shave your "stroke count" down to 12 or less may do absolutely nothing to improve your competitive edge. What will improve your swimming is using good form and practicing frequently with effort. Just my .02.

You're absolutely right . . . my point is that by working on reducing your stroke count in practice, you're improving your form/efficiency, which is what I think we all agree is a key ingredient to success, along with turnover and strength for sprints and endurance and strenght for longer races.

Originally posted by 330man What will improve your swimming is using good form and practicing frequently with effort. Just my .02. I agree. And getting more distance per stroke does take effort aside from maintaining good form. Have you ever noticed how stroke count and form will fall to the wayside when the set takes you to the breaking point? It takes stamina to hold on to a lower count at a hard tempo. It's like building a better engine.

I haven't been working specifically on stroke count, but I've noticed that as my technique improves my count goes down to match. I'm currently at 18 and hoping it will continue to fall. So how much does height/size affect this sort of thing? I'm 5'0" with small hands (my wedding ring is a size 3.75; I buy childrens gloves) and I've always wondered how much of a difference that makes. I'm not looking to blame my build for my technique flaws, but I'm curious how much of an advantage you have if you're tall and with big hands and feet.

Janet Evans is living proof that being tall isn't necessarily the answer. At slightly over five feet tall, her turnover was fast and furious.... This style was totally contrary to today's concentration on lowering the stroke count per length. www.terra.com/specials/sportsicons/evans_en.html

Hey Michael, sorry bud - but I got ya beat. I'm a banjo player at 144. How 'bout a little Foggy Mountain Breakdown?!?

From everything I've read, the idea of getting a low stroke count in practice is to "drill" good technique into your brain. Then when you are racing or sprinting and don't have time to think about your technique it will be automatic because you've practiced it. To me it makes alot of sense because everything in life is this way - the more something is practiced, the more it will become second nature and a habit. I've never read anything that emphasized low stroke count during competition.

spot on comment

Maintaining your technique in a race requires more than just drilling. And a low stroke count does not in and of itself equate to good technique.

I think original idea of emphasizing stroke count is try to perfect good technique and good body position. Once you have both, then stroke count will depend on your strength, stamina, size, body type, etc. In my opinion, if you already have nice technique and body position, improving stroke count becomes a long term thing. SO if you have confidence on your tech and maintaining good body position, you should focus on your speed and endurence.