I'm looking to gain more knowledge about sprint freestyle swimming. As an long retired distance freestyler I don't have a great deal of personal knowledge of how to swim the 50 or 100 freestyle. I've coached many sprint freestylers and I know that many of the best sprinters have what I would say an amazing strategy to their sprint swims. I am currently giving private lessons to many age groupers and high school swimmers and I've been explaining to them that some of the best sprinters in the world swim their 50 or 100 with more strategy than just the plain old thought of swimming "FAST".
I would very much appreciate any of you sprinters out there who would like to share your strategies for swimming these two events. I would love to be able to pass on some of this information, but I think many of us in the masters community could learn from some of you as well. I look forward to seeing some of the responses. Maybe I will try sprinting one day (LOL):rofl: .
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Former Member
Weismuller was great in his day but face it, his stroke wasn't that great compared to current top level freestylers. The guy is a total legend, no doubt, but how much faster would he have been if he was born 60-70 years later? Would he have crushed the field and been just as unbeatable in the 1980s, 90s or today? Would he have been able to beat Popoff or Hoogie if he had similar training and background? Who knows, but you'll have to admit the level of competition and training across the board has changed significantly in the last half century. He probably would have been great regardless of the decade in my opion. Unbeatable today as he was back then..... probably not in my opinion. Genetics play a huge key roll regardless of smaller stroke refinements. What's important is that you measure each great performer within his own time. I would apply that rule to stroke technique and training philosophies as well.
Swimming can be a sport of fads too. New stroke techniques come and go with new champions all too often. Sometimes these new techniques are useful, sometimes they are not so useful and are merely overcome due to the swimmers physical (genetic) superiority. There are many examples of great swimmers and performances with average technique..... sometimes its their grit and pure talent that pulls them to the wall first.
Weismuller was phenomenal...... but I'd be careful how you compare him to performances today.
John Smith
Weismuller was great in his day but face it, his stroke wasn't that great compared to current top level freestylers. The guy is a total legend, no doubt, but how much faster would he have been if he was born 60-70 years later? Would he have crushed the field and been just as unbeatable in the 1980s, 90s or today? Would he have been able to beat Popoff or Hoogie if he had similar training and background? Who knows, but you'll have to admit the level of competition and training across the board has changed significantly in the last half century. He probably would have been great regardless of the decade in my opion. Unbeatable today as he was back then..... probably not in my opinion. Genetics play a huge key roll regardless of smaller stroke refinements. What's important is that you measure each great performer within his own time. I would apply that rule to stroke technique and training philosophies as well.
Swimming can be a sport of fads too. New stroke techniques come and go with new champions all too often. Sometimes these new techniques are useful, sometimes they are not so useful and are merely overcome due to the swimmers physical (genetic) superiority. There are many examples of great swimmers and performances with average technique..... sometimes its their grit and pure talent that pulls them to the wall first.
Weismuller was phenomenal...... but I'd be careful how you compare him to performances today.
John Smith
