shoulder clicking

I have to disagree in the strongest possible terms. The exact opposite has been true. Too many people who ought to know better have accepted the idea that shoulder pain and injury is an expected, even acceptable, "price to pay" for achieving any level of accomplishment in swimming. I.E. if significant numbers of swimmers on a team regularly require ice therapy, that's "normal." An athletic culture that so blithely accepts what is truly an epidemic of injury like this has lost its collective mind. Terry: Wait a minute. I resemble that. I don't think I've "blithely accepted" anything. Nor have I "lost my mind." Nor do I think I should have to "pay this price." In fact, I personally am doing everything I can not to pay this price. I completely agree that, in many cases, poor technique is the culprit. But I don't think it's true in all cases. When I was younger, I never had any shoulder problems. I tore my rotator cuff in college weight lifting (although it may have been worn down from mega yardage as well). I also have the "loosey goosey" anatomical problem Beth mentioned. I also don't think my stroke mechanics in fly, back and free are all that bad, although I am always striving to improve my freestyle. It sounds like the age groupers you've coached are doing moderate yardage, so they would not be evidence of what mega yardage can do. While I am not a swim coach (currently) or author (of swimming books), I too have spoken to many orthopods, ART therapists, PT therapists and fellow swimmers and coaches. Everyone seems to agree that stroke mechanics are extremely important in preventing injury. But no one seems to believe that improper mechanics is the one and only authentic definitive cause of shoulder injuries. I don't think it makes me a mindless acceptor of preconceived dogma to agree with this limited proposition. I think you are engaging in somewhat wishful, highly theoretical thinking in asserting that a beautiful stroke alone can save you from shoulder pain and vault you to the highest levels of swimming.

I have to disagree in the strongest possible terms. The exact opposite has been true. Too many people who ought to know better have accepted the idea that shoulder pain and injury is an expected, even acceptable, "price to pay" for achieving any level of accomplishment in swimming. I.E. if significant numbers of swimmers on a team regularly require ice therapy, that's "normal." An athletic culture that so blithely accepts what is truly an epidemic of injury like this has lost its collective mind. Terry: Wait a minute. I resemble that. I don't think I've "blithely accepted" anything. Nor have I "lost my mind." Nor do I think I should have to "pay this price." In fact, I personally am doing everything I can not to pay this price. I completely agree that, in many cases, poor technique is the culprit. But I don't think it's true in all cases. When I was younger, I never had any shoulder problems. I tore my rotator cuff in college weight lifting (although it may have been worn down from mega yardage as well). I also have the "loosey goosey" anatomical problem Beth mentioned. I also don't think my stroke mechanics in fly, back and free are all that bad, although I am always striving to improve my freestyle. It sounds like the age groupers you've coached are doing moderate yardage, so they would not be evidence of what mega yardage can do. While I am not a swim coach (currently) or author (of swimming books), I too have spoken to many orthopods, ART therapists, PT therapists and fellow swimmers and coaches. Everyone seems to agree that stroke mechanics are extremely important in preventing injury. But no one seems to believe that improper mechanics is the one and only authentic definitive cause of shoulder injuries. I don't think it makes me a mindless acceptor of preconceived dogma to agree with this limited proposition. I think you are engaging in somewhat wishful, highly theoretical thinking in asserting that a beautiful stroke alone can save you from shoulder pain and vault you to the highest levels of swimming.