Can someone please tell me what sandbagging is? I heard some people discussing it at my last meet, but didn't know exactly what they were talking about. It didn't sound very flattering though by the tone of their voices. Thanks in advance. :banana:
Former Member
I just had to tell it and hoped I did not come out sounding bombastic.
Cheers
hehe pride cometh before a fall.
If I've sandbagged it's been due to lack of knowledge on my race times..I was shocked when I raced my first race. I feltlike an ass after because I bet there were folks looking at me out in the lead of that heat thinking that I was some sort of jerk...
I don't look around pre race...never thought to. I say "good race" to the guy/gal clambering out (who normally don't say thanks or acknowledge it) then it's just up to me and the pool. I don't care what lane I'm in or who else is around. No sheet is going to help me. It's not the way I tick.
If I worry about your time and beating it I'll mess up my own game.
Can someone please tell me what sandbagging is? I heard some people discussing it at my last meet, but didn't know exactly what they were talking about. It didn't sound very flattering though by the tone of their voices. Thanks in advance.
need an example of sandbagging?
Results from 2007 LCM Nationals
Women 25-29 800 LC Meter Freestyle
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Name Age Team Seed Finals Points
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1 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 29 TEAM 10:46.00 10:12.66 11
Results from this and previous years' nationals' show a pattern of repetition...
I unintentionally "sandbagged" my 200 breaststroke at nationals this summer. I hadn't swum a 200 *** in almost 20 years and hadn't done any long course swimming or much real training before I entered. I was conservative and entered at the cutoff time. What made matters worse was that there was one full heat in my age group and then me. They put me two heats earlier with the next age group up. I won my heat by quite a bit and went a lot faster than I knew I would. I did worry that I might have annoyed others but didn't intend to!!!
Hmm, this makes me wish I had put estimated times down on my entry to the Sprint Classic on the 28th instead of NTs everywhere. I guess the way I view it is that if it's not official (i.e in a meet) it's not a time. I hope I do not make folks made as there was no intent to decieve, I just don't have any meet times newer than 1986 :dunno:
Paul
I unintentionally "sandbagged" my 200 breaststroke at nationals this summer. I hadn't swum a 200 *** in almost 20 years and hadn't done any long course swimming or much real training before I entered. I was conservative and entered at the cutoff time. What made matters worse was that there was one full heat in my age group and then me. They put me two heats earlier with the next age group up. I won my heat by quite a bit and went a lot faster than I knew I would. I did worry that I might have annoyed others but didn't intend to!!!
This is a natural occurrance, and I fully support it! :wiggle: :drink:
Same with NT's - if you truly have no idea, I fully support it!
Sandbagging is a purposeful padding of your time. You do it because you want to look good and finish first by a lot. Or you want to win the heat prize. Or whatever else. Sounds like you drastically underestimated yourself!
I have only sandbagged once - this last year, for the 1000. A teammate and I were looking to get a 500 time, but didn't want to swim it on the last day of the meet, so we swam the 1000 for a 500 time and a 500 warmdown. We did, however, warn the folks around us of our plan. We did finish faster than our seeds by ~20 seconds, but there were faster people in our heat.
Another resurrected old thread ... thanks Tom.
I just don't see unintentional sandbagging or adjusting your times as needed as that evil. It is very disturbing if you're doing it for the purpose of getting your jollies out of creaming someone. I do understand it can disrupt the timeline of meets as well.
I had a conversation on this topic the other day with my teammates. None of them were bothered even in the slightest by the notion that you might sandbag a bit to get more rest for an event. But it sure is seen as evil personified on this forum.
My seed times are generally based on how I'm feeling, whether I'm injured or whether I'm tapered. I'm not seeding myself at all time bests at a practice meet where I'm sore and tired. But, for me, it's still guestimation.
I unintentionally "sandbagged" my 200 breaststroke at nationals this summer....I did worry that I might have annoyed others but didn't intend to!
I don't think sandbagging can be unintentional. By definition, it is a deliberate action or misrepresentation. If you just guess wrong or do better than you expected, you didn't sandbag.
Knocking someone else for doing well is not an admirable trait. People that do that ought be pitied, but not worried about.
The worst sandbagging I've seen? Phelps at Worlds this year at the 200 fly. I can't believe he would have seeded himself at 1:54, and then take it out at 1:52.0. Seriously, you would think with all the training he does at Michigan they would know how to get an accurate seed time in....sheesh.
I've been guilty of "reverse sandbagging" when I lead my lane in practice. By this, I mean I go out too hard and run out of gas by the end of the set. I've got to learn to pace myself better! It used to make folks in my lane get mad at me because they would try to keep my pace and wind up in the same boat. Now they all know better, keep their distance and reel me in as I run out of energy...
