Hi everyone! I wanted to pass along some of my experiences/observations of those new swimmers using T.I. I am working with a group of triathletes who had no coaching whatsoever and purchased this swim book to try to improve their swimming.
I know it can be difficult to try to learn from a book as interpretation is different for everyone. Here are two common problems I'm finding that I think should (if at all possible) be addressed by the author/TI swim instructors for further clarification.
1. Mail Slot Entry
All of the swimmers' hand/arm entry is actually an inverted "V". The hand/forearm enter the water as a downward spear right by their ear. There is no catch whatsoever because the stroke is so short. The hand goes directly downward from the ear to the pool bottom; the stroke is of no use this way because there is no catch whatsoever.
2. Low in the water
They are all too low in the water. Their heads and shoulders are completely underwater so they have to roll too much and too far to get a breath of air. This is causing "fishtailing" and a tremendous amount of body movement. I understand "chest pressing" in the water, but they have taken it too far.
I have always firmly believed in each person's stroke being "their own", but there are some components that are necessary to swim well. I'm helping them to make some of these corrections, especially regarding the mail slot entry; they are "spearing" downward which I don't believe was the point. Most all of the triathletes swim a 50 meter free in around 2 minutes. Last Sunday with some changes (they are really working on their swimming), 4 of them were swimming the 50 meter free in around 45 to 50 seconds which is a huge improvement. They said it feels better now, and they are traveling faster with less body movement and with ease.
I know the TI book has helped many to join the world of swimming, but this indicates that without coaching, a book can be misinterpreted. A picture is worth a thousand words. One last point: ALL of them were holding their breath which is the kiss of death. I never bought this book so I cannot attest to what was explained in verse or graphics.
Donna
Former Member
Head position, when I go to Mexico I will have to get more video of me swimming in the pool and in open water. I will make sure Chuckie focuses in on my head position.
It changes throughout my swims and I know it changes because when swimming with power and just swimming distance, if the head is held in one place I would certainly have a pain in the neck.
In Terry's swim I noticed several head position changes. I never did see the the chest forced down completely buried position and never once saw what he calls the mail slot entry near the head although that was not the complete race.
Maybe the mail slot entry is just a teaching drill and not to be used in a race?
allright, now you guys are making me feel guilty for being absent from the forum for so long.
donna,
true. that wasn't much chop; but still enough to put me off pace a bit. i actually like swimming in rough water and yes big shoulders 2006 was joyus!
leslie,
its not too late to get some ow this year. check out the highland lakes monster challange the end of oct near austin (hey isn't ande around there)
jeff,
i'm thinking of a way to win back the patron at zones 2008. (maybe a stroke counting challange? lol)
oh and phelps has nothing to worry about from me! thats for sure but i'm pretty sure i can whup eddie the eagle.
Great to hear from you Dave!
Regrettably, the end of October, I will be swimming in the Sprint Classic. You should come. We do 25s. No ande, to be sure, but I get to see if Warren is under 10 in the 25 free and everyone can laugh at my 25 BR. So it will undoubtedly be a good time.
GMU just won the bid for SCY zones in April 2008. Bring patron. :D
Terry swam the Big Shoulders 5K in Chicago in September of 2006. There was a good deal more chop that day than in the Lake Placid video and I don't think that he had any more trouble than anyone else.
Donna I have been reading all your posts with interest. Good luck on your 20 miler.
Frank and Inklaire,
Great comments from you both! And thanks for the good wishes for my upcoming LONG one; I might have been slightly out of my mind when I decided upon it but I won't know until that DAY. But even at my age, I must continue to challenge myself and now as a distance swimmer, I figure this: what the heck! Even if I cannot complete it, it'll be close! I'll be proud of the effort and ecstatic if completion happens.
The high elbows Inklaire mentioned may be a culprit if the swimmer doesn't know to then reach forward after the high-elbow recovery. I do see many people mid-recovery stroke dropping their arm into the water right away instead of completing the recovery and getting a good, solid catch. I just think that those who can and have learned from swim books are pretty amazing people. It can be hard to not only interpret the words into stroke mechanics, but to differentiate between what is meant AND what should be felt. After all, "feeling" the stroke is a whole other set of "instructions."
By the way, today's lake swim was challenging. It wasn't really chop, but high winds created big lake waves. All the triathletes were skeptical but started swimming anyway. Many held onto the kayaks until they got used to it. We were swimming parallel to the beach which makes waves worst on the body (Dramamine came to mind LOL) and sea-sickness. Also, being close to shore makes the waves worse because it's shallow.
So, I suggested we turn into the wind and waves, and it got much better. It only became a power struggle that way, all sea-sickness went away for everyone. But we were huffing and puffing, I'll give you that! Terrific aerobic workout!
I have to say here that several of the tri swimmers who have extended their arm to a good catch are swimming so much better and with ease. That mail slot thing was just confusing for them as to when their arm should enter the water. There's nothing any better than when you see swimmers beaming when they finish a swim. Red cheeks and smiles are heartwarming and contagious!
:cheerleader: To All!
Donna
allright, now you guys are making me feel guilty for being absent from the forum for so long.
donna,
true. that wasn't much chop; but still enough to put me off pace a bit. i actually like swimming in rough water and yes big shoulders 2006 was joyus!
leslie,
its not too late to get some ow this year. check out the highland lakes monster challange the end of oct near austin (hey isn't ande around there)
jeff,
i'm thinking of a way to win back the patron at zones 2008. (maybe a stroke counting challange? lol)
oh and phelps has nothing to worry about from me! thats for sure but i'm pretty sure i can whup eddie the eagle.
Great to hear from you Dave!
Regrettably, the end of October, I will be swimming in the Sprint Classic. You should come. We do 25s. No ande, to be sure, but I get to see if Warren is under 10 in the 25 free and everyone can laugh at my 25 BR. So it will undoubtedly be a good time.
GMU just won the bid for SCY zones in April 2008. Bring patron. :D
It's going to be tough but I think I got a shot at sub 10 because I have been 10.4 to the feet. Last week I went a 14.59 25 meter ***(converts to a 13.1 in yards) off the side on the timers go, not a roll start like ande does. In the summer I split an 11.97 25 fly(converts to a 10.7 in yards) in a coaches relay at a summer league swimming championship meet. As for backstroke...I'm just going to wing it and hope for the best. But hopfully I can do enough to get the fastest man award.
Rec we can all see she has improved, however I do not like the finished product.
I just wonder how long it took and do you really feel she is now a finished swimmer. I can see many things that I would like to correct, especialy with the hand entry and finish.
I believe this swimmer Jenny has a very long way to go to become a proficient swimmer. Now if this all happened in one lesson I think that is reasonable progess but...
I notice also the hand enters and from the catch it moves and does not hold on to the water. It moves approx 2 feet - not very efficient.
I must show you a before-and-after shot:
Before:
www.youtube.com/watch
... and after workshop:
www.youtube.com/watch
You be the judge!
:wave:
i think the progress shown in the video is huge. in the after vid, a very good example of the mail slot entry (hand, wrist, forearm and elbow all travel through the same hole in the water) this enhances the body's rotation which was hardly present in the before vid (as the arms were nearly fully extended before entering the h2o)
nice.
