General Tips for Making it to State (High School Swimming)
Former Member
Hey,
Im a junior in high school, and this is my second year swimming on an official swim team. I joined the swim team as a joke my sophomore year, but I now love the sport and want to take it very seriously.
I moved up to JV last year and I'm now looking to move up to varsity this year and do very well in the 200 I.M.
My stroke techniques need lot of work. My *** is by far my best followed by the freestyle. The backstroke and butterfly are pretty much the same.
My *** is pretty decent and my coaches have said I'm doing it right. However with my back and freestyle, my hips are swinging out and I'm fishtailing. My coach tried telling me how to do it, but I'm still doing it. How do I fix this?
With my butterfly, I feel like it's a little strained and it doesn't really flow like I feel it should.
Also my kicking is very very weak. After a 50 freestyle/Back/Fly and i start burning out (especially fly since I don't really know how to do it) *** kick is cake.
My sophomore year I swam the 100 *** at 1:17.21
My times as of now are:
50 Freestyle: 27.3 Seconds
100 ***: 1:26.54
50 Back: 38 Seconds
50 Fly: 32 Seconds
Right now I'm training primarily through weight lifting (Working on all areas of the body,) and some swimming.
I am really looking to go from being a decent swimmer to someone who can place 1st in state (ideally : D)
Any advice would be appreciated.
Parents
Former Member
I would work on turns very hard. Improving starts and turns can take off a *lot* of time so I would work them very hard in every practice and used to speeding into them rather than resting on them so it comes naturally in races. As I said, I would recommend stroke work and strength training targeted to help swimming. Dips on the side of the pool using your arms are good for your pull. You can do a set of them at the end of each workout. (Go to the side where you can't stand, push your body out but then dip back in and do this over and over--20 times or sets of 20.)
Visualization can help, too. You mind can't tell the difference between a real race and a visualized one so practicing a race in your mind--seeing yourself do in the 1:50s for the IM, for example, can help in a real race.
Work hard in practice! Try to keep up with a swimmer just a bit better than you and one you can pick someone faster and try to keep up with him.
Good luck!
I would work on turns very hard. Improving starts and turns can take off a *lot* of time so I would work them very hard in every practice and used to speeding into them rather than resting on them so it comes naturally in races. As I said, I would recommend stroke work and strength training targeted to help swimming. Dips on the side of the pool using your arms are good for your pull. You can do a set of them at the end of each workout. (Go to the side where you can't stand, push your body out but then dip back in and do this over and over--20 times or sets of 20.)
Visualization can help, too. You mind can't tell the difference between a real race and a visualized one so practicing a race in your mind--seeing yourself do in the 1:50s for the IM, for example, can help in a real race.
Work hard in practice! Try to keep up with a swimmer just a bit better than you and one you can pick someone faster and try to keep up with him.
Good luck!
