I would like some feedback on the following narrative: Last spring I swam in my first masters meets. I had trained pretty hard, mostly on my own, and felt good heading into competition. At zones I swam the 50, 100, 200 and 500 free, plus some offstroke stuff for fun. I did okay, but did not break a minute in the 100 (went 1:02) which had been my goal.
So I got hooked up with a coach, who identified that my timing was not so good. That is, my catch and pull were happening too quickly, so my stroke was inefficient. My arms were sort of windmilly. He worked with me to rebuild my stroke pretty much from scratch. It got more efficient, but the timing has been off the other way: that is, I feel like my hands are marooned out in front of me for too long. I have been swimming in this "catch up" mode while trying to adjust the timing.
I have been working on this for SIX MONTHS. I have not been able to make the intervals I had been making last spring, but have thought that it was only a question of time, or will.
So last weekend I swam in my first meet since this process began. I was able to almost match my 50 time from last spring (adjusted from SCM) but my 100 was terrible. My second 50 was 5 seconds slower than my first 50. I felt like I was swimming in slow motion. So on the drive home I resolved to adjust--maybe I wouldn't actually be a sprinter anymore, and with my new slower stroke I'd shift to distance events. So the last several days I have been swimming longer sets. But here's the thing: I can only make the "efficient" stroke work well for 50 yards or so by aggressively accelerating the catch; after that, the natural catch-up rhythm of the stroke takes over, and I slow down and feel crappy.
Tonight out of frustration I did a quick set of 50s and almost by accident I slipped back in to my bad old rhythm and suddenly I felt way quicker and stronger, if not as efficient. I ripped off a few 100s and was faster and less tired, although I could tell that my stroke was less pretty.
I feel like I'm losing my mind. Has anyone ever tried to work on technique to their detriment? I think I can work incrementally on lengthening my stroke from my "bad" timing better than I can accelerate from my new slow timing. But who knows? I have been so committed to trying to figure this out, but feel like I am moving backwards. Once upon a time I was somewhat fast (high 22s in the 50, 50 flat in the 100). Am I nuts? Am I an idiot? Am I an aqua-dork? Help!
My coach used to always say, "You have to go slower before you can go faster." :doh:While that sounds pretty basic, it is a very wise statement. I agree with Allen. Give yourself time to adapt your stroke. Muscle memory and old habits are hard things to change.
In many ways it would be no different than deciding today to change which hand you have written with your entire life....you will have to go very slow, it will be extremely ugly and frustrating but ultimately it can be done and even feel "comfortable".
Very few people have that kind of patience and determination....especially in our sport where the general mind set is "more is better" and God forbid I don't hit my weekly yardage!
By the way Red60...based on "what" have you decided that your a sprinter? Not being a smart as.. just pointing out that our natural strengths sometimes get overlooked and very possibly your more suited to middle distance/distance? or maybe not?
There's an article in this week's Newsweek about memory and aging ("Jogging Your Memory"). While the focus is on memorizing facts like your Aunt Mable's phone number or your MasterCard number, I wouldn't be at all surprised to find formation of new muscle memories to similarly be affected as we age.
Skip Montanaro
I read somewhere that it takes 100,000 yards to change your stroke. I think it may take longer for Masters swimmers. I have found video to be very helpful. I have also used underwater mirrors which allow you to watch your catch, pull, rotation, etc.
The pretty catch up stroke is not for everyone. I have a fairly straight arm freestyle when I sprint. I can't sprint with the high elbow pretty catch up stroke. I compromise by using the pretty technique when I am swimming more slowly or longer distances in practice. But all speed work is done with my natural sprint stroke which give me a high stroke rate and good rhythm. I think, although not all agree, that the method recovery on freestyle is a "different strokes for different strokes" kind of thing.
On another thread, the wookiee said there was a "correct" way to do straight arm freestyle to avoid injury. I'm not sure what that is myself ... Have you had any shoulder injuries? The pure windmill style does look somewhat hard on the shoulders to me.
Have a talk with your coach. Pretty strokes do not always translate into fast strokes for everyone. I have changed many things about my technique, but not this.
I'm sure it's very frustrating to work so hard on a stroke change to go slower. Maybe there will come a point when it will be faster? I don't know on that score, as I'm not a coach. Good luck. Try not to be discouraged.
In 2003 I went to the Masters Camp at the Olympic Training Center and totally remade my breaststroke. It was 6 mo before I was swimming nearly as fast as I was before,but 3 mo later I was much faster,so it can take time.On the other hand,many coaches don't seem to realize that sprinting and sprinters are different.Maybe that style isn't suited for your strengths.Could you post a video of yourself swimming both ways and let us have a look.
While the focus is on memorizing facts like your Aunt Mable's phone number...............
Skip Montanaro
What does one do if one does not have an aunt named Mable (Mabel?)?:dunno:
Has anyone ever tried to work on technique to their detriment?
Experimentation is a good exercise. But we all have our own style.
I tried the delayed hand pull concept when I first got back into swimming...and I found that it threw the timing off for sprinting.
Keeping the lead hand out front is good. But!... It should start pulling back by the time your dry arm gets in line with your shoulder.
Otherwise your timing might slow down. Your coach was lending sound advise however.
Catch-up style is best suited for the distance people in my opinion.
However... catch-up drills are an excellent way to teach you how to develop reach...and thereby maxes out your body line in the water.
Your sprinting should improve when you use a strong turn over.. using long strokes. George might have a point. A combination of your rotary stroke with the extended reach may have done some good.
In many ways it would be no different than deciding today to change which hand you have written with your entire life....you will have to go very slow, it will be extremely ugly and frustrating but ultimately it can be done and even feel "comfortable".
Very few people have that kind of patience and determination....especially in our sport where the general mind set is "more is better" and God forbid I don't hit my weekly yardage!
By the way Red60...based on "what" have you decided that your a sprinter? Not being a smart as.. just pointing out that our natural strengths sometimes get overlooked and very possibly your more suited to middle distance/distance? or maybe not?
Paul,what's your test for determining whether someone is a sprinter or not?
