Kinesthetic Awareness versus Cognitive Analysis
Usually, I like to stay as
far away as possible from
the "technique" debate. Honestly,
I'm surprised to find myself right
back in the thick of it. I guess
that's understandable considering
how obsessed swimmers are with the
importance of technique. Truthfully,
this debate has nauseated me in the
past for one simple reason.
Swimming is a feeling, not a thought.
It is a kinesthetic awareness, and cannot
be fully understood through cognitive
analysis alone.
We can try and describe the mechanics
involved, but does that idea actually
translate into personalized physiological
adaptation?
Generally speaking, I don't think so.
That's why I prefer training models that
teach the body to feel, opening up a
different kind of thinking. Your muscles
have memory, and your body has intuitive
capabilities. Literally, getting "in touch"
with the water is more likely to deliver
the results you're looking for.
Words like flow, feel, pressure, resistance,
or anything that enhances tactile
understanding. These words are more likely to
enable transference of information into the
swimming action.
The fact is, everyone has different strengths
and weaknesses, and these should be targeted
on a case by case basis. I would never ask
Phelps to swim like Nystrand, or vice
versa. (or a younger version of the two)
Which is why the technique debate appears
to be flawed from the start. The question is,
what works best for you? Sure, there are
general rules, but to get the most out
of your swim you have to reach a personal
level. You need to pay attention to forward
motion and an over-all sense of flow.
If you're one of those people that absolutely
"needs" to think technique during your swim,
I suggest trying the checklist method. In other
words, think of 5-6 things you'd like to work
on and go through the checklist on a regular
basis. Continually move in your mind from one
point to the other, don't localize in one spot
for too long. This ensures that you don't get
"stuck" on one aspect of your swim, and this
method can actually trick your mind into a
kinesthetic state.
Good luck and happy swimming,
Jonathan R. Miller
During a camp in Coral Springs two weeks ago I gave a brief talk on training, in which I said that I considered there to be two types of training:
1) Sensations Training - in which the focus is to create muscle memory and to gradually increase one's ability to make subtle discriminations in "sense memory." Sense memory will be one's primary guide while racing.
2) "Math" Training - in which one's focus is on finding the optimal combination of SL and SR to create maximal V with minimal energy cost. This involves stroke counts, swim golf, "gears" sets and use of a tempo trainer. But sense memory is still critical, as you'll want to retain the sense of your stroke that occurs when the "math" is coming out well.
I've always disliked math, and I don't enjoy applying it to swimming, although I can see the value. I have to force myself to count strokes. So I guess I'm in the kinesthetic camp. Although I try to put a lot of cognitive thought into how to train or what stroke corrections to make. I suspect one's approach to swimming -- sensory or math -- depends somewhat on one's personality and intellectual bent.
Terry,
Thanks for the technical discussion from your forum...
I'm the kind of person to enjoy that sort of article.
The trick is translating these concepts into regular
language, while still encompassing the scope. Not an
entirely easy process, but certainly worth doing.
I live in Western Canada... Pretty much the opposite
side of the continent from you...
Interesting how we can network this way. I could go
on and on about just that subject alone, but I'm sure you
get the picture.
Happy swimming,
Jonathan Miller
