Hey all.
I'm 29. I moved into a place with a 25 metre lap pool literally across the street, so I've kinda fallen into swimming. I do 2.5K per day - all freestyle. I've been going for about 3 weeks and I'm starting to feel a little more comfortable, and a little bit of glide, but as you would expect I'm slow as.
I can swim 50 in about 45 seconds. I can swim 500 in about 9 minutes 40 seconds. Quit laughing! :rofl:
It cracks me up that an olympic swimmer would lap me by the time I finished 50. I'm 6 foot 1, about 85 kilos, a little bit too much fat.
So I've got some questions -
1. First thing I tried was TI. As you would expect I got a little better. But I got some problems.
I find that I dip up and down pretty harshly, especially if I concentrate on a powerful catch, I end up rising up and leading with me head, so the effort is wasted because there is no glide.
My right shoulder feels like its getting a bit more of a hammering than my left.
I feel like I slow up if I keep my head parallel to the bottom of the pool.
When I roll to my left and concentrate on angling my elbow forward correctly I seem to over rotate, sometimes cross my legs over and dip worse.
If I minimise the roll to the left, my left arm kinda lands flat because it is uncomfortable to lift straight up.2. So today I tried to do an exaggerated front quadrant stroke. I immediately felt more balanced, and glided nicely, but it was exhausting and I slipped back into my uneasy TI after a few laps.
So a few questions for you guys and girls ...
1. Can you meld the two together? I couldn't catch up comfortably being on my side.
2. Can anyone give me some advice on the issues I am having with TI?
3. Are there any other methods that I should look into? I should find a good basis for a decent stroke now before I get bad habits.
4. And I wear a pair of heavy mesh lined boardies. How much time do you think I would knock off my 50 if I traded them for kneeskins? Do you think I might break the WR? No seriously, does it make much difference to someone like me?
5. Should I be breathing directly to my side, or is it ok for my head to angle back a bit with the roll?
... I just love the occasional times I feel smooth through the water, and I can only imagine how good it must feel to get good at this. Thanks for any help.
If you could get a video of yourself we could offer some more pertinent tips.Lose the "bathing suit" and get a swimsuit.If a brief would be too embarrassing get practice jammers.It isn't so much that you will swim faster(though you will) but it will be easier to feel your body position and streamline.
Maybe you are taking this side thing too literally. Watch some videos of the good swimmers. None that I know, swim what you are referring to as a TI stroke. But don't forget there are some other strokes you can do. I never recommend breaststroke or backstroke because I dislike them. A little fly is also good.
I suggest Hackett and Thorpe for distance and E Sullivan for sprint. Have a look here a great stroke www.youtube.com/watch
Front quadrant swimming was done before TI came about the Japannese swimmers used it in the 1956 Olympics.
After hearing some of the horror bandaid, hair, snot in the drains, and lane sharing stories that I've just been reading, im realising how lucky I am. Heated indoor 3 lane 25m pool, and I've usually got the place to myself. Feeling kind of guilty.
You may have a lane to yourself, but not to worry, you've still got the horror snot, hair and bandaids as well. Maybe not directly in your lane, but it all permeates the water. Just don't swallow. :D
Seems like it would take a hell of a lot of power, aerobic ability, and a strong kick to swim in the style of either thorpe or hackett (though his kick is more my speed). I unfortunately, have neither. But I'm studying those clips on yr site, thx.
Love the video. Think I found my new coach.
Yeah think I'll give the budgie smugglers a miss. I don't think anyone would understand. There's women and children around, they don't need to be seeing that.
I'm trying to find practice jammers that come down past the knees. Not having much luck, do they have a particular name or something?
My brother's got a camera. After hearing some of the horror bandaid, hair, snot in the drains, and lane sharing stories that I've just been reading, im realising how lucky I am. Heated indoor 3 lane 25m pool, and I've usually got the place to myself. Feeling kind of guilty :p Shouldn't be too hard to get a vid when nobody is around. Cheers Allen.
Chuck Norris doesn't hide in board shorts at the pool!
OK sorry I had to!!
Chuck Norris could swim if he wanted to, but he prefers to walk on water! :weightlifter:
Re the swimsuit/modesty issue: a number of men at my pool wear board shorts with a jammer or brief underneath when they're on deck. They take them off once they're in the water. It offers some privacy. No one notices what you've got on once you're swimming. Frankly, after you get used to walking around half-naked in public, you probably won't notice either.
Re the swimsuit/modesty issue: a number of men at my pool wear board shorts with a jammer or brief underneath when they're on deck. They take them off once they're in the water. It offers some privacy. No one notices what you've got on once you're swimming. Frankly, after you get used to walking around half-naked in public, you probably won't notice either.
Chuck Norris doesn't hide in board shorts at the pool!
OK sorry I had to!!
A lot of people confuse T.I. drilling with T.I. swimming. The drills are purposely exaggerated to help people lose ingrained habits like swimming flat on the stomach with no rotation at all, and catching while the recovery arm is only just starting to move forward. You don't have to swim perpendicular to the pool bottom on your side, but drilling that way helps you lose the flat barge position when you do start swimming. The steep "mail slot"arm entry that you practice in drills isn't quite so steep when you are actually swimming, but hopefully you'll still keep the silent bubble-free entry.
