I'm a masters swimmer who primarily swims distances. I have a strong six beat kick and a relatively weak pull. My kick certainly overpowers my pull as I try to increase my speed.
My coach says my pull looks technically correct -- no dropped elbow! I have a long stroke with decent distance per stroke (generally I average 14-15 strokes per 25 meters, up to 16 at faster speeds).
Any suggestions on what to try to increase the propulsion of my pull? I bought a pair of the techpaddles and have been using them for about a week, but while I feel stronger, it is too early to tell there will be any resulting increase in speed.
Former Member
I have tried backing off on my kick and I can hold a more balanced stroke at slower speeds, but I find it very difficult to accelerate without letting my kick take over.
I hate pulling with a vengeance. I am the one who prefers kick sets! With a pull buoy, almost everyone else speeds up and I slow down. Often I'll do pull sets without the buoy but with a two beat kick. The pull buoy puts me too high in the water.
As for times . . .
Normally, I swim the 500 in about 7:11. My coach says I should easily be able to swim under 7 minutes.
Last time I swam the 1000, I was at 15:07. My goal for the mile is to come in under 25 but the last time I swam it my goggles broke in the first hundred yards. I did finish, but my time was pretty irrelevant.
I'm quite new to competition (only raced maybe 6 times) so part of my problem at meets is that I've not quite learned to pace myself. I either start out blazingly fast and burn out, or have too much left at the end.
I made the transition from a lap swimmer to a masters swimmer about 6 years ago. But recently, I took about six months off (broken rib, starting a new business, etc.). I've been back in the pool now for 6 weeks and feel that this is a good time to invest in fixing problems that have been plaguing me for the past few years.
Given the 14-16 SPL I assume you feel that you are mainly getting your propulsion from the kick or you wouldn't be concerned. What speed are we talking about at 16 SPL? What is your SPL and speed for a pure pull? It seems to me that one needs to know your swim speed, kick speed, and pull speed before one can really usefully offer suggestions, esp. on something like pull/kick balance. If you're a top-ten swimmer trying to cut an extra tenth off your time the prescription is likely to be different than if you are a beginner that is basically kicking the length and just going through the motions on the pull.
