Does Practice Make Perfect?

RE: Does Practice Make Perfect?

Former Member — Sat, 10 May 2008 15:01:10 GMT

After seeing this video do you think I can get back in shape for a race??? oregonmasters.ning.com/.../show

RE: Does Practice Make Perfect?

Allen Stark — Sat, 10 May 2008 12:23:16 GMT

YES.You have a very smooth stroke.You have all summer to get ready for Nats,and you said you are swimming short distances only.Swimming will be good for you.See you at Mt Hood.

RE: Does Practice Make Perfect?

mctrusty — Sat, 10 May 2008 10:36:04 GMT

It is up to you, of course...you shouldn't do it if you aren't going to enjoy yourself. But I can assure you that no one will ridicule your efforts. I liked Jeff's post about Jim Montgomery placing 14th in the 100 free. At Zones, one of my former teammates swam and did not come close to winning...she is someone who used to place 2nd to Tracy Caulkins at NCAAs, but didn't care about her placing at zones. She's a mother of four kids, who is going to ridicule her efforts to stay in shape? I think there are a number of former elite swimmers do not swim because they are too worried about losing, or what other people will think, or don't want to think about how much slower they've gotten. Competition is a great spur but the only thing you are racing against is the clock (and age!). I can relate to this, Chris. I wasn't an elite swimmer by any means, but I did stay out of the water for several years because I was worried about how slow I'd be without being able to train as much as I had in my late teens/early twenties. I finally got back in this year, and I'm glad I did, because I really love the sport. I'm not as fast as I was in "my events", but now I get to race in a whole slew of events that I never got to do before. The best part really, though, is the social aspect and all of the great people involved. :wine:

RE: Does Practice Make Perfect?

Former Member — Fri, 09 May 2008 11:21:36 GMT

Chris I just do not want to make a fool out of my self. I swim a little, I almost get ready to swim and then I am out of the water for a month or two. My last serious swimming was in October and Dec. Intentions are there but execution not there. I sign up for a month of swimming and may get there 5 times. Since Dec 22nd I have been in the water 15 times. I know I can do OK if I were to race even without being in shape I can swim a 30 second 50m lc crawl without training at all. The fly I doubt I can swim under 40 sec without training and if I did this without preparation I would have a heart attack. We are heading to Mexico again and will train for 2 months then fly home and try to keep training to swim in Oregon in August. The entry forms will be out next week. I hope to enter the 50, the 100 free and the 50 and 100 fly.

RE: Does Practice Make Perfect?

Former Member — Fri, 09 May 2008 10:07:15 GMT

Don't let your desire to be perfect effect what is good.

RE: Does Practice Make Perfect?

Chris Stevenson — Fri, 09 May 2008 08:24:12 GMT

I just do not want to make a fool out of my self. It is up to you, of course...you shouldn't do it if you aren't going to enjoy yourself. But I can assure you that no one will ridicule your efforts. I liked Jeff's post about Jim Montgomery placing 14th in the 100 free. At Zones, one of my former teammates swam and did not come close to winning...she is someone who used to place 2nd to Tracy Caulkins at NCAAs, but didn't care about her placing at zones. She's a mother of four kids, who is going to ridicule her efforts to stay in shape? I think there are a number of former elite swimmers do not swim because they are too worried about losing, or what other people will think, or don't want to think about how much slower they've gotten. Competition is a great spur but the only thing you are racing against is the clock (and age!).

RE: Does Practice Make Perfect?

Chris Stevenson — Fri, 09 May 2008 06:39:44 GMT

Don't let your desire to be perfect effect what is good. A very good admonition, George, but I can't help but ask: doesn't this also describe your unwillingness to compete unless -- as you have stated -- you can be tops in your age group?:bolt:

RE: Does Practice Make Perfect?

Former Member — Thu, 08 May 2008 15:56:16 GMT

Practice makes permanent... What you practice, you will learn and do well.

RE: Does Practice Make Perfect?

Former Member — Thu, 08 May 2008 09:44:28 GMT

Big Al My sloppy swim stroke is probably something you would not call sloppy swimming. It is a planned almost drill thing.

RE: Does Practice Make Perfect?

Former Member — Thu, 08 May 2008 09:26:04 GMT

Practice is for people who are not genetically gifted. Just look at the freaks on this messaage board who train 2,000 yards every other day and dominate at meets. If you don't have it genetically, you'll have to practice. If you're naturally gifted, practice is pretty much optional.

RE: Does Practice Make Perfect?

Former Member — Thu, 08 May 2008 09:06:22 GMT

There is always time to do sloppy swimming I mix it up when doing a warmup or cooldown swim. My sloppy swimming is a place where I conscentrate on technique also. But for sure when I swim repeats it is always focus on technique. When I swim distance it is focus on technique. Your focus can be on any part of your stroke. But you must remember I do most of my swimming using full stroke. I do think of many items, but not every item every stroke. I work on hand entry, to the catch, then the catch to finish, then exit to the recovery, then breathing, sometimes bilateral breathing. I sometimes change the kick to a 2 beat, a 4 beat, and of course a 6 beat kick. Oh streamline is my focus also. I have never thought of a perfect stroke I think of stroke perfection. The repitition of good technique helps us swim better. I don't think anyone can have a perfect stroke but let us at least work on attaining this perfect stroke.

RE: Does Practice Make Perfect?

Former Member — Thu, 08 May 2008 08:49:21 GMT

So is it better to one 100 with perfect focus and technique then 10 sloppy ones? That would save us loads of time... If we are supposed to do 10x100's. What if we only manage to focus on 5, should we skip the rest? Or how much damage does 5 bad 100's do compared how to how good the5 good ones do? What we practice makes permanent...... ;o) Just a though...

RE: Does Practice Make Perfect?

Former Member — Thu, 08 May 2008 08:40:54 GMT

Exactly Ande! You will become very good at doing.. bad turns, sloppy streamline, breaths etc.. unless we focus. If we do more sloppy thing we will most likelt be better at them than the good stuff!

RE: Does Practice Make Perfect?

Former Member — Thu, 08 May 2008 08:27:12 GMT

There was an interesting comment by Glenn on Go Swim: I'll only say one thing which a great coach recently told me after a talk... "perfect makes paralysis". Nobody can be perfect, and demanding it leads to too much structure and loss of flow. Again, I didn't say it, but once I realized what he said, I changed how I explain things.

RE: Does Practice Make Perfect?

Allen Stark — Thu, 08 May 2008 06:03:09 GMT

I don't think it ever is a good idea to do quality sets with poor form.When I am doing warm up,cool down or recovery swims I use some cue(e.g. snorkle,fist swim,drills,etc)to let my body know that this is different from race stroke. I read an article that said it was easier to make a technique change by thinking it was something completely different.They ran an experiment on racing starts.There were 2 groups.The both did their standard start.In the control group they were told what to change and practiced that.The second group was told what they were doing and practiced that and told to think of that as Start A,then they were told they would be taught a different start Start B(which was essentially their start corrected.) By thinking of it as something different they were able to learn faster and retain the new skills better.

RE: Does Practice Make Perfect?

Big AL — Thu, 08 May 2008 05:37:42 GMT

geochuck There is always time to do sloppy swimming NEVER!!!

RE: Does Practice Make Perfect?

Big AL — Thu, 08 May 2008 05:34:16 GMT

It's all mind body coordination/conditioning. When under stress, the mind is often separated from the body. Repetitive motions help "program" our brain to the prefered responses, like a long reach instead of the strong desire to spin the wheels at all costs to go faster. Tall Paul's turnover in the 50 is about finding the sweet spot and keeping your hand on it all the way through the stroke. Stuff like that doesn't just "happen".

RE: Does Practice Make Perfect?

ande — Thu, 08 May 2008 02:51:02 GMT

or continue to do poorly depends which habits are made permanent Practice makes permanent... What you practice, you will learn and do well.QUOTE]

RE: Does Practice Make Perfect?

Former Member — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 12:40:37 GMT

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. . . I'm watching the Pussycat dolls and realizing I need to really work on my *Girlicious-ness!*

RE: Does Practice Make Perfect?

Former Member — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 12:31:31 GMT

Well, my strokes are all basically perfect now, so I'm thinking I won't bother to practice any more. This is similar to Mark Gill's philosophy of training. That means more time for partying, where I'm definitely in need of practice!

RE: Does Practice Make Perfect?

Former Member — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 12:24:26 GMT

Something similar to what Tall Paul says, and what we used to tell the groups we coached, is "practice of perfection makes perfect" but, just because nobody's perfect, shouldn't stop you from trying. For me personally, I try to improve, but I don't strive for perfection. It's swimming. Not brain surgery.

RE: Does Practice Make Perfect?

Former Member — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 10:47:13 GMT

I'm perfect at not being perfect. I have heard "practice makes perfect" so many times that I cringe at the saying. No practice is ever perfect...no stroke is...there are always room for improvement

RE: Does Practice Make Perfect?

Former Member — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 10:40:51 GMT

I'm 35. I'm so over trying to be perfect in anything, it's almost funny. :laugh2: Perfect according to what standards set by whom?

RE: Does Practice Make Perfect?

Former Member — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 10:11:49 GMT

Teaching hands exiting at the waistline. Hands entering too close to the head no extension and going direct to the catch. All of the swimmers were droping their elbows. She put up signs at the end of the pool and told everone to do the work out. Not once did she make even a group correction and if she did would I listen? Everyone fishtailing, no streamline at all.

RE: Does Practice Make Perfect?

Former Member — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 09:58:20 GMT

As a new swimmer, I have to ask this... What were they teaching that was so obviously wrong??