I did a search and didn't see a dedicated thread for this topic, which was inspired by a post by Chris Stevenson in the "How Many Swimmers Per Lane" Thread. I'll reproduce Chris's quote below (I hope you don't mind!) and my response (edited for context). What do others think?
(Hopefully I didn't just miss the thread on this. Sorry if I did--I did run a search!)
As far as passing goes, it is the responsibility of the passer. The slower person should not have to stop or slow -- indeed, s/he should not do anything differently...except perhaps be aware that s/he is being passed, swim in the proper part of the lane (esp not too far to the center) and don't do anything radical like speed up or move over suddenly.
It was interesting to read Chris say that, because I have the opposite view. I think, once alerted by a tap on the feet, the person getting passed should stop at the next wall and get out of the passing person's way. Maybe I feel that way because I swim in a pool with very narrow lanes and it's just not feasible to swim around somebody. This is also the way it works in my lane (the person getting passed will stop to let the faster person by) so that might also influence my view of what is "right". But in any event it seems reasonably fair to me. It's the slower person holding the faster person up, so it seems fair that the slower person defer...
I wonder if people's views are influenced by whether they are usually the "passer" or the "passee"...
Former Member
I tend to think it should be the job of the passer to get around the slower swimmer. The pool I swim at most often has very narrow lanes. There is one guy in particular that will pass me on sets, he always swims around me. I think it has more to do with how comfortable the faster swimmer is with passing.
I also am willing to stop at a wall and let someone go around but I feel like I am cheating on my workout if I do this. It depends somewhat on who is behind me, what the set it and what I have in the tank.
I hate the foot tap. I've gotten really used to the swim around. I also HATE when I get the foot tap in super crowded warm-up lanes at meets. Where the F does the person behind me think I am going to go??? :rant3: That's a story for a different day though.
This is the way it's done at my pool. At first I didn't appreciate it when people didn't stop to let me get by but...now I much prefer it. Usually people just want to be left alone, and I'm happy to oblige. It's easier for me too.
Ande's post was the funniest. Unless I scanned too quickly - what, no jokes about "toe tappers"?
As a tappee, I don't like the bottom-of-the-foot tap. But only because it's not specific enough, and too jarring. I appreciate the "swipe to the ankle" which indicates hey, i'm coming up on your right or left side.
I'm rarely a tapper. The problem is you have to exert a surge of energy to pass and maintain speed, or else then it's a vicious cycle of who's the tapper and tappee.
I don't know, in a 25 yd. pool if you are just a little faster than the person you are passing, I don't see how you could pull it off.
That's difficult, true...but if the difference is that small, I just wait until the next repeat and ask to go ahead. If the person refuses (which is uncommon), that's when the foot taps can start... :)
Chris - out of curiosity, is there ever a case where you get passed?
I haven't swum with the HS kids in many months, but when I do I get passed all the time. In the senior group I am maybe slightly faster than average (except in breaststroke).
I tend to think it should be the job of the passer to get around the slower swimmer. The pool I swim at most often has very narrow lanes. There is one guy in particular that will pass me on sets, he always swims around me. I think it has more to do with how comfortable the faster swimmer is with passing.
I also am willing to stop at a wall and let someone go around but I feel like I am cheating on my workout if I do this. It depends somewhat on who is behind me, what the set it and what I have in the tank.
I hate the foot tap. I've gotten really used to the swim around. I also HATE when I get the foot tap in super crowded warm-up lanes at meets. Where the F does the person behind me think I am going to go??? :rant3: That's a story for a different day though.
I swim in public pools and always try to find a lane that's a good match for my speed, but since not everyone in the lane will be an exact match, I'll pull aside at the end and let the overtaking swimmer go first. It only stops me for a second or two and I appreciate it when people give me the same courtesy.
Occasionally I'll be the one overtaking a slower person who just will not give way, and it isn't safe to pass in the middle. In that case I turn around a meter or two short of the wall and then speed up so as not to let them draft.
I've learned to avoid sharing a lane with anyone who only swims head-up *** stroke and nothing else. If you see an extremely slow person clogging up the medium or even fast lane at a public pool lane swim time, chances are they'll be swimming that one stroke... and they'll refuse to give way... and sometimes refuse to circle even if the lane is full... and give you a filthy look if you have the audacity to pass them six times in 20 minutes. That stroke seems to go with a certain mindset.
The easy solution is to only swim twenty-fives. :D
Personally I think passing should only be necessary when people are actually being lapped, otherwise just move up a spot in the next send-off.
During practices we sometimes do a sort of hybrid pass/pause, we tap the foot to say we are going to pass at the wall, the passee then keeps to the side while the passer speeds up and flips on the other side. The passee really only needs to do a slow turn not a full stop so there isn't much impact to their swim.
Hmmm... Seems like a relatively even split among the posters. I'm clearly with the Mountain View Masters guidelines linked above. It really is the least disruptive to everybody if the person getting passed just does a slow or open turn.
And I'm only talking about lapping people. I would almost never try to pass somebody who is leading a set (unless they totally died, but if anybody is going to lead a set and die, it's usually me). I agree that it's bad form to make somebody go ahead of you only to pass them.
Michelle's got the right idea on this one. The toe tap is annoying, but you should signal the person being passed that you're coming by them. I try to time the tap to gently brush the ankle or mid-calf of the passee so that he or she knows not to move to the center of the wall on their flip turn.
So a toe tap is bad, but an ankle brush is OK? I would think that more folks (ladies in particular) would not want others brushing their ankles or thighs, but what do I know? :dunno:
