Noticing more frequent use of grab starts in Beijing...

Tracy, I always look for the positive. Actually the shoulder could be a way to get faster. Once you can get yourself into the water with one hand/arm, you can do lots of laps butterfly kick, *** kick on the back, several kicks underwater, and best of all, my all time favorite gruesome, horrible painful forwards eggbeater!!! Remember what doesn't kill you makes you stronger :) I guarrantee you a faster 50 time by starting to do one length forwards eggbeater, all out, gut busting, fast as humanly possible pumping of the legs, for just one length (25) per workout. After a month of this, faithfully, do two lengths per workouts. By SCY Nationals your legs will be faster, more explosive and you will have your best time:weightlifter: The worst drills I have ever seen are when breaststrokers are made to hold weights in the pool when doing eggbeater. This is just training the slow twitch muscles and is a total waste of time. You want the legs stronger, do squats and tow lifts on land. You can also do this while the shoulder is in the sling and on the mend. Also try lots of underwaters, kicking as long and as far as you can. Eventually build up to over a length underwater. You have to train your lungs, body and MIND together to make the race underwaters easy. I had not worked out for nearly 3 years, couple of weeks ago I easily went 15 yards from a pushoff the whole workout. Plus I was really really big then. No slim jim now but at least 16 pounds lighter I went 16 yards last week. I am not like a dolphin, more like a great BIG Killer whale. Only 38 seconds for a push, got to get that down to 32 by next SCY Nats. Might not beat Strand, but a 30 from a dive might get second. Got to goal set. You need to set some goals to make all the pain you will go through bearable. You might take a trip to Lost Wages where I live and I could give you a little clinic. Always good to have someone else look at your stroke.

Tracy, I always look for the positive. Actually the shoulder could be a way to get faster. Once you can get yourself into the water with one hand/arm, you can do lots of laps butterfly kick, *** kick on the back, several kicks underwater, and best of all, my all time favorite gruesome, horrible painful forwards eggbeater!!! Remember what doesn't kill you makes you stronger :) I guarrantee you a faster 50 time by starting to do one length forwards eggbeater, all out, gut busting, fast as humanly possible pumping of the legs, for just one length (25) per workout. After a month of this, faithfully, do two lengths per workouts. By SCY Nationals your legs will be faster, more explosive and you will have your best time:weightlifter: The worst drills I have ever seen are when breaststrokers are made to hold weights in the pool when doing eggbeater. This is just training the slow twitch muscles and is a total waste of time. You want the legs stronger, do squats and tow lifts on land. You can also do this while the shoulder is in the sling and on the mend. Also try lots of underwaters, kicking as long and as far as you can. Eventually build up to over a length underwater. You have to train your lungs, body and MIND together to make the race underwaters easy. I had not worked out for nearly 3 years, couple of weeks ago I easily went 15 yards from a pushoff the whole workout. Plus I was really really big then. No slim jim now but at least 16 pounds lighter I went 16 yards last week. I am not like a dolphin, more like a great BIG Killer whale. Only 38 seconds for a push, got to get that down to 32 by next SCY Nats. Might not beat Strand, but a 30 from a dive might get second. Got to goal set. You need to set some goals to make all the pain you will go through bearable. You might take a trip to Lost Wages where I live and I could give you a little clinic. Always good to have someone else look at your stroke.