Reaching "down" on freestyle

This sort of thing is what would be maddening to me if I were a coach. You have these world-class sprinters who have a lot of differences in their strokes...why? Erik says that "almost catch-up" is not good for the 50/100 but that Lezak is an exception -- why is that? Here is something I wrote (a year ago) in an attempt to answer that question. Usually, I like to stay as far away as possible from the "technique" debate. Honestly, I'm surprised to find myself right back in the thick of it. I guess that's understandable considering how obsessed most swimmers are with the importance of technique. Truthfully, this debate has nauseated me in the past for one simple reason. Swimming is a feeling, not a thought. That's why I prefer training models that teach the body to feel, opening up a different kind of thinking. Words like flow, feel, pressure, resistance, or anything that enhances tactile understanding. At the end of the day, kinesthetic awareness cannot be fully understood through cognitive analysis alone. The fact is, everyone has different strengths and weaknesses, and these should be explored on a case by case basis. I would never ask Popov to swim like Micheal Klim, or vice versa. (or a younger version of the two) Which is why the technique debate appears to be flawed from the start. The question is, what works best for you? Sure, there are general rules, but to get the most out of your swim, you have to reach a more personal level. If you're one of those people that absolutely "needs" to think technique during your swim, I suggest trying the checklist method. In other words, think of 5-6 things you'd like to work on and go through the checklist on a regular basis. Continually move in your mind from one point to the other, don't localize in one spot for too long. This ensures that you don't get "stuck" on one aspect of your swim, and this method can actually trick your mind into a kinesthetic state.

This sort of thing is what would be maddening to me if I were a coach. You have these world-class sprinters who have a lot of differences in their strokes...why? Erik says that "almost catch-up" is not good for the 50/100 but that Lezak is an exception -- why is that? Here is something I wrote (a year ago) in an attempt to answer that question. Usually, I like to stay as far away as possible from the "technique" debate. Honestly, I'm surprised to find myself right back in the thick of it. I guess that's understandable considering how obsessed most swimmers are with the importance of technique. Truthfully, this debate has nauseated me in the past for one simple reason. Swimming is a feeling, not a thought. That's why I prefer training models that teach the body to feel, opening up a different kind of thinking. Words like flow, feel, pressure, resistance, or anything that enhances tactile understanding. At the end of the day, kinesthetic awareness cannot be fully understood through cognitive analysis alone. The fact is, everyone has different strengths and weaknesses, and these should be explored on a case by case basis. I would never ask Popov to swim like Micheal Klim, or vice versa. (or a younger version of the two) Which is why the technique debate appears to be flawed from the start. The question is, what works best for you? Sure, there are general rules, but to get the most out of your swim, you have to reach a more personal level. If you're one of those people that absolutely "needs" to think technique during your swim, I suggest trying the checklist method. In other words, think of 5-6 things you'd like to work on and go through the checklist on a regular basis. Continually move in your mind from one point to the other, don't localize in one spot for too long. This ensures that you don't get "stuck" on one aspect of your swim, and this method can actually trick your mind into a kinesthetic state.