I have a question about why so many people on my swim team are so much faster than me. I have been on a year round swim team for over a year, and have been swimming competitively for about 4 years.
I am still always the slowest on my team, and I get lapped so many times during practice. It is so frustrating! I go to practice almost every day, and work just as hard as them.
Are some people just born fast vs. slow in swimming and there is nothing you can do to change your natural speed? Is speed something you can achieve with hard work?
Why is everyone so much faster than me? What can I do to become fast like them?
The gauntlet is down! :)
I hope to be alive and kicking at 85 (my personal target lifespan), so even if I don't get the records, I'll just be glad to be swimming ... of course, I'm sure my competitive drive will still be there, so I'll have on my 2050-ish version of the B70 and, I guess, have my 50-something daughters there to watch my back / walker.
I hope to be long gone by 85, but if I am alive Brundage, I'll will put some voodoo hex curse on your blue seventy that will either cause wardrobe failure exposing your not-so-aerodynamic, and by this time, shriveled unit to be exposed or cause you to stroke out from the pure energy it would require to put on the miserable costume.:afraid:
I still have one question though: What do you think is more important in swimming sucess: talent or hard work?
Most talent comes from hard work. Based on who beat her world records, Janet Evans was not genetically gifted with the height needed to be a world record distance swimmer. All her records fell to someone 5' 10" or taller, but that didn't prevent her from three world records that stood for 19-20 years.
Now that you question has been answered, someone else can tell you how to focus your hard work into developing more talent.:bolt:
Didn't we have a poll on this a while ago?
If not, I think we should!
Somebody put one together, please- it's too early for me and I need some:coffee:!
Do you really think that, at 85, I'm going to care about being exposed?
Judging by some of the "equipment" displays by old geezers at Rutgers this past weekend...probably not.:2cents:
6. Beer
7. Opportunity
Maybe too intangible, and probably goes with desire/motivation, but the ability to recognize, or even create, a special situation and capitalize on it.
Could be a factor of weather, your competitors, the quality (or lack of?) the pool, plus other odd issues, and then the ability to see that "this one is unique and I'm going to take advantage of it". Desire and motivation kick in....I've seen motivated people that might be missing out on opportunities to swim fast that are right there in front of them, probably been there myself, though I would not put my times up in that "faster" catagory by a long shot.
Amy,
I think hard work, technique, and motivation will generally will get someone to state even when they don't have a lot in the way of physical talent. I would say that you have to dedicate yourself to swimming more than your many of your teammates to catch or surpass them. That dedication may be building strength outside the pool, spending extra time with your coaches on technique (or videos, drills, reading, clinics, etc.), putting in extra time on starts and turns on your own, goal setting, etc. You need to think about your weaknesses, identify them (on your own or with help from others), and then develop and dedicate yourself to a plan to improve.
I have seen many swimmers overcome all kinds of physical short-comings (lack of physical strength, lack of height, too heavy, coordination, lack of feel for the water, etc.) and generally all those things can be overcome with the proper plan and dedication. I always liked starting with a new team/lane and finding myself starting last on sets and slowly catching the people in front over time. Try to chase down the bubbles in front of you every set and when you aren't swimming think about what you need to do next time to close the gap on the bubbles more next time. Before you know it you will be touching the feet of the less dedicated and you will be on your way.
Physical talent is a great thing and certainly makes it easier at any level of swimming, but it is not necessary to reach state qualifying times in my opinion. There are also many people that swim at a national level that are not physically gifted, but they are highly motivated.
Good luck with making your state times,
Tim
An example of my point is that if a person with the natural ability of a back-of-the-pack swimmer worked really hard and did everything right that they could, would it be possible for this said person to ever qualify for state?
Does talent determine most of your sucess in swimming, or can hard work ever overcome lack of talent?
Some people, for whatever reason, just take naturally to swimming. They have the right body proportions, and they feel the water and their own body position well, and they don't need instruction from others to figure out how to move efficiently and how small adjustments translate into big gains. Other people are not such naturals, but that doesn't mean they can't learn to swim efficiently. If you are one of this latter group, you and your coach probably need to pay closer attention to your technique. In this sense, "hard work" on technique can overcome "lack of talent."
Think about this analogy: One kid learns to read at age 3, having picked it up from being read to rather than from any formal instruction. By first grade that kid has read (although probably not really understood) the entire Harry Potter series. Another comes to first grade still unable to read. The late reader probably needs some careful instruction and drilling, but s/he almost certainly will learn to read. By adulthood, you probably wouldn't be able to tell who learned younger.
Rudy movieYou're 5 foot nothin', 100 and nothin', and you have barely a speck of athletic ability. And you hung in there with the best college football players in the land for 2 years. And you're gonna walk outta here with a degree from the University of Notre Dame. In this life, you don't have to prove nothin' to nobody but yourself. And after what you've gone through, if you haven't done that by now, it ain't gonna never happen. Now go on back.
Amy-
When I started swimming at the age of 9 yrs old, I couldn't even make a single lap of the pool. My Dad used to say I would be a 'C' swimmer forever because I had no natural ability in the water. What I did have was drive and determination. I worked my butt off and eventually made a couple of national cuts and swam in college.
Now, as a master, I will never be one of the national record holders, but I do well enough when I train hard.
My point is, yes, if you train hard enough (this includes concentrating on proper stroke technique - ALWAYS), you can become much faster.
Another very helpful thing is to watch the people that are faster than you. See what they are doing and copy them. It is difficult to know what your body is doing when you can't see it, so video taping yourself is very helpful. At the least, ask your coach to watch you and critique your strokes. That is his/her job.
Good Luck! Most importantly, have fun!
