two words: tempo trainer
finis makes the one i have, and it's very easy to use. i used it this summer training for the 200 back, and i managed to go a masters best (previous masters PB was from 2005). the only thing i did differently this summer that i can figure was use the tempo trainer...
The obvious: "move your arms faster, but maintain feel for the water"
somewhat obvious "don't pause out front"
somewhat obvious "get stronger"
somewhat obvious "improve your kick"
somewhat obvious "if you are slightly overweight, lug less lard"
subtle: "improve your head & body position"
How: Do bursts short very fast swimming
Anyone have any good suggestions for increasing turnover other than the obvious?
Otherwise known as stroke rate.
Q,
Why do you feel you need to increase your turn over/stroke rate? What is your stroke rate now? Do you even know?
I'm on the opposite side. I'm trying to reduce from 68 SPM (strokes per minute) to around 58 without losing overall speed.
SwimmieAvs is dead on the money. Get a tempo trainer. And use it.
Try this: Next time you are swimming freestyle at a fast pace, kick shallower and faster 6 beat kicks- the arms will speed up as well. Then you have to decide is a stronger kick or a faster turnover more valuable to you until you add strength to the loser in that decision.
Take a look at the last 15 meters of this summer's 100 fly race in Rome:
YouTube - Michael Phelps New World Record and Wins 100m Butterfly Final Rome 09 08 01
Phelps and Cavic are swimming stroke for stoke as they approach the wall. The difference is that Phelps, turning over his strokes at essentially the same rate at Cavic, is going faster.
Am I wrong in concluding that today's coaches seem to emphasize distance per stroke over turnover?
Anyone have any good suggestions for increasing turnover other than the obvious?
well that kind of depends where the bottleneck is at the moment.
- What leads you to think that increasing the turnover would be desirable?
- What happens when you try to do so?
I'm in a similar if not same boat. I can achieve a decent spl, but it's at the expense of some speed (maybe it's not that decent after all). I've been told by folks here and those watching me at meets that I need to have a faster turnover. This is a critical issue for me as I like to think of myself as a sprinter (mainly because I die off on the second 50 of a 100). I too shall stimulate the economy and purchase a tempo trainer, but probably after I try the dolphin-kicking drill.
:banana:
"Too many swimmers focus on pushing their hand back at the end of the stroke, which just delays getting it back to the power position.
For freestyle, one of the best drills I know to get the arms recovering quickly is the freestyle pull with dolphin kick. One arm stroke for each dolphin kick will force your tempo and stroke rate up higher than you are used to. It forces you to swim on the freeway. Try it, but don't slow your kick down. Speed up your recovery to keep up with your legs, but use one stroke per one kick. Once you have the tempo right, switch back to flutter kick with the same tempo."
www.theraceclub.net/.../swimming-on-freeway.html
I also like this drill For freestyle, one of the best drills I know to get the arms recovering quickly is the freestyle pull with dolphin kick.
I am not even sure why it works so well, but I can maintain a high turnover much easier doing this than regular Free.
I second the tempo trainer recommendation - it is a very good tool.
You have to actually measure your turnover / stroke rate and go from there. It's an individual thing - but from observing our team:
- the slow group has poor distance per stroke and a low turnover
- the middle of the pack lanes usually don't have good distance per stroke, but can maintain a pretty high turnover
- the fast lane is faster, because they get better DPS or distance per stroke.
