Foreward: My 50 was a good time for me, my 200 time I have actually beat in practice from a push. Criticism on my 50, starts and turns would probably be most beneficial to me, but I am interested to get feedback on some race pace video. These videos are from the DAM SCM meet yesterday.
My times are annotated in the video, but here they are for reference.
50: 27.71
200: 33.48/36.18/36.78/33.77 1:09.66/1:10.55 2:20.21
YouTube- Mike 50 free DAM SCM 2009
YouTube- Mike 200 free DAM SCM 2009
Jim, Do you think that the problem is primarily with my left side?
Now that you mention it, I do see less rotation on your left side.
I don't mean to make too big a deal of it--in fact, it may be a false lead entirely. But when I was trying to more or less globally process your stroke, something struck me as just a little tight, which seemed paradoxical given how relaxed you look.
So then when Paul also mentioned the lack of rotation, that struck me as maybe being what I was sensing.
Tonight at practice, I tried to see how much I rotate in my own stroke (not that I would recommend anybody use my stroke as something to emulate).
But it occurred to me that the nipple on the recovery side should almost reach the surface if the water, if not even pop out temporarily for a quick breath of air.
Perhaps you could try swimming this way--no joke, nipple breathing analogy notwithstanding--to see if it helps your rotation, and if increased rotation has any beneficial impact on your performance.
One other thing I will also second: a bit of a quicker high elbow catch might be worth investigating as well. The Grant Hackett YouTube videos show this extremely well.
You clearly have the speed to do well in the 200. It may be that you hyst need to brutalize yourself with much harder practice sets to get the conditioning up enough to sustain this speed for one nature's most fiendish distances...
best of wishes in your pursuit of self-brutalization!
Jim, Do you think that the problem is primarily with my left side?
Now that you mention it, I do see less rotation on your left side.
I don't mean to make too big a deal of it--in fact, it may be a false lead entirely. But when I was trying to more or less globally process your stroke, something struck me as just a little tight, which seemed paradoxical given how relaxed you look.
So then when Paul also mentioned the lack of rotation, that struck me as maybe being what I was sensing.
Tonight at practice, I tried to see how much I rotate in my own stroke (not that I would recommend anybody use my stroke as something to emulate).
But it occurred to me that the nipple on the recovery side should almost reach the surface if the water, if not even pop out temporarily for a quick breath of air.
Perhaps you could try swimming this way--no joke, nipple breathing analogy notwithstanding--to see if it helps your rotation, and if increased rotation has any beneficial impact on your performance.
One other thing I will also second: a bit of a quicker high elbow catch might be worth investigating as well. The Grant Hackett YouTube videos show this extremely well.
You clearly have the speed to do well in the 200. It may be that you hyst need to brutalize yourself with much harder practice sets to get the conditioning up enough to sustain this speed for one nature's most fiendish distances...
best of wishes in your pursuit of self-brutalization!
