I just watched a great video entitled Swim Slow to Be Fast. I found it to be very interesting and sound advice. It is primarily meant for Tri Atheletes and distance swimmers..
When I swim slow, I swim mindfully - that is, I concentrate on what I am feeling and what I doing. I'll usually focus on performing a certain action (the catch, minimizing lateral movement - e.g. excessive core motion, etc).
Swimming slowly without being mindful of what one is doing is fine and has it's place. Swimming is a wonderful activity to do if you have a problem to solve or just to let your mind go (e.g. wander).
However, swimming slowly without being observant is not the way to improve technique. Improving technique for adults is a necessary condition for performance gains.
My objective from swimming slowly is to ingrain the neuro-muscular patterns that one "learns" while swimming slowly so that they can be transfered when maximum speed is the goal.
It's a zen thing.
When I swim slow, I swim mindfully - that is, I concentrate on what I am feeling and what I doing. I'll usually focus on performing a certain action (the catch, minimizing lateral movement - e.g. excessive core motion, etc).
Swimming slowly without being mindful of what one is doing is fine and has it's place. Swimming is a wonderful activity to do if you have a problem to solve or just to let your mind go (e.g. wander).
However, swimming slowly without being observant is not the way to improve technique. Improving technique for adults is a necessary condition for performance gains.
My objective from swimming slowly is to ingrain the neuro-muscular patterns that one "learns" while swimming slowly so that they can be transfered when maximum speed is the goal.
It's a zen thing.
