Reading swim myths debunked threads got me thinking abut this again, but I don't want to derail them with this....
One thing that always puzzles me is when average swimmers look at the cream of the crop swimmers, like Phelps, and the rest of his caliber to see how to maximize out own performance.
Most of us real mortals tend to have much more basic and serious flaws in our techniques, that if corrected even half ways would make a HUGE difference in performance.
Most of the cream of the crop at the top has gone through the basics, and fine tuning, and then fine tuned things even more to take advantage of their own physical advantage or disadvantage minutia.
I'm not talking about it sometimes being fun to analyze what makes the greats great, and the physics of it all. Thinking about what may be next and trying to learn and investigate more is always a good thing - well, let me qualify this, when put in it's proper perspective.
I'm talking about when actually coaching and clinics... most of what we end up dealing with is people who worry about their hand entry, should it be thumb or pinky first, and similar minutia... while their whole arm movement, for example is so inefficient, they get very little propulsion out of it.
What I don't see in swimming as much as I would like to (or as much as in other sports I participated in) is emphasis on, learn the basics first. Then you can start fine tuning things.
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Former Member
YES,and just to get some discussion going-this is especially true for beginning triathletes.
*ahem* :blush:
I don't know if I dare to say this, I hope I don't get clobbered... yes, what you said....
We run a lot of three or so hour clinics on weekends. My honey and I.
The format is, we go over freestyle basics, show people drills, film them above and under water, review the videos with them, and in a few days send them a DVD with the review and reminder drills.
Honey is much more experienced swimmer and coach, so he works with more advanced people, I work with more beginner level, as far as coaching goes, I'm a lowly part time level 1.... honey has a million years of experience and a degree in this stuff. Anyway, that's just for orientation purposes.
I can't tell you how many people we send home to practice just basic streamlining, and holding onto the edge of the pool bobbing in and out of the water just learning to breathe relaxed and in a rhythm of their heads going in and our of the water. Lot of these people come from the 'more advanced section' too... and a lot of them do worry about minutia that is, if you compare their development ot an age grouper, a few years ahead of them.
Head position and body posture is another major thing. Often we have them do vertical kicking... seems it's a lot less confusing to a number of people to get close to the right body posture when they are vertical, before they go horizontal. I think t's the whole spatial orientation and sensory experience that changes too much for a beginner, and they lose track of their body parts.
Third biggie is, slow down and learn to feel the water, before you can speed up. It's not uncommon to have people who are sooo much into sprinting and speed that they are afraid to slow down and get the better feel for the water, and what their body is doing. As a result, they can't break through a plateau.
YES,and just to get some discussion going-this is especially true for beginning triathletes.
*ahem* :blush:
I don't know if I dare to say this, I hope I don't get clobbered... yes, what you said....
We run a lot of three or so hour clinics on weekends. My honey and I.
The format is, we go over freestyle basics, show people drills, film them above and under water, review the videos with them, and in a few days send them a DVD with the review and reminder drills.
Honey is much more experienced swimmer and coach, so he works with more advanced people, I work with more beginner level, as far as coaching goes, I'm a lowly part time level 1.... honey has a million years of experience and a degree in this stuff. Anyway, that's just for orientation purposes.
I can't tell you how many people we send home to practice just basic streamlining, and holding onto the edge of the pool bobbing in and out of the water just learning to breathe relaxed and in a rhythm of their heads going in and our of the water. Lot of these people come from the 'more advanced section' too... and a lot of them do worry about minutia that is, if you compare their development ot an age grouper, a few years ahead of them.
Head position and body posture is another major thing. Often we have them do vertical kicking... seems it's a lot less confusing to a number of people to get close to the right body posture when they are vertical, before they go horizontal. I think t's the whole spatial orientation and sensory experience that changes too much for a beginner, and they lose track of their body parts.
Third biggie is, slow down and learn to feel the water, before you can speed up. It's not uncommon to have people who are sooo much into sprinting and speed that they are afraid to slow down and get the better feel for the water, and what their body is doing. As a result, they can't break through a plateau.
