How Cheaters Cheat

So... personal attacks are what get posts deleted? Interesting.... OK I'm kind of new at this but I guess I have to take one for the team here. :banana:That Guy has below average intelligence! :banana: Delete this post! :banana: Am I doing it wrong? You said it first!!! :bolt:

I think the most popular cheat in practice is the leadoff swimmer going 2-3 seconds early, followed by the trailing swimmers in the lane leaving on his feet. no interval, just early sendoffs to get a good time. Finishing the swim, they pull their head up and out of the water with a flourish to see their time on the pace clock, but their hand is 5 feet from the wall. And they all complain about how crummy their times are in races. " I do better than this in workout!" Well, duh. The next good practice cheat is the mid-lap turn. Can't keep up with the lane in a 500? No problem, you can pick up a 25 (or almost 50 m in long course) by turning around under the recall ropes! Don't forget the backstroke help by pulling on the lane lines. Or breaststroke help by doing continuous dolphin and/or flutter kicks during the 20 yard pullout. Did I miss any?

If pulling on the lane ropes in practice was cheating, they wouldn't have put hand holds all along the length of the rope. I agree! Which reminds me, is there anything worse then when you grab one of these "hand holds" and it just slides along the cable and you don't get any oomph out of it at all? I hate when that happens!

I've never really understood the impulse to pull on lane lines. It totally teaches the wrong mechanics in backstroke. And it is bad for the lane lines too, and they ain't cheap. Plus I'm not any good at it -- it actually slows me down -- so it costs me nothing to get all "purist" about it.... :bolt:

I knowingly cheated once in a race. It was a 50 SCM backstroke. I am not a backstroker. I was doing it for fun. I happened to notice that (a) there was no marking at the 15 meter mark, and (b) no official anywhere near where the 15 meter mark would be. On the start, I was definitely underwater more than 15 meters. My head popped up just before the far flags. No disqualification as there was no official in position. The referee (a good friend) came to me after the race and asked if I had known there was nobody at the 15M mark. I nodded. The referee said "I thought so" with a smile. The referee said they would have DQed me if I had gone past the flags, but they couldn't enforce a DQ otherwise. It wasn't a record or notable time in any way, so my guilt level was rather low. Had it been, I absolutely would have found a way to disqualify myself. -Rick

In the workout space... I only have a problem with drafters who pretend they're not drafting. I happen to be extremely easy to drag off of. Lots of smooth moving water behind me. It is often said the best place to be in the pool is about 3 seconds behind me. If you're having a tough workout, or you're stepping up a lane, etc., I have no issue with you getting on my feet. However, if you're going to pretend that your time was 'unassisted', then that ticks me off. If you're shamelessly dragging... you gotta be honest with yourself about it. -Rick

I've never really understood the impulse to pull on lane lines. It totally teaches the wrong mechanics in backstroke. Me too. I've never once pulled on a lane line. I'm all about the one handed turns in practice though.

I've never really understood the impulse to pull on lane lines. It totally teaches the wrong mechanics in backstroke. And it is bad for the lane lines too, and they ain't cheap. Plus I'm not any good at it -- it actually slows me down -- so it costs me nothing to get all "purist" about it.... :bolt: The other thing pulling on the lane ropes does is keep you from inappropriately touching the women in the next lane over when you swim close to the rope. Thus I feel a noble purpose in this "cheat." I agree that it is not as fast, but for me it is a lot easier. As you can tell, I am not really that fond of a stroke where you get water in your nose. If not for the IM, I would be in favor of sending it the way of tech suits.

I use them occasionally in freestyle as I come out of a streamline, but rather than pulling with my bottom arm to level my body, I just use the top arm to grab those hand holds on the lane line and get going. :) Tried it today - can't do it

First year in High School I didn't letter because I barely didn't have enough points.I would have had I not gotten DQd for a one handed BR turn.That's the last time I did a one handed BR turn.Practice how you race.