Archive for September 2018
Doing it because an Olympian does it is no way to improve your stroke
Over the years I have seen many stroke variations become popular in the sport with no more supporting evidence than we saw it done by a top swimmer. Showing me an Olympic swimmer or even multiple swimmers is not a justification or proof that this is a good idea. Swimming has backward engineered from top…
Read MoreThe key to faster racing: Negative Splitting
For middle- and long-distance swimmers pacing is a key element in successful races. The ideal pacing, which leads to the fastest possible times, is to negative split. A negative split is where the second half is faster than the first half of the swim. To achieve this goal, you must swim this way at workouts.…
Read MoreKnowing Which Breaststroke Kick is Fastest
I have said many times that breaststroke has more successful variations than all other strokes combined. The problem is knowing what works best for you. Here is a great experiment you can do: My description is based on a short-course yards pool. First, create a baseline. Using your current kick, push off the wall and…
Read MoreDrop 5 seconds off your 50 backstroke!
There are many steps to an effective backstroke start, but two seem to be the most neglected by the learner, and the lack of these two items is a significant slow down in your 50 yard back time. Get your head back. As you begin to drive with the legs you need to throw the…
Read More