Learned a little swim technique today
As I progress with the swimming I’m constantly learning new things. I try to focus my training on endurance and technique.
Today, I figured two things out:
- Lift your butt, and
- Don’t take huge strokes.
As I got tired I noticed that my body started to sink more, with only my head and shoulders sticking out of the water. This obviously causes a lot of drag, since your body is angled in the direction your moving. I lifted my butt on the final lap and it felt much easier to get through the water.
The second technique is to take strokes closer to your body. Hmmm… how can I explain this. Say your friend is on top of a sky scraper, and your waving to him telling him to come down. Something like that. I bend my elbows a bit more and try to increase the area that acts as my paddle.
These techniques might not be the best way of doing things, but it helped me a lot tonight.
I’m struggling with my kicking action, though. I’ve got it pretty consistent now, but it doesn’t feel as if it’s really helping to push me forward.
Suppose the best thing would be to join a swimming group or get a trainer. I’ll try to get my time around 2:00-2:10/100m for 2000m and then I’ll join the local Tri-group.
Logbook Activity
- Type: Swim
- Date: 03/06/2008
- Time: 17:45:00
- Total Time: 00:34:31.00
- Calories: 291
- Distance: 1500 m
- Average Pace: 2:17.93/100m
Filed under: Swim, Technique |
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6 Comments: :
Learned a little swim technique today
March 7th, 2008 5:16 am
Brad Hefta-Gaub says:
One idea that was described to me in my Total Immersion class which I think it very insightful is the following:
Think of your arms as having 2 jobs in swimming…
1) To puncture a small whole in the water that you will try to slip the rest of your body through.
2) Once you have your arm extended and your body ready to go through the hole, bend your elbow and “grab onto the water” and pull your body through the hole.
If you can visualize this, your arms are no longer actually providing force to propel you in the water (they aren’t very good at that anyway), instead they are slipping and holding… your body is causing the propulsion.
Good luck in your improved technique.
March 7th, 2008 8:53 am
Andy says:
Shot! Good hint. Thanks.
March 7th, 2008 3:07 pm
nikkid says:
I agree, great ideas, Brad. I have a lot of athletes complain about having too much to think about (technique-wise) while swimming so I will try to keep this brief and simple. The easiest way to keep your hips up while swimming is to make sure that your head is down. If you swim with your head down(not completely under water, but so you are looking directly below you, say at the black line of the pool) your hips and legs will stay up provided that you have some type of kick going on
OK one more idea then I’m done. A good drill to work on “grabbing” the water like Brad talked about is fist swimming. It’s exactly what it sounds like. Swim with your hands in fists. It is incredibly frustrating but it teaches you how to use your forearm and upper arm to grab as much water as possible (increases efficiency). Then when you do a lap with hands open you will feel like you have giant paddles. Good luck!
March 7th, 2008 6:27 pm
Brad Hefta-Gaub says:
Nikki’s suggestion of “fist swimming”is a good one. There’s a product you can buy called “fist gloves” that are basically fingerless latex gloves that you have to wear with your hands in a fist. Swimming like this every once in a while is a great way to remind your self how not to use your hands as paddles.
March 10th, 2008 11:51 am
Karl McCracken says:
When I first read your tip about taking small strokes, I thought you meant short strokes - not reaching forward, and not extending the stroke all the way back! Thankfully, this ISN’T what you meant.
I’ve still got a long way to go on the hands-close-to-the-body thing, but I’ve also come on a long way in the last few months. One of the biggest benefits isn’t speed though - it’s reduced stress on your shoulders. Put it this way - try holding a weight out at arm’s length, and then try holding it close to your body. It’s just so much easier.
From my own experience of swimming at our local Tri club, I’d suggest that you join up straight away. Don’t wait ’till you’re “good enough”, as the other people you swim with and the coach are sure to get you to where you need to be a whole lot quicker than you’ll manage on your own.
March 10th, 2008 2:19 pm
Andy says:
@ Brad: Thanks, I’ll have a look if I can see anything like that.
@ Karl: Yes, I agree. It’s more a case of reducing the strain on your shoulders. Also, I wouldn’t mind joining the Tri group now, but an average session for these guys are 2400m @ 2:00/100m. So I wouldn’t be able to keep up yet. The coach swims with the group, so its not as if he can give me separate attention in another lane.