Freestyle "system" question...
AnthonyMcCarley
Berwyn, PACharter Member
Saw an ad from "Swimming Secrets" on Facebook. It is basically a course on swimming freestyle - taught by Brent Hayden.
Wondering if anyone has opinions about his course - and if you agree with his statement below. He made this statement in the comments section below his ad.
Swimming Secrets:
Exxxxx Txxxxx Thanks for the comment! Fundamentally our technique varies greatly from TI. For example, we don't extend our arm below our body line to leverage the weight of our legs to stop them from sinking, and instead use our body position and movement to generate natural lift. What we see from a lot of TI swimmers is they will end up fully submerged underwater after each recovery (we see this in the Oceanwalker technique too which is wrong). What we use is an open arm technique (not straight arm or high elbow...but somewhere in between) as it is the most adaptable to any speed or distance while also protecting your shoulder from injury (although there is more at play to do this which you learn in the program). Stroke rate will vary from swimmer to swimmer according to wingspan (my wingspan is 202cm). You will learn the exact timing that will work for you, because focusing on having a high stroke rate causes a lot of swimmers to sacrifice their stroke length, as well as they lose a lot of water in order to keep their stroke rate up. It's like a car trying to go faster by using smaller tires. Don't forget in this video I am at cruising speed so my stroke rate is much lower than if I was sprinting, which is normally 56-58 strokes per minute. Hope you'll join the program and we can get you swimming like this too so you can crush your 800 free time!
Comments
Any swimming class/course regarding technique is useless without getting direct and immediate feedback from a coach.
Thank you - agreed. Still curious to your opinion regarding the three "systems".
OK I'll bite! I don't think there is a "system" that can work for everyone. There are way too many variables. I also wouldn't say anyone's system is "wrong," because obviously it works for some people or it wouldn't have gained any traction in the market. Physics are, after all, Physics. How your body moves through the water is determined by a lot of factors, some of which we can control and some of which are beyond our control. My feeling is that I am going to try to help everyone control what they can, in terms of timing, angles, and balance- so that they can reach their goals. Not everyone wants to swim fast or far- some just want to swim happy and pain-free...Then maybe we can coax them to swim far or fast
That's a good point. It also makes me realize that as I have aged, my stroke has changed to accommodate my strengths and weaknesses. I now catch myself doing sort of "old man" movements when I'm working in my garage or getting things out of a lower drawer in a cabinet. When I was younger I couldn't understand why older people moved the way they did. Now I do.
I agree with @jendut. Everyone is looking to swim as effortlessly/ efficiently as possible. As fast as possible is good. But for folks here the holy grail is as fast as possible with the least effort, that can be sustained for a very long time. (But that also means mixing it up. Changing up your stroke rate, breathing, kick, arm recovery, pull… ) What really matters is having someone knowledgeable giving feedback. Because I don’t always have an accurate idea of what I’m doing. I might be convinced I do. But eyes on me, and video don’t lie.
Different swim systems are great. Because what one says might not click. But another one might say the same thing, but in a different way, and then I understand. The more the merrier, assuming any aren’t advocating blatantly bad technique. And also assuming they allow for individual variations. The best scenario is “feel for the water” and good individual feed back. It’s not uncommon among us marathon swimmers to have physical limitations because of injuries.
Life begins at the end of your comfort zone. --Neale Donald Walsch