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other strokes. time comparisons
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Any of you try other strokes such as breast, back, and butterfly? how do your best 100 times compare? i wonder what it could mean to work on in benefiting your front crawl.

front : 1:20 (race pace is 1:30-1:40)
back: 2:40 ( i feel this is too slow)
breast: 2:40 (some say this burns most calories over distance?)
fly: 1:47
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Re: other strokes. time comparisons [synthetic] [ In reply to ]
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all of your stroke times are waaaaaaaaaay slow compared to your free time.
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Re: other strokes. time comparisons [synthetic] [ In reply to ]
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As a 45yo.

57.5 for the 100 free
1:00.8 for 100 fly
(Fly and free shaved and tapered)

Back 1:09 ish
Breast 1:30
(Unshaven, untapered)
My breaststroke sucks.

Shave and taper is about 3s per 100, for me

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Re: other strokes. time comparisons [synthetic] [ In reply to ]
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The only other stroke that I really train with is Breast, which is about 15 seconds slower than my Free times (1:20's to 1:40's training/racing etc).

I think that any stroke, and time in the water will benefit any of the other strokes. Getting that feel for the water in a different way than Freestyle will always help to improve technique and times.

My favorite swimming discipline is the 200 and 400 IM. I always admire how much time and work has to go into it to master all four strokes the way that they do!


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Re: other strokes. time comparisons [synthetic] [ In reply to ]
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Not a complete list, but in the last ~year I've gone:

50y free.............26.05
100y free...........56.42
50y fly................28.86
50y breast.........36.50*
100y breast....1:16.33

(*50 split on a 100 breast, probably could go high 34's on an outright 50)

I haven't raced backstroke in almost 30 years. Until recently, my backstroke in practice was slower than my breaststroke. We recently did a stroke clinic at Masters Team practice, bringing in the head coach from the very large age group team. He pointed out a major stroke flaw which was rather easy to correct. While I haven't done a lot of back stroke speed training since, I have done a few 25 sprints here and there, and can now go ~1-1.5 seconds faster than I can do a similar sprint breaststroke. Still not nearly as fast as my fly, though. Back and fly should be pretty similar.

"They're made of latex, not nitroglycerin"
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Re: other strokes. time comparisons [synthetic] [ In reply to ]
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Just to give some perspective of what the relative speeds between the strokes can be at near optimal performance, here are the 10th best seed times for the 100 of all 4 strokes for the 2017 NCAA Div I Women's National Championship, which is happening this weekend:

Free...........47.74
Back..........51.13
Fly.............51.42
Breast.......59.02

"They're made of latex, not nitroglycerin"
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Re: other strokes. time comparisons [JasoninHalifax] [ In reply to ]
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JasoninHalifax wrote:
As a 45yo.

57.5 for the 100 free
1:00.8 for 100 fly
(Fly and free shaved and tapered)

Back 1:09 ish
Breast 1:30
(Unshaven, untapered)
My breaststroke sucks.

Shave and taper is about 3s per 100, for me

Jason - Nice to see you posting again!!! Are those times scm or lcm???


"Anyone can be who they want to be IF they have the HUNGER and the DRIVE."
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Re: other strokes. time comparisons [synthetic] [ In reply to ]
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Interesting topic. I think the general order of fastest to slowest for the 4 strokes are free, fly, back, breast. But there are some really great backstrokers out there where their back is slightly faster than fly. Also depends on how good their walls are, some have great underwaters on back so their backtroke times are close to if not faster than fly.

As an adult onset swimmer my times are close to the following in SCY:

100 Free: 1:08
50 Fly: 0:37
100 Back: 1:20
100 Breast: 1:25

I've never done a 100 fly and stroke would probably fall apart the last 50 anyhow.
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Re: other strokes. time comparisons [synthetic] [ In reply to ]
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I am embarassed to put up any of my swim times on ST, but yet when I go to most pools around the world, aside from when a swim team is in there, I'm on of the fastest guys in the pool. It's not saying I am fast relative to real swimmers, but I guess on ST you only get real swimmers posting their times. My fly is around 5s per 50m slower than free. Breast is more like 10s slower per 50m. Back is a bit faster than breast.
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Re: other strokes. time comparisons [ericmulk] [ In reply to ]
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Scm. I'm not posting much, but I do check out the forum every few days to see what's going on.

Taking a vacation day today and the little man is napping, so I actually had a little bit of time on my hands

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Re: other strokes. time comparisons [synthetic] [ In reply to ]
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400m IM Splits...


Fly: 1:04
Back : 1:14
Breast : 1:25
Free : 1:07

4:50. Goal is 4:45 or so.

You must have awful back and breast technique.


Fastest 100 Fly in the last year is 58.9 and 100 Free is 56.8.

All times are SCM.

My 800 was 8:56 last year. 6th ranked for M35-39 (worldwide).

___________________________________________
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2020 National Masters Champion - M40-44 - 400m IM
Canadian Record Holder 35-39M & 40-44M - 200 m Butterfly (LCM)
Last edited by: realAB: Mar 16, 17 11:24
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Re: other strokes. time comparisons [TrierinKC] [ In reply to ]
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TrierinKC wrote:
Interesting topic. I think the general order of fastest to slowest for the 4 strokes are free, fly, back, breast. But there are some really great backstrokers out there where their back is slightly faster than fly. Also depends on how good their walls are, some have great underwaters on back so their backtroke times are close to if not faster than fly.

Back when I was in HS (mid-80's), a good 100 flyer was ~2 seconds faster than an equally good 100 backstroker. Changes in turn rules (you used to have to stay on your back and touch the wall with your hand at every turn, now you can roll to your chest and essentially do a freestyle turn), and technique (the extended underwater dolphin kicking) has pretty much closed the time gap between the two strokes.

"They're made of latex, not nitroglycerin"
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Re: other strokes. time comparisons [synthetic] [ In reply to ]
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synthetic wrote:
Any of you try other strokes such as breast, back, and butterfly? how do your best 100 times compare? i wonder what it could mean to work on in benefiting your front crawl.

front : 1:20 (race pace is 1:30-1:40)
back: 2:40 ( i feel this is too slow)
breast: 2:40 (some say this burns most calories over distance?)
fly: 1:47

Generally, if you have sound technique, you can probably assume 2-3 seconds per hundred. But everyone has different specialties & skills so it could be wider or narrower. It also grows with distance - for instance, my race pace for 100 free/fly are about 3 seconds apart on an all all-out 100, but 8-10 seconds on a 200 free/fly.

Maybe others can provide some sort of scientific or empirical evidence why doing all strokes in training can help your freestyle. I have been swimming competitively for 27 years and I feel like it does, but really don't know why. Perhaps it alternates your muscle groups while still training your aerobic system and helps you feel the water better.

Strava
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Re: other strokes. time comparisons [synthetic] [ In reply to ]
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Free: 1:01
Breast: 1:21
Back: dunno but when I do 50s, my back time is ~2s slower than breast so 1:25 maybe? (backstroke has always been a mystery to me)
Fly: dunno but a WAG would be 1:10
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Re: other strokes. time comparisons [sch340] [ In reply to ]
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sch340 wrote:
synthetic wrote:
Any of you try other strokes such as breast, back, and butterfly? how do your best 100 times compare? i wonder what it could mean to work on in benefiting your front crawl.

front : 1:20 (race pace is 1:30-1:40)
back: 2:40 ( i feel this is too slow)
breast: 2:40 (some say this burns most calories over distance?)
fly: 1:47

Generally, if you have sound technique, you can probably assume 2-3 seconds per hundred. But everyone has different specialties & skills so it could be wider or narrower. It also grows with distance - for instance, my race pace for 100 free/fly are about 3 seconds apart on an all all-out 100, but 8-10 seconds on a 200 free/fly.

Maybe others can provide some sort of scientific or empirical evidence why doing all strokes in training can help your freestyle. I have been swimming competitively for 27 years and I feel like it does, but really don't know why. Perhaps it alternates your muscle groups while still training your aerobic system and helps you feel the water better.
yes I love the feeling of the arms in the breast stroke, helps on the freestyle. Especially when I get sloppy in free, it's a good reset. For sure most my slowness is due to lack of volume in these other strokes
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Re: other strokes. time comparisons [synthetic] [ In reply to ]
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My normal training pace for freestyle is about 1:45 LCM. I swim in the slow lane with a tri group and whenever we do other strokes, everyone overtakes me/swims away from me.
My breaststroke and back stroke 100m LCM times are about 2:20. If what you say is true, your breaststroke and backstroke times are dreadful compared to your freestyle!

You must know that already though, or you very rarely use the other strokes.
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Re: other strokes. time comparisons [synthetic] [ In reply to ]
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I would add that you can't swim backstroke without high elbow catch or your hand would come out of the water.....so there is that when you transfer to free.
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Re: other strokes. time comparisons [devashish_paul] [ In reply to ]
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Sure you can. It just means you are leading with your elbow rather than keeping you forearm perpendicular to the direction of travel

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Re: other strokes. time comparisons [synthetic] [ In reply to ]
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I never swam the 100 fly, but my 100 breast is about 9 seconds slower than my 100 back, which in turn is like 14.xx seconds slower than my 100 free (scy). I gotta close those gaps somehow lol
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Re: other strokes. time comparisons [Zenmaster28] [ In reply to ]
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Pushed 1:18 100m breaststroke today... after 8x100 fly and 16x25 Br @ 200 IM pace

___________________________________________
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerebral_palsy
2020 National Masters Champion - M40-44 - 400m IM
Canadian Record Holder 35-39M & 40-44M - 200 m Butterfly (LCM)
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Re: other strokes. time comparisons [MikenUltra] [ In reply to ]
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free 1:30
back 1:50
breast 2:00
fly I cannot do for more than 50 metres.

Adult onset swimmer at age 20 now 50 years old. No formal instruction in other strokes just messing around

They constantly try to escape from the darkness outside and within
Dreaming of systems so perfect that no one will need to be good T.S. Eliot

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Re: other strokes. time comparisons [synthetic] [ In reply to ]
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All in LCM

Free: 1:12
Back: 1:42
Breast: 1:50
Fly: 1:25

I hate breast stroke and according to my coach, my top half is good and my bottom half blows. I have trouble turning my ankles. At all. I hate doing it. It's exhausting and slow and for that reason alone it must be worthwhile.

My back technique isn't great but is coming along.

My endurance needs work for fly. My form is good for the first 50 and suffers a lot as I get tired.

Dan Mayberry
Amateur a lot of things, professional a few things.
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Re: other strokes. time comparisons [drm437] [ In reply to ]
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im glad people gave data to show varying speeds on the stroke... and to brag too (haha) . but one of the main points was missed... being my breast and back are so off, i think it means im missing something in my free stroke to be faster. thus I am assuming the kick
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Re: other strokes. time comparisons [synthetic] [ In reply to ]
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Breast kick has nothing to do with free kick. The pull mechanics in all strokes are virtually identical though.

Your streamlining in the non free strokes probably sucks

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Re: other strokes. time comparisons [JasoninHalifax] [ In reply to ]
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JasoninHalifax wrote:
Breast kick has nothing to do with free kick. The pull mechanics in all strokes are virtually identical though.

Your streamlining in the non free strokes probably sucks

that you are 100% right... i dont know how to set up for breast off the wall, feel my legs are a parachute when setting up for the kick
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