CaliB wrote:
JFHJR wrote:
I've had a tri-specific coach and two masters coaches. I've used Front Pack Swim. My wife is a former collegiate swimmer and coach. The local Y coach has looked at my stroke for me. They all think my stroke is "fine". Some have written great workouts for me. None has significantly improved my ability to swim faster.
Looks like you didn't progress that much with them but I'm curious about your experience with Front Pack Swim? I read a lot of good reviews (including on this forum)
I had an interesting intro call with them recently where they basically told me that everything I see online only applies to tall strong swimmers and that as a short petite woman I need to develop a "custom" stroke with fast turnover/limited rotation to stay on top of the water, that CU drills and such will only make me slower, blahblahblah (very marketing but somewhat made sense). I at least like that they guarantee the results and will (supposedly) refund you if you don't reach the agreed target.
Given the price and the fact that I'm still very much a beginner and still improving by increasing my volume I will reassess later when I'm at a better level and start plateauing if the $$ are really worth it. I'm barely breaking the 10k m per week barrier which I know is still very low but getting there was not easy as an adult learner (combined with childcare logistics and work). I try to have a strong focus on technique (lot of time watching YouTube, going to clinics and getting individual lessons once in a while to get tips) and add intensity.
Anyway, back to FPS... I just hate that they did plant a seed of doubt in my mind that makes me question if I'm ingraining bad habits every time I do a drill.
The guys at FPS are really great. They're passionate and knowledgeable.
For me, though, it wasn't a fit for two reasons:
- They held their video review calls in the middle of the work day Eastern Time. I could never make them and there wasn't a workaround. So, I never got my stroke reviewed/critiqued.
- Their training model is built around constant testing and accountability tracking. I saw some very quick gains and exciting, but a few weeks in, my entire mindset shifted from learning to swim to beating the last test's times at all costs (technique be damned). Pretty soon, I dreaded going to the pool because it was a mess of failure and flailing arms/legs.
I, too, was told about a customized stroke for my size and ability. I never saw anything customized, or any attempt to customize.
YMMV. Like I said, though, I really liked the coaches personally. It just wasn't a good fit for me.