I'm ok at swimming now but I've always swam slower with a PB.

Paddles make me go faster, the larger the faster I go. Which sort of surprises me as I don't use them much, as it feels like cheating, I go so fast.

Paddles+PB for me are slower than paddles alone. I'm pretty sure it's the drag caused by the PB in the water for me - I can feel it dragging in the water when I use it. But I still do it from time to time with zero kick just to make sure my stroke isn't dependent on some part of my minimal kick.

Really? I don’t see a pause, I think I start the catch as the other hand starts to enter. Previously I used to start the catch earlier which meant my arm was not in front of my head when breathing but below me and I had no support. Spent a long time working on the front quadrant thing.

https://vimeo.com/849718822?share=copy

Sounds good. I needed to learn how to kick as I was a life long 2 beat and now a 4 beat which is much better for which pb hindered 😊. My pull mechanics were fine as I was pulling under 450 for a 400 lcm but probably kicking 75 seconds for a 50 😢

Congratulations on your progress. My best advice to you is to stop using the paddles and pull buoy a lot. You might get a benefit from them in the short term, but long term it'll diminish the efficiency of your stroke. It already looks like it has impacted your tempo (best I can tell it was around 2.2) and if used consistently will impact your "feel" for the water. Work on your distance per stroke, work on getting your core to engage and get in the weight room with a specific program for swimming. You won't even be able to get to some of the technique that the "Slowtwitch forum" talks about without the requisite strength and conditioning to make the movement over and over again.

Again, congratulations on starting to enjoy swimming. Keep it up.

Tim

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I missed this video earlier. Yes, there is a noticeable pause after you extend your forward arms. It almost like you are doing a catch-up swim drill. You want to extend your forward arm fully, yes, but then you want to promptly start your downward EVF pull.

Question: did you use the modified paddles much before you took this video? Because, as you extend forward, your hands take a slight upward angle (when your hands should be slightly pitched downward and lined up with your forearms). Using paddles attached to only your middle finger should start correcting this because you should start feeling lots more drag from your paddles every time your hand pitches up (as your hands do in the video). And then the paddles will clearly remind you to stop doing this with every single entry.

And snappingT is right, once you consistently use these paddles for a few months to a full season, your body will learn an enormous amount but you don't want to become forever dependent on them. You need not use them every day after that. I now use mine a only a few times a month.

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Gaaaaah!!!!


3 or 4 sessions - just took the video because I had chance when the pool was quiet, have GoPro with me all the time and take my chance when I can (plus also means I'm not practicing totally blind). I think it is better when using the paddles (I should video that too).

Sure, I would say that after at least 50x (~500m) sessions with the paddles, yes, please post 2 videos: one with you swimming with the paddles and buoy, and another one with you swimming normal freestyle at a good clip (but not sprinting) without any gear. It will be interesting to see if any differences will be visible. My prediction is yes.

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Better?

Looks good to me. Give us all a progress report and tell us how it goes.

Good luck,
Greg @ dsw

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Grabbed some more video today. https://vimeo.com/857875531?share=copy

Over water shots are paddles and normal kick. Under water: paddles and pull buoy and also normal swimming.

I start my catch by flexing my wrist, not sure how to stop this as I can't feel myself doing it but it's quite severe.

Also, don't know why I'm kicking slightly with pull buoy, not intentional.

I see some improvement, but you still have some major issues on your entry. For one, you are not going deep enough in the water as your arm enters the water ahead of your head. That is partially why your hand seems to angle upward (which, among other things, creates more drag). You gotta get a coach to work on your early vertical forearm with you. Because your arm entry should be straight and angled slightly downward in the water ahead of you, not bent and angled slightly upward (like you are doing in the video you just posted). Then, as you get your forward arm extended (after you fully extend it ahead of you), your hand and forearm should be doing something like this:





Also, after practicing lots with the paddles, it is far more useful to see video of you doing normal swimming, not video of you pulling with your paddles (seeing as you are not competing and racing with paddles, the paddles and buoy are simply teaching and training aids).

Also, it would be fascinating if you could get a helper to come with you to the pool once who could walk along the edge of the pool and then video you from the side (and slightly above) as you swim appox 25 meters in a wall lane (the wall lane closest to your video helper). That might show other technique errors that, when corrected, could help you with your arm entry issues. Can you do that?

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Isle - Overall I think your stroke looks great, espec with the paddles and buoy. Certainly Dark makes valid points about your entry but they are not that much of a big deal IMO. If you can just think about angling your hand down as it enters the water but while still reaching for full extension, that will give you a bit less drag and more force on your pull. But again, on the whole, you look very strong in the water. :)

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"Anyone can be who they want to be IF they have the HUNGER and the DRIVE."

If you want to not kick at all with a pullbuoy - cross your ankles. Problem solved (until you start doing dolphin kick...)

Thanks guys.

Oh swimming is so frustrating. I focus on one thing (for example low head position when breathing), think I have it sorted, move on to something else, only to realise that previously fixed issues have returned. Don't think I'll ever have this thing sussed. I'd just like to be a bit more efficient, I don't want the world ;-)

Don't obsess over it so much, just keep swimming and your stroke will sort itself out. Your stroke is plenty good as it is. As I said before, you look really strong with the padds and buoy, strong as in a college swimmer girl. :)

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"Anyone can be who they want to be IF they have the HUNGER and the DRIVE."

I watched your last video and didn't have time to read any other comments, but picturing your arms entering the water and going "over the barrel" will help shape your arm for the proper catch. Picture a big barrel in front of you and you have to bend the arm a bit at the elbow and drop the hand as you enter the water in front of you and then keep the hand momentum going down right into the pull as elbow stays up. Hope that helps! You have so much speed to gain, so that should at least be exciting!

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Haha, very kind, thank you!

That's the whole point and exactly what I wrote in post #12 already. And, as I wrote, only achievable by shoulder rotation, since the elbow is a mere hinge joint.

I put together your videos in a before and after split screen to show how negatively the paddle work is on your stroke right now. In my experience, doing a lot of paddle work with a buoy when you are starting out and trying to improve can have a lot of negative consequences for your technique. I highlighted some of them in the video. If you have any questions, please let me know. I am more than happy to help.

Tim

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I give up!

Are you able to find a local swim technique coach? If he/she is decent, that would likely help immensely.

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Fantastic Tim!

Great job

As always