I have been reluctant to get into the mess of philosophy on swimming technique. Before December I never looked at "Slow Twitch" and certainly did not write any threads. I kept to my little world of swimming clinics in New York and taught what I thought worked. In the twenty-one years and 3,500 participants I have learned and evolved into the teacher I am today. I videotape every person in my clinic. We use slow motion and stop action to analyze what actions create what reaction.
People who come to my clinics come from a variety of backgrounds. Some are former competitive swimmers who need an update on technique. Others have taken a quick fix weekend where they spend eight hours floating on their sides. Most are new triathletes who look at the water as something they must get through in order to bike and run.
On the first evening I ask them why they are here and what do they want. Most consider themselves as slow swimmers whose strokes "suck." They are desperate for knowledge and guidance in how to deal with this strange medium. Many have read books which left them totally confused.
We do an assessment. How far can you swim in ten minutes? How is your ankle and shoulder flexibility? How fast can you swim one length and how many strokes does it take to do it? I then videotape all of them and warm them that they will not like what they see. It will be as if I pasted their heads on some thrashing non-swimmers body.
The next session we learn how to kick before anything else. We do use a kickboard and fins initially. Once they have a sense of how to they learn hand position and balance. I ask them to extend their arms and play with different hand positions to feel which create the most lift. They breathe by extending their chins. If their hand position works they will be able to get some air if not they will drown and die.
We then start on the stroke by doing a drill called "scooters." You place one hand on the middle of the kickboard while you swim with the free arm. You face is out of the water looking straight ahead during this drill. Lift your shoulder, then elbow and finally hand clear of the water. Keep your fingers very close to the surface of the water as you bring your arm forward to the near end (end closest to you) of the kickboard. Glide your arm forward to the end of the board, flex your wrist, start your hip moving and pull your arm back next to the board. Keep in mind that you are always looking straight ahead. At the end of the length, change arms. Repeat, repeat, repeat. This drill teaches you how to recover your arm, forces you to kick, lets you know where your hand should enter the water (in line with your shoulder and across from your elbow) and when to initiate hip rotation.
After the group has mastered the scooter drill we progress to one arm swimming. We are moving to swimming by using a series of progressive drills. Swimming itself is not a drill but a culmination of intricate movements which when put together become a fluid coordinated masterpiece. We swim a length of the pool with one arm fully extended. It stays on the surface and does not move. Use this arm as a measuring device. As with the scooter drill your swimming arm recovers shoulder, elbow and then hand. You hand enters the water opposite your elbow and in front of your shoulder. As soon as this arm extends to the outstretched arm flex your wrist, lead with your hip and take your stroke. If your hip lead the stroke it will help your shoulder to remain high in the water and keep your elbow higher than your hand. Finish the stroke at your hip and release your hand. Your hand exits the water wrist then fingers. There is no flicking of your fingers backward to finish the stroke. I instruct my charges to finish the stroke with the heel of the hand with their fingers pointing to the bottom of the pool. We do the one arm drill with each arm and breathe on the side of the moving arm. As soon as the stroke is started they are instructed to take a breath. Breathing is done very early in the stroke. "Look to the side of the pool as you take your breathe," I instruct them.
We then progress to a catch up drill where the class uses both arms. They have learned to breathe on each side, established a very early hand entry and extension. It is now time for regular swimming. I explain to them that every stroke has a slight catch up in it. This happens for several reasons. The arm moving through the water moves slower than the recovering arm in the air. Before you can start each new stroke your hips are going to be sqaure in the water for a split second. The hand entering the water opposite your elbow lets you know that your hips are in place to initiate the stroke.
My class is now aware of some of the complexities of swimming and how it works sequentially. They can intellectualize that as soon as on hand enters the water it triggers the other side of the body to get moving by flexing the wrist and open the hip. They know to breathe very early in the stroke. Both sides of the body function in exactly the same manner.
What I have written is two sessions in a six week clinic. Drills are very useful in teaching technique as long as you put them in context and always finish with swimming. I encourage my students to challenge and question my beliefs on swimming. I love to learn and share my point of view. I encourage all of you to do the same. Use your senses (sight and touch) to master your stroke.
There is no quick fix to learn to swim. It takes years to groove in patterns of behavior.
DougStern
People who come to my clinics come from a variety of backgrounds. Some are former competitive swimmers who need an update on technique. Others have taken a quick fix weekend where they spend eight hours floating on their sides. Most are new triathletes who look at the water as something they must get through in order to bike and run.
On the first evening I ask them why they are here and what do they want. Most consider themselves as slow swimmers whose strokes "suck." They are desperate for knowledge and guidance in how to deal with this strange medium. Many have read books which left them totally confused.
We do an assessment. How far can you swim in ten minutes? How is your ankle and shoulder flexibility? How fast can you swim one length and how many strokes does it take to do it? I then videotape all of them and warm them that they will not like what they see. It will be as if I pasted their heads on some thrashing non-swimmers body.
The next session we learn how to kick before anything else. We do use a kickboard and fins initially. Once they have a sense of how to they learn hand position and balance. I ask them to extend their arms and play with different hand positions to feel which create the most lift. They breathe by extending their chins. If their hand position works they will be able to get some air if not they will drown and die.
We then start on the stroke by doing a drill called "scooters." You place one hand on the middle of the kickboard while you swim with the free arm. You face is out of the water looking straight ahead during this drill. Lift your shoulder, then elbow and finally hand clear of the water. Keep your fingers very close to the surface of the water as you bring your arm forward to the near end (end closest to you) of the kickboard. Glide your arm forward to the end of the board, flex your wrist, start your hip moving and pull your arm back next to the board. Keep in mind that you are always looking straight ahead. At the end of the length, change arms. Repeat, repeat, repeat. This drill teaches you how to recover your arm, forces you to kick, lets you know where your hand should enter the water (in line with your shoulder and across from your elbow) and when to initiate hip rotation.
After the group has mastered the scooter drill we progress to one arm swimming. We are moving to swimming by using a series of progressive drills. Swimming itself is not a drill but a culmination of intricate movements which when put together become a fluid coordinated masterpiece. We swim a length of the pool with one arm fully extended. It stays on the surface and does not move. Use this arm as a measuring device. As with the scooter drill your swimming arm recovers shoulder, elbow and then hand. You hand enters the water opposite your elbow and in front of your shoulder. As soon as this arm extends to the outstretched arm flex your wrist, lead with your hip and take your stroke. If your hip lead the stroke it will help your shoulder to remain high in the water and keep your elbow higher than your hand. Finish the stroke at your hip and release your hand. Your hand exits the water wrist then fingers. There is no flicking of your fingers backward to finish the stroke. I instruct my charges to finish the stroke with the heel of the hand with their fingers pointing to the bottom of the pool. We do the one arm drill with each arm and breathe on the side of the moving arm. As soon as the stroke is started they are instructed to take a breath. Breathing is done very early in the stroke. "Look to the side of the pool as you take your breathe," I instruct them.
We then progress to a catch up drill where the class uses both arms. They have learned to breathe on each side, established a very early hand entry and extension. It is now time for regular swimming. I explain to them that every stroke has a slight catch up in it. This happens for several reasons. The arm moving through the water moves slower than the recovering arm in the air. Before you can start each new stroke your hips are going to be sqaure in the water for a split second. The hand entering the water opposite your elbow lets you know that your hips are in place to initiate the stroke.
My class is now aware of some of the complexities of swimming and how it works sequentially. They can intellectualize that as soon as on hand enters the water it triggers the other side of the body to get moving by flexing the wrist and open the hip. They know to breathe very early in the stroke. Both sides of the body function in exactly the same manner.
What I have written is two sessions in a six week clinic. Drills are very useful in teaching technique as long as you put them in context and always finish with swimming. I encourage my students to challenge and question my beliefs on swimming. I love to learn and share my point of view. I encourage all of you to do the same. Use your senses (sight and touch) to master your stroke.
There is no quick fix to learn to swim. It takes years to groove in patterns of behavior.
DougStern