Anybody want to take a guess at who these two elite triathletes are?

that lane line is indeed taut and aligned.

I'm sorry, I have no clue how that picture purports to show what you think it does. Those are 2 swimmers in different phases of their strokes (breath, rotation, kick, etc etc), and headed in different directions. Without video, no one knows how they're moving or positioned in the water.

I won't discount the theory of tautness and alignment, but i'm not sure that picture is the best illustration thereof.

Cool picture though.

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I wrote this, you should read it:
https://www.slowtwitch.com/...n_Swimming_6700.html

I'm sorry, I have no clue how that picture purports to show what you think it does. Those are 2 swimmers in different phases of their strokes (breath, rotation, kick, etc etc), and headed in different directions. Without video, no one knows how they're moving or positioned in the water.

Ha, I was going to post the same exact thing. Like comparing two riders, one in the aero position, the other out of the saddle climbing, apples and oranges..

Turing your head to breath shouldn’t screw up your taughtness or alignment. This is where a lot of people do screw up though.

You don’t think ideally these two swimmers look identical (arm straight out in front, legs taught/pointed & close together) except for the fact one had their head turned for a breath?

Both swimmers look pretty well aligned to my eye.

Given that they are both swimming similar speeds (apparently), with no one else close to them, I wouldn't call the swimmer on the left a "poor example" of alignment or tautness.

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The problem with this photo is that a 1/2 second earlier the breathing swimmer could have looked exactly like the other one, and that one could look exactly like the breathing one a 1/2 second later. Like tall swimmer said, we need a video to see exactly what each swimmer is doing, right and wrong..

Y’all are much more knowledgeable than me, so if you’re happy with the swimmer on the left then great.

But I think y’all are missing my point by saying the picture doesn’t tell the true story. That swimmer on the right, that is the tautness and alignment that we should all strive for. Throughout all phases of the stroke. It’s beautiful. That’s all I’m getting at.

So, who are they then? I am guessing the swimmer on the left is Lionel simply based on the way you posed the question.

Throughout all phases of the stroke. It’s beautiful. That’s all I’m getting at.



Except that is not what that picture shows, you are missing our points entirely. Go back and reread what I just wrote in the above post, I dont know how to explain it any clearer...

The original coach who emphasized this was Bill Boomer. He came up with the theory of posture, line and balance.

Like the others, I don’t think the photo shows what you think it shows.

Tim

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Actually the swimmer on the left has their kick inside a narrow cylinder that is no bigger than the width of their shoulder, their body looks to be aligned, and the front arm is appropriately extended approximately in front of her shoulder position when she gets her body rotating back to the face down position. I think the swimmer on the left looks just fine.

And no, you can't make a comparison between the two when they're at completely different points in their stroke. It's also almost impossible to tell where in the stroke phase the swimmer on the right is.

I would love to see a picture of tautness (or posture, line and balance if you will). Can you post one along with one that shows the opposite?

It's Daniella Ryf on the right and Ashleigh Gentle on the left via one of their IG posts on a leisurly training swim while in the UAE (I think the locale is correct)

I would love to see a picture of tautness (or posture, line and balance if you will). //

That picture of the gal on the right is a good one, for that one instant in the stroke. You are missing the point as well, these two ladies( not Lionel guys, sorry) could look exactly the same only reversed at a different point in their strokes. Although the left one catches wide, while the right one almost overreaches..

I'm not missing the point because I don't know the point. So she's taut at the one instant; but you tell me that doesn't show tautness. So what is it, and how do I know it? I've heard it discussed on Tower 26 but don't quite get it or exactly what I'm supposed to do to achieve it. I continue to consider "tautness" as "swimming coach noise" that doesn't translate for average triathletes.

Maybe it is the word, tautness. How about streamlined, does that make more sense to you? Think oil tanker and a racing surfski, one long, lean, narrow, straight, the other not so. The picture really needs to be a video, I suppose that is what we have all said or getting at...

Monty stop being such a grumpy old man who argues for the sake of arguing. J/k 😜

Ok I’m clearly wrong about what that picture shows to all of you. I’m still going to envision that she carries that same tautness/alignment throughout her stroke, and try and replicate that in my swimming.

Think of tautness like pulling on a string. There’s tension throughout it holding the string up. We work on tautness in T26 by doing a lot of kicking while concentrating on holding our core right, not allowing the shoulders or head to rock at all. Completely still body with a tight kick originating from the hip not the knee. So when swimming, the taugtness to me is everything below the shoulders pointing straight back & lengthened. If that makes sense.

Alignment just just that, keeping everything in line. Head perfectly still. Arm reaching out straight in front of shoulder and then hand pulling through a narrow channel straight back. Taught legs slightly rotating about the axis of your body, no side to side wiggle of your legs/feet. We work on this by doing a lot of snorkel, buoy & band work (no paddles).

I'm partly with your description. "Keeping everything in line" is the same as Monty's "streamlined" - at least to me. Kicking as if my legs were inside a small tube is what I envision for "taught legs". But I've always struggled with the concept of holding the core tight (is that what you meant?) ... like should I be concentrating on holding my ab muscles in or something?

It’s tough to tell you exactly what to do. You obviously can’t flex your core muscles very long. It’s more of an engaging. One thing he also has us do is when standing, have someone push you on the shoulder. If you are engaged you should be able to resist this push.

Kicking with a snorkel, trying to keep your upper body completely still will force you to engage what you need to. Then immediately after some kicking, try and carry that feeling into some swimming. You will have to build the strength endurance to hold that for longer and longer.

i can only guess what this pic shoes ( it shoes as much as the pic that apparantly profs draftig in talbots thread ... ) if i would make a guess on that pic i would say there is a good chance that the swimmer on the let swim the better line as the one on the right seems to have gone of course and had to direct the course ( thats me assuming they are swiming along the robes)

and yes there is good chance that the swimmer on the right shows what you want to show, but again one pic cant show that
besides I would say that timing is as important as propulsion alignment and tautness.
anyway its a good post as it is useful to talk about it but show us some videos
( janet evans maybe lol )

shoes

I do all this work by, you know, swimming. I can feel if something isn't aligned. I can feel if my pull isn't as straight back as it should be. I can feel if my torso/hips are twisting. I can feel if I'm not keeping my legs near the surface. I can adjust all these things on the very next stroke. All while doing my intervals or warmup or cooldown.

Why do you need all these toys?

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