You just need to swim. Whole-stroke swimming is best. Use swim snorkels to work in the balance of your stroke and use fins 50-75% of the time even when swimming to increase range of motion in your hips and ankles.
hmm, i feel fins have made me slower (when not using them), maybe they make me lazy
Some great posts in here. I genuinely appreciate the responses. Has definitely changed my perspective. You guys are inspiring me to give it a real hard go for a few months and see if I can make some gains that I can hold on to for next season.
A good friend and fellow adult onset swimmer told me the same things . . . I said how about years. This is the 5th year and he is front of the pack.
A good friend and fellow adult onset swimmer told me the same things . . . I said how about years. This is the 5th year and he is front of the pack.
I’m certainly not hoping to get to the front of the pack in a few months, but hopefully get closer to respectable. I’m trying to find a rhythm to my training year. This seems like it could have potential, to go inside, put the work in early and often, and leave it alone for a few months in the late fall and early winter. I think if I could get any where near the front of the pack in 5 years I would be amazed.
I gave it a try filming with my faux pro for the first time today. Horrible, just horrible. The zoom is too tight to get decent footage even zoomed all the way out, and what we did get is awful. I truly feel bad for anyone who has the misfortunate of seeing me in the water. I appear to be barely staving off drowning. No wonder the aid boats always ask me if I’m okay. I don’t look okay. I see a lot to work on, that’s for sure. My feet look like they’re at a right angle to my legs, so bad.
My faux pro Akaso works great in the pool. Very clear and wide field of view. Too wide almost. Not sure what you are using but it shouldn’t be that bad.
My faux pro Akaso works great in the pool. Very clear and wide field of view. Too wide almost. Not sure what you are using but it shouldn’t be that bad.
It’s an Akaso. Hero 4 I think it is.
I adjusted the angle to 170 which is as wide as it goes. The picture is amazing, but we didn’t have much luck getting the swimmer centered into the frame and at the right distance. Finally got one usable video from above, but the side and front were unsuccessful. We’re learning though, and won’t give up that easily.
My faux pro Akaso works great in the pool. Very clear and wide field of view. Too wide almost. Not sure what you are using but it shouldn’t be that bad.
It’s an Akaso. Hero 4 I think it is.
I adjusted the angle to 170 which is as wide as it goes. The picture is amazing, but we didn’t have much luck getting the swimmer centered into the frame and at the right distance. Finally got one usable video from above, but the side and front were unsuccessful. We’re learning though, and won’t give up that easily.
Maybe get a new one. That sounds wayyyy too small a field of view. I have the Akaso Brave, which without the underwater housing, costs $59.99 right now on Amazon. I mainly use it for head-on view since I suction cup mount it to a wall tile, but then I can see not only my entire lane, but most of the 2 adjacent lanes as well.
My faux pro Akaso works great in the pool. Very clear and wide field of view. Too wide almost. Not sure what you are using but it shouldn’t be that bad.
It’s an Akaso. Hero 4 I think it is.
I adjusted the angle to 170 which is as wide as it goes. The picture is amazing, but we didn’t have much luck getting the swimmer centered into the frame and at the right distance. Finally got one usable video from above, but the side and front were unsuccessful. We’re learning though, and won’t give up that easily.
Maybe get a new one. That sounds wayyyy too small a field of view. I have the Akaso Brave, which without the underwater housing, costs $59.99 right now on Amazon. I mainly use it for head-on view since I suction cup mount it to a wall tile, but then I can see not only my entire lane, but most of the 2 adjacent lanes as well.
I’ll look into it.
Mine is the Brave 4. Sorry, Hero is one of the GoPro versions I think.
My faux pro Akaso works great in the pool. Very clear and wide field of view. Too wide almost. Not sure what you are using but it shouldn’t be that bad.
It’s an Akaso. Hero 4 I think it is.
I adjusted the angle to 170 which is as wide as it goes. The picture is amazing, but we didn’t have much luck getting the swimmer centered into the frame and at the right distance. Finally got one usable video from above, but the side and front were unsuccessful. We’re learning though, and won’t give up that easily.
Maybe get a new one. That sounds wayyyy too small a field of view. I have the Akaso Brave, which without the underwater housing, costs $59.99 right now on Amazon. I mainly use it for head-on view since I suction cup mount it to a wall tile, but then I can see not only my entire lane, but most of the 2 adjacent lanes as well.
I’ll look into it.
Mine is the Brave 4. Sorry, Hero is one of the GoPro versions I think.
Ha you must be doing something wrong then. That’s the same exact one I have!
I’m definitely doing some things wrong!
I think we had the camera way too close to the subject. We were trying to figure it out on limited time and with limited skills and experience. I’ll get back with some more time and get it right.
Drill stuff I like…
1 arm free (one arm down, the other coming back). The unused arm is extended out front. For the arm that’s doing the stroke, make sure to extend the reach our in front of the extended fingertips on the (unused) arm (for a long reach). Also be sure to execute a long pull with the hand exiting the water as far past your hip as possible. This helps generate focus on the long stroke while connecting it to your hips/kick. It also provides a chance to optimize breathing on each side.
“flickers” - This is another long stroke drill. Swim freestyle, and “flick” the water with your exiting hand way down (so that the flicked water would land on the back sides of your legs. While focusing on this extended exit point, I find that (without trying), I also extend my reach on the other arm.
sculling - love sculling to develop the feel for catching the water
With 1 arm free you can use a hand paddle on the swimming arm to help you focus on “water feel”.
I also do wide arm catch-up as it really emphasizes not crossing over.
I don’t know what you call this, but put a kickboard between your thighs with the majority of the kickboard in the water. If you fishtail your legs you will definitely know it as it will create lots of resistance. If you keep the board parallel to the lane lines the board should glide through the water.
I’m with the OP that I really don’t have enough frequency or volume to really change my stroke. I’m just trying to do some other activity than just going out for a run.