I really need to work on my swimming this off-season in going with the whole “work on your weakest link” deal. I’m perfectly comfortable in the water and am not a “bad” swimmer per se, but I think my times would get much faster if I really improved my technique.
So here’s the question: What would be more effective if I had to pick one option- master’s swimming or private coaching lessons?
Like most of us I only have a limited amount of time and $, and want to get the most bang for my buck. If I go with Master’s, I’d probably swim with them 2-3x a week. With coaching, it’d probably be 2-3x a month, and then swimming the rest on my own to work on the skills.
Any advice? I know weekend clinics are an option too, but I’d like some more personalized attention.
I’d go with masters - assuming that you would get some coaching from masters. With masters you’ll get weekly workout and have others to workout with to keep you honest with the harder sets. I have been swimming masters for about a year and my swim workouts are much more effective over what I have been able to do on my own.
I was not a swimmer prior to doing tri’s over the past couple of years. I was VERY slow, but started swimming with the masters group 2-3 times per week at 0530. My times have dropped by about 20 seconds/100 and I now enjoy swimming , including butter, back and breaststroke. Our coach(Vic Hecker) is fantastic and only charges $40/ year and participation in swim meets. The best coaching deal around! I actually enjoy swimming in the mornings with the same group of people and our programs are always different, so it doesn’t get boring. Swimming alone I’ve found to be excruciatingly boring. So my vote would be for the masters group, but I know not all programs have good coaching.
If you REALLY want to improve, it is 5 days a week. I am heading into my 3rd year of 5 days a week masters and it was clearly the best thing I ever did for my race results. I get enough inputs from the coaches, and other swimmers that this can be good enough for some. But as martin stated, not all masters are equal, so see what you have in your area.
My master’s team has very nice coaches, who said/say that they provide technique help. However, I’ve found that they (my master’s coaches) are not very trained or observant. They helped me very little to none at all, in spite of their intentions.
The two private coaches I’ve seen have been far more observant of my problems and really helped me fix them. I am talking like 3 private lessons, total.
Can you find out how adept the master’s coaches are at technique help? Why not just show up a few times, ask for help and see if it’s doing anything for you?
I had to make the same decision about 3 weeks ago. I went for the coaching first as good swimming requires good technical skills and unlearning bad habits always takes longer than learning earlier rather than later. I do think there really is something to hydrodynamics aka Total Immersion. Good luck.
My experience would say that the coaching is over rated, and looked at too much as a quick easy fix. Too get better swimming takes YEARS!!! And, this is 5 days a week, 12 months a year, IMO, and my experience. But, so many seem to want to take the easy way out. But, this is great for me since I love being a terrible swimmer, but FOP at Tri’s. Even if my technique if far from perfect, the shape swimming has gotten me in helps throughout the entire race.
If you need individual attention, hen get the lessons, not the Master’s. Master’s should certainly offer some level of assistance to you through coaching and being around others to watch, but you need a solid foundation to get the most out of it. So get lessons, build a foundation, then go for the details.
The most improvement you can do is to learn how to swim the right way, as in efficient and strong, and then do it a lot.
Does anyone know if a good web resource for finding private swim coaches? I’m having a tough time finding them on the net and there is only one coach in NC listed on triswimcoach.com
Coaching. You can always design your own workouts or find workouts to do. Masters is a great way to train with a group but individual coaching & technique sessions are usually problematic due to numbers. After attending a coaching clinic a few years ago, one of the speakers said that to reach one’s potential in technique driven sports (swimming, gymnastics, figure skating) that it can take 10 years or 10,000 hours.
If you can’t find a private swim coach think private swim lessons. Depending upon where you live the facilities may have adult swim lessons. If you’re in an area that has high school swim teams talk to those coaches. If you live in an area with a university swim team talk to those coaches. You might even find a graduate assistant who would appreciate the $$$ & be able to assist you.
Why not 1-2 months of private coaching, get your technique down, most important thing you can do.
Then once you have it dialed in, join masters.
That is exactly what I would do.
No point in putting in the yards if you are not swimming correctly.
Get the technique. Fitness will follow.
Ding, ding, ding, we have a winner.
Fitness will come,
I’d rather do 1 hour a week of perfect stroke then 10 hours of poor stroke.
