I thought it would be fun to post this video analysis I recently did with one of the top US distance swimmers. She’s a really good kid, has 1.5 years of eligibility left in the NCAA and is still excited about training and racing. She’ll be fun to watch.
If anyone has any questions, please let me know.
Tim
For reference, here are some of her best times:
500yd Free - 4:37.31
1000yd Free - 9:37.26
1650yd Free - 15:49.83
Kaitlynn Sims Video Analysis
Here’s the problem: This is how I imagine I look swimming.
Sadly, reality is different than what is in my head.
Thank you for posting this. It is nice to see a “real” swimmer’s stroke and you break it down in the same format as you do the pro triathletes.
In the early part of the video you mentioned the connection with the core and leg position as you have in previous videos. You alluded to time in the weight room to correct this.
I am sure it is a complex solution and more than just “strengthen the core”, but are there any specific exercises you suggest to target this neuromuscular connection?
It would seem like strengthen all areas involved is important, but is tying it all together just more swimming or are there dry land type movements that help facilitate this?
Thanks again.
I hear you. But we are all in the same boat. She and I were laughing about that when we put her video up on the big screen. She didn’t realize how much she was crossing over with the right or that her hips were moving a lot. It’s all relative, but unless you video your stroke or get a lot of feedback from your coach on deck it’s tough to know how you look since you can’t see yourself swim.
Thanks for the comment and if you have any other questions, please let me know.
Tim
I’m glad you liked the video and found it helpful. That’s why I’m doing this.
Yes, I break down everyone’s stroke in a fairly similar way since fundamentals are fundamentals.
The S&C solution is complex, but there are some apps out there that make it a little simpler. We are trying to complement and reinforce the neuro-muscular connection we are generating from the S/B/R and balance out muscles so we can lessen the chance of injury.
The primary thing you are training is your brain and nervous system. You are building the skill of racing faster. That’s the goal. A part of the skill of racing faster is increased VO2Max and all of the metabolics. But it is a piece of that skill of racing faster and in reality it’s a byproduct of training the brain and nervous system. So if you keep in mind that relationship, it can shift training significantly and lead to much improved skill development.
are there any specific exercises you suggest to target this neuromuscular connection?
Yes, but as you pointed out it’s complex. Generally, we are looking to “force” core engagement while you recruit another muscle group. I’ll send you a DM on a good S&C app to check out.
is tying it all together just more swimming or are there dry land type movements that help facilitate this?
It is both. It is about more focused swimming and there are more dry land movements that can help complement and more efficiently improve the movement.
I hope that helps and if you have any other questions, please let me know.
Tim
I’d love the info on the S&C app as well. I’m still using my college S&C routine that my swim coach used at Indiana in the 80s. I know Doc Councilman is a legend but…
I hear you. The strength and conditioning work has come a long way since I swam in college and that was in the early to mid 90s. Check your DM.
Tim
Thanks for your insights and contributions. Amazing to see analysis of a phenomenal swimmer.
Welcome. If you have any questions about the analysis, I am happy to discuss. Do you see anything in her stroke that you are doing in yours?
Tim
Thanks Tim for sharing the video and your thoughts. It’s fascinating that as accomplished as Kaitlynn is, she has room for improvement with her mechanics. And it seems like it’s a very common improvement that many swimmers could get better at. It was also interesting to hear you speak about the impact that the pool has on her stroke. You must be really proud to have coached her when she was younger and to see her growth as a swimmer.
Steve
Thank you for sharing these analyses, Tim: I include those triathletes heading for Kona (?Matthews) from last month.
A common theme/advice/constructive criticism seems to be “the core’s not as engaged as it could be”.
Is this an unrealisable ambition?
Are there examples (you could name/share) of swimmers you judge have cracked this? Ideally with link to video footage so we could use as examples / emulate?
One thing I have been looking at this year is the legs as they are a MAJOR trailing drag component. We focus on pull and all that, but we’ve all seen fast swimmers with not so great arm action.
Your overhead video and front shows how well top swimmers hide their legs in the shadow of the core and also provide for a nice “skating” edge as I call it.
Right hand enters, right leg lifts to form that hand-through- foot “edge” length, with the hip at the low point, hand and foot are high.
I think there is more efficiency to be gained here, in reduced drag. No matter how good your pull is, leg drag is a killer.
The young swimmers are flexible and self-learn this aspect.
Adults aren’t limber enough and the timing is unique to swimming.
Thanks for posting this. When the video first started my impression was that an elite swimmer looked like she was drowning or at least just working way too hard. You confirmed my suspicion that the unnatural flow of the endless pool pushes her hips down and alters her stroke pretty dramatically.
I’ve swum with a tether before during Covid when I didn’t have access to a lap pool. The most significant thing I noticed was feeling like I was being pulled down and working way too hard to stay horizontal on top of the water which is typically effortless in a real pool.
How much of the other items that you point out are artificially created by the endless pool? Thanks again.
Steve,
Thanks for the comment. You should check out the analysis I did of David Popovici. He just set the world record in the 100m free at 17. And while it’s the world record, there is still a lot of room for improvement with his swim. He’s 17. As talented as he is he hasn’t had enough time to perfect every aspect of the race.
It’s great to see athletes who you’ve coached and helped along the way have successful careers later on.
Again, thanks for the comment and if you have any other questions, let me know.
Tim
No, not at all. Everyone can have the core engaged more. It’s simply a matter of focus and attention on it.
The thing about swimming is you never perfect the technique. You never reach the top of the mountain. The movement is a constant process of trying to improve. I’m working on training to swim a 50 free just from swimming in the endless pool. I hope to start putting those videos up. I haven’t really trained for 10+ years so it has been an interesting process of correcting flaws in my stroke. It has taken me a lot of focus to get my left side to pull as much as my right, especially at speed.
I’ll let you know when I start posting those videos.
Tim
The tether will definitely bring down your back end. The endless pool is really just pointing out where there might be a weakness in that “chain” or that your legs or upper body might not be as connected to core as they need to be.
The reason that body position is so important is because it has a large impact on other parts of the stroke. The main stuff we worked on, however, the crossing over and trying to get her core to engage more weren’t caused by the endless pool. The crossing over had been apparent in the workout the weekend previous.
Tim
I see it all the time with triathletes. I did an experiment in the endless pool with a HR monitor. I put the current at my normal pace and swam and my HR was between 105-110. Then I intentionally dropped my backend and my HR shot up to 148 and my tempo increased by about 25%. Getting long and flat on the water is a big deal.
In my experience, one of the big components of the legs dragging is that triathletes never do kick specific sets in practices and pull too much. The only way to connect, neuro-muscualrly, the legs to the core and vice versa is to make the movement. If you never make the movement, there won’t ever be a connection. Neurons that fire together, wire together.
But you are exactly right that more efficiency can be gained from better body position.
Tim
I hear you. The strength and conditioning work has come a long way since I swam in college and that was in the early to mid 90s. Check your DM.
Tim
Tim, would that app be appropriate (and easy enough to use) for a high school swimmer who just started swimming year round and has lots of room for improvement?
Yes. I recommended it to the coaches at the USA Club Swimming who I share the pool with and they have used it with the kids for the past couple years.
Tim
Tim,
That is an amazing observation about the metabolic cost of dragging you legs in the water. My sense is that for short hard swims that is really not a problem because you kick hard enough to keep good body position. But unless you’re using a wet suit in open water your legs will tend to drop because you are not kicking as much. I watch many swimmers just grab a pull buoy to compensate. Do you think that is a bad idea?
Also how do you feel about using fins for kick sets? I use them for drills often. I don’t have a strong kick and don’t use them for huge propulsion but I feel like it allows me to swim the drill with better form.
It seems like many triathletes have lean bodies and dense legs which makes good body position without a wetsuit more of a challenge.
Thanks again for spending your time responding to the many thoughts and questions.
Steve