It’s one that provokes a lot of debate! For recovery I’d use things like zipper, shark fin, touch under arm, popov, as they also have added benefits like improving kick, balance, hand entry. FT drag can also, and I may throw it in occasionally but you’d never drag fingers through the water usually so why do that in a drill.
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Been surfing youtube explainer videos - Just checking if you know this one:
? It looks comprehensive to me and I plan to use it for reference, so I just want to check whether anyone knows it and disagrees with any of his points?- It’s not short but seems to cover a lot.
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Well that was fun…. only managed 40m before needing to use an arm…. can’t use fins in a public session. Pool level is lower than before, as i’ve drunk most of it.
Will keep on trying though!
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I tried it too today in cool down. I won’t repeat how I was described… 
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Ok you two are making me feel marginally better about myself and my effort this evening 
I couldn’t understand what to do with my arms like the guy in the video with his nice smooth timing side to side and I just ended up thrashing around like a salmon.
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The arms , its like a little scull at tge back, like you are about the ecit water to recover.
Keep at it. Its a really usrful drill, do it as 25s 0 to full , last 25 full stroke you feel awesome!
So depressed.- Been working hard at this for weeks.- And now I can swim 100m in 2 seconds slower and significantly more out of breath.-
Firstly, it can take time for any changes to form to result in performance improvements. If you are firing muscles differently, it will be more fatiguing.
So what has changed?
How fatigued were you when you tested yourself compared to base?
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trying to remove the stall at the start of my stroke. Takes so much thought that everything else falls apart. Then the arm timing falls apart so, in the end, the whole stroke, body position, kick and breathing is worse than before I started.
Front quadrant timing is one of the hardest parts to realign…i don’t recall it being the most important aspect of your stroke and i will get to review the vid as soon as i can…
If I understand the terms correctly, my “normal” stroke is close to what everyone calls “catch up” drill so I’m spending a significant proportion of each stroke with zero propulsion.
Yes, but having propulsion 90% of the time can be better than 70% if changing it is disrupting the rest of the stroke. Sometimes it is better to get the basics in place before the fine tuning.
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So, I’ve found a metronome app.- do you recommend 1 beat per stroke or 3? I’ve been trying with 3 ( for a 6 beat kick) but I find the extra beats distracting…
Whatever you are comfortable with for now - developing the kicking action is the priority so that it provides balance and progression…
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As eJC says, dont over think that, if 1 is best use that. Body Position then legs are the first things to think about.
In swimming we use BLABT body position, legs, arms, breathing, then finally timing
i bow to your greater knowledge.- but , to me, it feels that arm timing is the hardest thing to change ?
Timing is important but if the body creates excess drag or your arms are slipping through the water then its not going to make you any faster.
Well, I had a success with my swim today.- Not stroke related, but one of these guys swam under me (the ray not the diver) and I didn’t break stroke or get my head out of the water…
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Beautiful things
Aren’t they… And pretty common here.- But they are huge.- Doubt i’d have dealt with him as easily if i haven’t dived with them probably hundreds of times…
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