Swimming for Hammers and Spoons

I think I did this today. It felt like I was keeping my arm in the same plane (relative to torso) as my torso rotates and I extend forward. If that makes sense. So rather then leaving the arm in the same absolute plane with palm remaining pointing to pool floor.

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That sounds ideal. The idea is also “continuous swimming” so a contiual fluid motion which this should help with. It may be more fatiguing as you’ll naturally up the stroke rate, but in time you adapt. Obviously higher stroke rates are essential for OW also.

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That’s what I found with the hugging shoulder to the ear part as well. It kept the body and extended arm in one plane, and seemed to result in the pinky down approach a bit more naturally. But, the consequence of probably better technique/reduced drag, was I was swimming faster with a faster turnover, and it got hard to maintain.

I also ended up with a tiny bit of front deltoid pain on the left side. Not entirely the fault of this change, as I noticed some achiness in that shoulder when on the aerobars last week, but the slight change in technique seems to have accentuated that.

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I understand what you mean and fitness is what has stopped me before. I had a good chat with Simon Ward about this poolside. I just can’t keep it going. I don’t get how to have the higher cadence and a strong catch and pull. I am sure fitness must be the key?

I have committed myself to properly improve swimming this year. My plan is loosely this. Just get back swimming and improve basic swim fitness (happening now). Then Solar’s sprint phase, with some USRPT sessions. Then look to get this continuous swimming as my normal swimming.

I will likely only be doing a sprint or two if any races this year so nothing to get fit for as such.

Its very different approach based on individuals but a typical male adult swimmer with low stroke rate to start in off season I would over emphasis that to build catch and pull i.e. use the tempo trainer at say 50 SPM and get them lowering the SPL until they can comfortably hold , say 18 strokes for a starter. I would then introduce higher tempos over shorter distances trying to hold that SPL figure. You will slip water the faster you go, but its about lessening that loss, take Thorpe as a good example, he would swim a warm up at 24 SPL (LCM) but would race a 400 at nearer 32 SPL, still well under what most decent triathlon swimmers would do! I also look at the likes of LCB who struggled from 44 at the start of her 1500m to close to 50SPL at the end, even Im using less strokes than that, but am considerably taller, and slower so it is horses for courses as ever.

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You have mentioned that approach before. As it won’t interrupt anything I will give that a go. Off season will be going until May/June '22 for me I reckon. Might be better in the crowded pool I am experiencing ATM. Swam at John Charles pool this morning. It was great being in the medium lane with people doing crawl, occasional breaststroke. As opposed to local pool where the fast lane has slow breaststrokers in it :rage:

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If I remember correctly Solar also had a similar thing about holding 1:30’s for 400m at 48SPM before moving on, or something like that (may have been someone else, but he’s someone I have learnt a lot from and this approach has come from a number of sources.)

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Holding 1:30s for 400m at 48spm - paddles and fins right? :rofl:

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Is 51SPM okay?
That’s what I managed for my 4 x 400m the other day at 1:30/100m

That’s very low, if I was coaching you I’d be considering upping that slowly. Your technique must be quite good with such a low rate and times like that. Hold that DPS at 65spm you’d be maybe 10sec 100 quicker!

Tumble turns innit!
I can’t turn my arms at all.
Weak like a kitten.

I’m a glider - full extension and stretch.
I was told off for it a Tri club.

My stroke sort of pauses before I bring my arm down.

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New rule at my local pool is no backstroke to add to no overtaking and no butterfly.

Went for a session, 6 in the fast lane 2 doing breastroke :roll_eyes:. I told the staff they should add no breastroke in fast lane rule. It’s just a PITA waiting. And some people don’t wait at the wall even when you’ve been on their feet for a couple of lengths. I had to tell them to let me past!

Managed about 2.5k in 35 min. Tried a few 100m efforts at the end, really lost my top speed.

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Wow, nice pace. Particularly impressive with the breast stokers & various rules

If I could knock 1*100m out at that pace right now I’d be happy.

It helps to get the adrenaline pumping!

Phwoar :fire::fire::fire:
1:24/100m is shifting.

Should go well at Southport on Sunday :+1:t3::clap:t3:

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Yeah, that’ll make you competitive at anything other than the very pointy end. (an even the very pointy end of longer races)

I dunno…it’ll get to the better swimmers, depends what you’re calling “the very pointy” end?

I tend to find at sprints, people are swimming sub 5 minutes for 400m.

And For half’s, there are always a few swimming 24 minutes.

Then they seem to vanish at long distance :man_shrugging:t4:

But, yes, definitely very competitive. :+1:t3::tada:

Correct me if I’m wrong, but hasn’t @d.t let slip in a thread buried deep somewhere that they’re ex pro or semi pro?

Or did I just imagine that. (not that it makes any difference of course!)

Who was the water polo player?

@APM maybe?

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