Unfit
13-06-2002, 08:05 AM
hi guys,
well as you all know i'm newly back to the world of the swimmer (and by the way - i should really be changing my username soon, i've been doing so well!)
i've been getting some coaching on my stroke for the last couple of months and it's been really interesting. i teach and coach younger swimmers and hence, when i first got back in the pool i was trying to do all the things i tell them to do on each stroke - eg on f/c hand in the water on centreline palm facing outwards, S shaped pull under the water, etc. but, i've now been told that this is all wrong for me and that in fact my hand needs to enter about in line with my shoulder with my palm facing down and no S pull, just one powerful straight line pull. i was really dubious of all this to begin with but thought, hey, i might as well try it right!
well, to my astonishment he's completely right - i'm finding that i'm alot faster AND it's a lot less effort in the water. it turns out that he finds this alot. older swimmers are still trying to swim as they did when they were younger but really aren't flexible enough to be doing that anymore. all i was doing was pushing water sideways at the start of my pull making me snake from side to side up and down the pool - obviously wasting energy. he's getting me to do the same on my backcrawl as well which i'm finding alot more difficult - it feels so wierd! but i'm persevering.
anyway, i found all this very interesting and thought you might too! and all you other masters swimmers out there - have you found that your stroke has changed alot as you got older?
well as you all know i'm newly back to the world of the swimmer (and by the way - i should really be changing my username soon, i've been doing so well!)
i've been getting some coaching on my stroke for the last couple of months and it's been really interesting. i teach and coach younger swimmers and hence, when i first got back in the pool i was trying to do all the things i tell them to do on each stroke - eg on f/c hand in the water on centreline palm facing outwards, S shaped pull under the water, etc. but, i've now been told that this is all wrong for me and that in fact my hand needs to enter about in line with my shoulder with my palm facing down and no S pull, just one powerful straight line pull. i was really dubious of all this to begin with but thought, hey, i might as well try it right!
well, to my astonishment he's completely right - i'm finding that i'm alot faster AND it's a lot less effort in the water. it turns out that he finds this alot. older swimmers are still trying to swim as they did when they were younger but really aren't flexible enough to be doing that anymore. all i was doing was pushing water sideways at the start of my pull making me snake from side to side up and down the pool - obviously wasting energy. he's getting me to do the same on my backcrawl as well which i'm finding alot more difficult - it feels so wierd! but i'm persevering.
anyway, i found all this very interesting and thought you might too! and all you other masters swimmers out there - have you found that your stroke has changed alot as you got older?