'False' breakthroughs.

[Rincewind]

Many people mention these moments of enlightment where suddenly by changing some small element of their technique they feel like they become much better swimmers overnight. Everybody is different and I truly do believe that what they are saying was an actual experience for them.

However even though through drills and parctice I have gradually become a better swimmer, I am yet to truly experience one of these moments.

What I have experienced a lot is what I call 'false' breakthroughs. Usually they happen towards the end of a swimming session, where I change a minor element of my technique and suddenly feel like I am swimming so much better and easier. I go home thinking that I finally made a breakthrough only to come back the next day and realize that the breakthrough feeling was caused by me shifting the work balance from 'tired' muscle groups at the end of the workout to the ones that were 'less tired'.

Anybody else had these 'false' breakthroughs or am I the only unlucky one?

[borate]

Originally Posted by Rincewind

Many people mention these moments of enlightenment where suddenly by changing some small element of their technique they feel like they become much better swimmers overnight. <snip>
What I have experienced a lot is what I call 'false' breakthroughs. <snip>
Anybody else?

Yup.
Like the placebo effect...whatever makes one feel good ain't that bad. ^_^
Mine are most likely fleeting perceptions of a breakthrough, related to my state of body and mind at the moment.
Yet they do hint at incremental progress that becomes evident with time.

[forests]

Know the feeling guys. When a breakthrough occurs, usually toward the end of a workout, I make sure it is a primary focal point for my next session so I can imprint it.
Last week finishing up my pool time, I noticed the last 500 yds. were distinctly different from the 1500 preceding them. The difference was that not only was my forearm horizontal, it was also more relaxed, almost "floppy" upon entry. I then realized that when I totally release the tension in my shoulders and forearm, I'm less tired. All things Terry has said but I had to experience this myself before I could make the adjustment.
I now have about 10,000 yds. of focusing on this and it has made a difference!
Bottom line, maybe your "false breakthrough" has more purpose than you think. Try to repeat the experience and then decide if it is worthwhile to keep.
Best Regards,
Steve

[DD_l_enclume]

I had lot of them too.
Usually,the next session, when I feel that it's not a real breakthrough, I drop it, and look for something else.
That might be a mistake : maybe focusing for a few session on these false breakthrough would help getting the real breakthrough.

I got one a few weeks ago, during a race. After 1.5 hours, I felt really tired. And somehow my back and my side took over the overload from my arm.
For one more hour until the finish, that has been somehow imprinted.

This would not have happened during a pool session, because I would had stopped long before that.

In the next month, I'll try to stay longer on focus points, and not just drop them after a few lengths because I feel they don't work.

[swimust]

Originally Posted by Rincewind

Many people mention these moments of enlightment where suddenly by changing some small element of their technique they feel like they become much better swimmers overnight. Everybody is different and I truly do believe that what they are saying was an actual experience for them.

However even though through drills and parctice I have gradually become a better swimmer, I am yet to truly experience one of these moments.

What I have experienced a lot is what I call 'false' breakthroughs. Usually they happen towards the end of a swimming session, where I change a minor element of my technique and suddenly feel like I am swimming so much better and easier. I go home thinking that I finally made a breakthrough only to come back the next day and realize that the breakthrough feeling was caused by me shifting the work balance from 'tired' muscle groups at the end of the workout to the ones that were 'less tired'.

Anybody else had these 'false' breakthroughs or am I the only unlucky one?

hey, I should have wrote this post. I had maybe billions of these "cases" and I will may have more in the future. Its part of the learning, until you really find a change that helps.
a basic example from my past:
I was so focused on "shoulder work" (thats nonsense btw), that I forgot how to pull! I started to pull with my palm which is illegal in TI. Took me "few months" to correct that and I got a serious improvement after starting to engage my forearm at the start of the pull instead of the very wrong "palm pull".

[Rincewind]

Yeah, I think just the fact that one becomes aware of the cause and effect a subtle change can make is in itself indication of progress.

However it seems like some people experience a huge instant improvement.

And personally I have never experienced that. My improvement has been very gradual. And in the cases where I thought I had it, in the end it turned out to be a 'false breakthrough'. =)

So I guess my ultimate question is to all the people who posted on here describing their moments of breathrough. Was it real, or did you come back the next day to discover that you are pretty much the same swimmer, but perhaps just a little bit more aware?