Guaranteed to Improve Stroke Length

[terry]

Try this exercise with Tempo Trainer. You may need to experiment a bit to find the tempo range that suits you best.
Swim 10 x 25. Reset TT by .1 sec. each time. On 1st 5, reset TT slower each time. On next 5, reset TT faster each time.
Count strokes on each 25 and compare.
Here's an example
1.6
1.7
1.8
1.9
2.0
1.9
1.8
1.7
1.6
1.5
How many strokes did you start with?
How many did you subtract as tempo slowed?
Was your SPL same or fewer when you returned to starting point (9th 25)?
Was it still same or fewer when you finished? (.1 faster than starting)?
Allow 3 beeps on all pushoffs to keep that part consistent.

I encourage you to do this initially at a range that takes you to a slower tempo than you have ever swum at, such as the example given. For Freestyle, I'm not sure there's a benefit to swimming above 2.0, but my experience going as high as 2.0 was eye-opening. Until I did the set as outlined above I'd never used a tempo slower than 1.5. I found that from 1.8 to 2.0 any balance flaws I had became exposed. And with the tempo as slow as it was, I could sense where and why they occurred.

You can also do this with 50s. Allow 4 extra beeps on turns. Count total strokes for 50.

I plan to repeat this once or twice a week. I'll do it either as a start-of-practice tuneup, or at the end of effortful practices to re-tune my stroke and send me to the showers feeling great.

I'll do it with both with 25s and 50s, and will probably start at a slower range, and use incrementally faster ranges over time.

I also plan to do this with Backstroke.

If you do the set, in any form, please share your results here. And if you find they improve over time, please share that too.

Eventually I want to be doing this set starting @ 1.0 and finishing @ 0.9. I'll let you know how it goes.

[Richardsk]

Hi Terry

I tried this yesterday and found it interesting. The pool was rather busy so some of the results may be affected by drafting off faster swimmers, being impeded by slower swimmers (admittedly these are less common than the faster swimmers) and so on.

I started at 1:60 as you suggested and my first length was 19 strokes
At 1:65 I think I did 18 strokes, and then a couple of 17s.

I managed one length in 16 strokes but I don't remember which one. It is very unusual for me to do less than 17 so that convinced me to try this again. Maybe starting at a slightly faster tempo and going up (and down) in smaller increments - say 1:40, 1:45 etc...

When I finished the set I thought I would start over again but the mojo seemed to have deserted me. Nevertheless it was a very interesting experience.

[ames]

Well, I won't be asking for my money back. Worked like magic!

I haven't used my tempo trainer much and I've always ignored the posts with all the practice set math--not because I am a woman, but because I just wasn't to that level yet. :) Still mostly working on balance issues. And I don't have any swim background so I don't understand much of the math. But this one looked simple.

I swim in a big pool and there are some goofy current things going on, often there is a distinct "uphill" and "downhill" direction, so I did each length both ways. 25 yd pool, half strokes were when I was almost there, could do an extra-long glide to make it to the end. Pushed off at the beep and took first stroke at the third beep:

1.6 15 strokes
1.6 15
1.7 14
1.7 14
1.8 13
1.8 14
1.9 13
1.9 13
2.0 12.5 whoa getting wobbly here
2.0 12.5
1.9 13
1.9 13
1.8 13
1.8 13
1.7 13.5
1.7 13.5
1.6 14
1.6 14
1.5 14
1.5 14.5

Noticed I swam differently doing this than usual. My legs were stiff, not as relaxed as I would like but definitely more streamlined. Breathing was pretty easy, maybe because I wasn't thinking about it, just letting it happen. You can definitely sense the balance issues at 1.9 and 2.0. But I did better than I thought I would! An interesting lesson, thanks Terry
ames

[Richardsk]

I had another go at this yesterday and today. I warmed up yesterday with 4x25 and was pleased that I could do them all in 17 strokes. Then I switched on the Tempo Trainer and started at 1:60. I think my first 25 was 18, after that they tended to be around the 19 mark. I don't think I got back to 17 and definitely didn't reach 16. I went back down to 1:40 or so, by which time I was over 20 for most lengths and then carried on down to 0:90, which was clearly outside my form threshold..

Today I started at 1:10, which I think is also outside my form threshold at the moment and worked up to 1:60 and back down to 1:20. Instead of doing single lengths of 25m I was doing sets of four to get used to the feel of the various settings. I felt most comfortable around the 1:40 and 1:50 settings, so I think for future practices I will try to work outward from this range in both directions.
Again, today, I don't think I did any lengths in less than 18.

Fascinating stuff!

[pinguin]

My experience in a 50m-pool was like this:
. SR 34 from 1.6 to 1.8
. SR 32 from 1.9 to 2.0
about the same when going down the "beep-pyramid".

I liked it, had no problem with balance, gliding,...

My problem seems to be that I can't "use" the knowhow of gliding when trying to swim faster. Seems I end up in a kind of struggle when I try to use the high elbow more effectively, try to grab the water,... I'll try to use the TT moreoften and see if I can get a better SR with less beeps.

Thank you Terry to "allow" me to swim much slower than I usually do :-) (usually I feel o.k. with ~ 1.20).

[ames]

Originally Posted by pinguin

My problem seems to be that I can't "use" the knowhow of gliding when trying to swim faster. Seems I end up in a kind of struggle when I try to use the high elbow more effectively, try to grab the water,...

For me, this exercise taught me that I didn't have to think so hard about high elbows or try to grab the water. As I slowed down and focused on hitting the beeps, my muscles automatically adjusted and I became more efficient. Then, when I started picking up the pace, that streamlined, efficient feeling was still fresh in my "muscle memory" and it carried into the faster tempo.

At this point, I am not really concerned with going faster, but if I were I guess the first thing I would do is find ways to reduce my drag, rather than generating more propulsive power. My stroke length would go up and then it would be a matter of math and playing with tempo to find the pace I could maintain.

I swam about 30 min. today, and just wasn't feeling it. So I did the exercise again and it worked like a charm. Single lengths this time:

1.6 16 strokes
1.7 15
1.8 14
1.9 13
2.0 13
1.9 13
1.8 14
1.7 14
1.6 15
1.5 15

ames

[haschu33]

I haven't seen any pool for about 2 or 3 weeks. My wife had to stay at home and is forced to stay there for a few days - the clinic where she works put her under quarantine - maybe norovirus. I googled norovirus and found out that it has no fat layer around and laughs about alcohol (a very high pitched slightly irritating laughter **:::** ) but it hates CHLORINE - there we go! I went to the pool, full of NASTY CHLORINATED water, and I did NOT use my nose clip. Strange idea maybe - but it was FUN.

It was so wonderful to do some strokes again...

I did this pyramid, took my time (it was a lot of work - I tried to maintain a low SPL), and I also don't get my money back:

TT - Time increase/Time decrease
1.5 - 16/16 -- 15/15
1.6 - 15/15 -- 15/15
1.7 - 15/15 -- 14/14
1.8 - 14/14 -- 14/15
1.9 - 14/14 -- 13/14
2.0 - - - 13/13

1.9 and 2.0 is reeaaally slow, thought I drown before the third beep on the push off at 2.0. Have to do some practice with 1.9 and 2.0 - completely out of rhythm.

Hang on in there...

[terry]

Originally Posted by ames

For me, this exercise taught me that I didn't have to think so hard about high elbows or try to grab the water. As I slowed down and focused on hitting the beeps, my muscles automatically adjusted and I became more efficient. Then, when I started picking up the pace, that streamlined, efficient feeling was still fresh in my "muscle memory" and it carried into the faster tempo.

At this point, I am not really concerned with going faster,

Ames
You totally grasp the value of this practice. It greatly increases the likelihood that the improvement - then retention - of efficiency will be a natural process, one done far more by feel than thought.

And though you weren't concerned with going faster, in fact that was precisely the outcome. A 15-SPL lap at 1.5 is 1.5 sec faster than a 16-spl lap.
The best kind of speed is that which comes without 'trying.'

[mandll]

Hi. The first time I did this set last week I inadvertently did it backwards:) I have done it a few times correctly since at slightly different starting points. Here are my results:

Last week I tried it starting at 1.4 and the results were:

1.4: 12
1.5: 12
1.6: 11+
1.7: 11
1.8: 11
1.7: 11
1.6: 11
1.5: 11+
1.4: 12
1.3: 12+


This morning I started at 1.6 and the results were:

1.6: 11
1.7: 10+
1.8: 10
1.9: 10
2.0: 9
1.9: 9+
1.8: 10
1.7: 10
1.6: 10+


The plus means I had to glide a bit into the wall because I was too close for another stroke but not quite hitting the wall at the lower stroke count. There was some improvement on the way back up compared to coming down in both sets. Obviously I performed better today than the prior attempt last week. This may have been the result of where I placed the set within my workout. This mornings was done before my main set whereas last weeks was done after. So I think fatigue played a part on reduced performance in the first attempt vs the second one.

Thanks

mark

[cycosuicide]

So I did just that today. I forgot some of the numbers except that which is shown here

1.6 14/15
1.7
1.8
1.9
2.0 12
1.9
1.8
1.7
1.6 13 Wow! It worked. I actually took a stroke off.
1.5 13

I decided to keep going down for the Hell of it.

1.4 13
1.3 13/14

Finally at 1.0, it was 17 strokes.

I am going to do this again. I must admit, 1.6 was easy and glorious. It was an absolute pleasure to swim at this rate even though I wasn't going very fast.

Thanks Terry