Stuart McDougal - stroke correction video

[Streak]

Thanks I'm always looking for new sets. That sounds like an interesting one. I'll need the rest between 50's on anything faster than 1.0!! Maybe once I have cleaned up my act it wont be as tiresome.

I don't have a snorkel. What would you recommend?

[CoachStuartMcDougal]

Originally Posted by Streak

Thanks I'm always looking for new sets. That sounds like an interesting one. I'll need the rest between 50's on anything faster than 1.0!! Maybe once I have cleaned up my act it wont be as tiresome.

I don't have a snorkel. What would you recommend?

Unnecessary movements add to energy cost - think movement economy, less is more :-) Finis snorkel: https://www.finisswim.com/Swimmers-Snorkel Use discount code mindbodyswim 15% off.

Stuart

[Streak]

Hi Stuart.
I took a look at the straighter arm recovery video that David has on his blog that he says he picked from some of your Mind Body and Swim workshops. So for todays session I thought I would include that as a FP while doing your suggested your asymmetric TT drill.

After a 200 warmup using a straighter arm recovery I then started the drill.
Starting at 1.10 felt a little fast and of course heading all the way down to 0.8 was blistering for me!
The good news though is that as tempo became faster my times improved unlike my session earlier in the week. Times were 45, 43, 41 and 40 at 1.10,1.0,.9 and .8

All of this while really concentrating on a 5 and 7 o'clock much straighter arm recovery and not worrying too much about what was going on under the water.

Then using .05 increments back to 1.10 as expected what felt really too fast on the way up did not feel that fast on the way down.

After this I removed the TT and thought I would do a 100 focusing again on the straighter arm recovery. Well I could not believe my eyes when my watch showed 1:29!! Just to make sure it was not a fluke I did a second 100 and it was 1:30.
These fast (for me) times could be because my muscle memory was now tuned to a faster tempo combined with the improved recovery. The RPE was quite high but I certainly was not going flat out.

Progress!! Thanks.

[CoachStuartMcDougal]

That's AWESOME Joel! And nice work busting through a plateau - sweet. Yes, Coach DShen put together that awesome blog and video describing and demoing the high side arm (recovery) very well. Don't think about being straight or bent, just allow the shape of the arm to happen naturally based on tempo and wingspan. Faster tempo, straighter the arm, slower tempo - arm will begin to fold, gravity taking forearm. Most important, arm (and shoulder!) is relaxed and fluid.

Going through the faster tempos, clean up the hitch/stall at the hip (at recovery exit) as well as decelerating at entry (the deceleration issue with left recovery arm entry preparing for your right side breath) - both decelerations lose valuable momentum and trigger imbalance. A focus I use for swimmers once they feel a clean, extended arm release at 5 & 7, is "launch arm from the hip and let it go", with no tension or manipulation from shoulder. Done right, it will land (enter) correctly and send arm weight and its momentum forward.

Keep up the good work, stick with tempos 1.10 and below and focus on the 5 & 7 release.

Stu

[Streak]

Thanks.
I should have the snorkel over the weekend and will then redo the exercise. It;s going to feel weird being an every second stroke breather.