Here's a visual follow-up to that article which we posted to the Swim Smooth instagram feed yesterday (don't forget to subscribe for lots of photos, news and view straight from our home base in Perth).
Take these two video clips. Both are of Paul (nearest camera) swimming at 1:15 /100m pace. Which looks more attractive? :
In the first, Paul's stroke rate is 46 SPM (strokes per minute). In the second it is 74 SPM.
Which looks the better stroke? The first? Which is more efficient? The first? Wrong, wrong, double-wrong!
Take a closer look at the amount of kick required to sustain such a long, gliding stroke in the first clip - it’s huge! Paul could barely hold this pace for more than the 70 meters of swimming it took to film this for you and was completely out of breath afterwards. In fact you can see how he's struggling to keep up with fellow coaches Karyn and Ross next to him.
Take the second clip - the tempo is higher and much more rhythmical but still smooth and not at all scrappy. Using this stroke Paul can sustain this pace for over 5km of swimming, much much more easily.
With LESS GLIDE paired up with a two beat kick*, Paul's stroke is much more efficient and effective, despite how it might appear. He can sustain this style for MUCH longer and MUCH more easily.
Don’t be blinded by the aesthetics of any overly long stroke, especially if you're not that tall (like Paul). It won’t work for you. Rhythm is everything in truly effective open water swimming, despite what it might look like.
Swim Smooth!
* Please note whilst no swimmer of any level should be taught to actively glide in their stroke, a 2-beat kick may not be appropriate for all swimmers. More on that here: www.feelforthewater.com/2014/02/should-you-be-using-two-beat-kick.html
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2 comments:
But more stokes at the same pace must mea
n a shorter stroke?
Yes but with Paul’s pause in low rotated position the drag almost stops him in the first swim so needs a big kick using up all his energy. Whereas the high stroke rate overcomes the drag more efficiently than the kick in 1.
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