Coaches Corner
by Joe Biondi (Florida
LMSC Newsletter November 2005)
Streamlining
Here is a quick swimming tip, for the novice and the experienced
swimmer, that most everyone has heard from a coach or teammate, or has
read in a swimming article.
Dive & push-off for success...
On your dive in at the start of a race and on your push-off and
breakout, you are going faster than you can swim. Every swimmer should
strive to practice an efficient streamlining technique and break out at
practice every time you do a turn or initiate a push-off and break out
at the beginning of a set ... every time.
Make this a habit and you will be very pleased when you go to the next
meet and your time drops a 1/2 second, or four or five seconds.
Swimmers will gain a significant time drop if the time is taken to work
on this. It is easy, it takes hardly any effort, it saves one or two
strokes, and if done properly on a regular basis, it will make you
faster.
Father Time and streamlining...
As swimmers change age groups and Father Time starts to sneak up on us,
one of the greatest things swimmers can do is to pay greater and
greater attention to swimming technique. Some swimmers have been very
successful for years with the same technique. But as we start to lose
some strength and the swimming research shows us a more efficient way
to propel ourselves down the pool, perhaps it is worth looking at. And
some times a simple thing like being very streamlined off of a start or
turn can make the difference between a best time (regardless of age) or
a win or not. At the next meet, take a moment to notice the
swimmers
who are streamlined and notice also that most of the fast swimmers,
regardless of age, will be streamlining.
Thanks for taking a couple of moments to consider a small change in
your practice routine that could give a big divident at your next meet.
Hope to see you at the next meet, and don't forget to swim the postal
events. They are challenging and a lot of fun.