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Welcome to "Life Outside the Comfort Zone", by six-time Ironman World Champion, Dave Scott. Feel free to pass along your comments by emailing us at info@davescottinc.com or calling us at 303.786.7184.
Also, check out our website at www.davescottinc.com to learn more about Dave's products and services.
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 Thoughts from The Man
Since 1972, when I first started coaching swimming, I have been interested in the stroke mechanics of my swimmers. Unfortunately, many of them were more concerned about their split or pace times than in their technique and efficiency in the water. Rather than appreciate drill time during workouts, as a way to gradually focus and approve upon their stroke, they preferred repeat 200's. Can I distinguish among them, who wanted the stroke technqiue and who did not? Often it seemed as though those focused on swimming as their main form of exercise would want to spend time on drills and in videotaping to improve their stroke, but not the triathletes. They may have had their reasons, but as a professional triathlete and coach, I'm here to tell you- they missed out big time! And I still see this pattern today, with some triathletes preferring to slog through a swim workout while spending detailed time and attention to their cycling and running technique and form. If you're one of those sloggers, please read on!
Based on observation, the top three freestyle flaws I see include: 1) high head position, 2) over-reaching or over-extending on the entry and 3) loss of momentum in your stroke. By incorporating a few drills to correct these stroke flaws, you will be on your way to a cleaner, more efficient, and faster freestyle stroke.
How do you know if your freestyle needs some help? If you are training alone, outside of a swim class or coach, my suggestion is that you hire someone to professionally analyze your stroke. They can provide a visual analysis while on the deck, but feedback is best achieved through video analysis. If you swim in a coached workout, ask your coach if they can look at your stroke in order to give you feedback other than: "hey, you're late - get in the water!".
Or call me and I can help your stroke. Either send me your videotape, come here to Boulder for filming and analysis, or I'll come to you. Filming on top of the water and below is the best way to see your stroke, to understand what I'm saying, to practice your drills, and to slog no more!
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Nuts and Bolts
In this section, I'll be sharing a few tips with you. Sometimes it will be training related, other times it may focus more on nutritional advice. Thus, the title becomes more apparent...and if it still isn't, read on:
3 Ways to Improve Your Freestyle
Ideal Head Position
Imagine that 75% of your head mass lies on top of your head, about 1 inch above your eyebrows and including your entire scalp. We'll call this "top heavy head" or "every time I stand up, I fall head". This heavy head position should cause the top part of your head to be pulled forward and downward. Additionally, press lightly with your chest, but not your shoulders. Why is this position advantageous in the water?
A lower head position allows:
- streamlined stroke with your hips and feet riding higher
- less drag from the back-end
- less load on your deltoids during entry
Ideal Stroke Entry
Drawing an imaginary line extending from the middle of your head, your hands and arms should never cross the mid-line point of your body. It's usually easy to spot the swimmer that crosses over this imaginary mid-line point: they move in a fish-tail position which causes their body to wag (feet and hips). Fish-tailing increases drag, which ultimately slows your force and stroke momentum. In addition to crossing over, another threat to stroke entry is over-reaching, which causes your elbow to drop. It's virtually impossible to rectify the front end of your stroke when over-reaching has occurred.
An ideal stroke entry is achieved by:
- using a slow deliberate entry, move your hand in line with your mid-shoulder
- entering with all 4 fingers at the same time, the half-way point is between a fully extended arm and the top of your shoulder
- thinking about your ideal spot to land your entry, practice by raising your head and looking at it: think wide entry
Ideal Momentum
The nicest feeling in the water is coming off the wall with all that momentum. It carries us into the first three strokes, but then what happens? We start to settle and for many swimmers, they begin to decelerate and slow down. How can you best maintain momentum in your stroke? Practice your drills and pay attention to your stroke.
What affects momentum in the water:
- a quick-catch
- flexing your knee on the up-beat of your kick
- clearing the water off the back of your knee to stabilize the front end of your stroke and elevate your hips
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Endurance Sport Products Available Now at www.davescottinc.com
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Thanks for reading my newsletter and hopefully, you've picked up on something new to enhance your overall fitness. And remember, my goal was never just to win Ironman, but to enjoy all of the little steps along the way that helped shape my physical, mental and emotional well-being. So have fun with your training and every now and then, step outside of your comfort zone!
All the best,
Dave |
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