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The swimming motion is very alien to people who haven’t done it their whole lives. It is all too easy to think you need to re-invent yourself in the water. It may be that there are lots of things you can do to get faster. But it is also true that most people learn one step at a time. I always try to pick the one or two things that you can do to get the most improvement in the least amount of time and effort. My new clients do not swim perfect, and I don’t try and make them perfect. But they do a great job at exploiting the best opportunities and this is what matters.
That first session is almost always dedicated to arm movement. It’s not that the legs and efficiency aren’t important (far from it). However, the biggest bang for the buck for a beginner is always in the arms. Efficiency and kicking is saved for later. .
Q:How can I work on the timing of the kick? If I try and think about it, I cannot concentrate on my arms enough.
A: How does a drummer work on the timing of the band? In truth, the drummer is the timing of the band. Likewise, kicking is the drum-beat of swimming. So many triathletes struggle with kicking, and this creates the illusion that kicking should be calibrated to pulling, which is comparatively easier to learn. Your kicking frequency is up to three times your pulling frequency. If you are counting the beat based on your pulling frequency, subdividing it for the kick involves a lot of counting and timing.
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Coach Dobko will pick one of your questions each week and give you some insight into swimming. E-mail your questions to duanesworlddobko@worldnet.att.net.
Ever been in a pool where you are gasping for air in the morning, but come back in the evening and swim much better? Before you break out the extra caffeinated coffee, consider this. It may not be a personal wakeup issue, but may be due to your swimming pool. Most facilities turn off or reduce air ventilation at night in order to manage operating expenses. Even if they don’t, the calm water all night long can create a blob of stagnant air above the water that saturates with pool chemicals (like chlorine).