The FAF AFAP Digest

Are you able to make a nationals in San Antonio?

Originally Posted by StewartACarroll

Are you able to make a nationals in San Antonio?

I could, but I'm not sure about making the trip. The pool looks great. My only hesitation is that it's outside. Swimming backstroke outside is not my forte, so I would have to do other events. It's two weeks after Zones and I've had good luck resting for ones and then re-resting for nationals before.

Swimming backstroke outside is not my forte, so I would have to do other events.

Freestyle!

Originally Posted by The Fortress

I could, but I'm not sure about making the trip. The pool looks great. My only hesitation is that it's outside. Swimming backstroke outside is not my forte, so I would have to do other events. It's two weeks after Zones and I've had good luck resting for ones and then re-resting for nationals before.

thats my fear too but I did not have an issue on our medley relay at worlds so I am likely to do back in San antonio.

I have a friend who I train with whose parents live near the pool and he swims there every time he goes to visit; he said it's awesome. Our kids did TAGS at Northside last March and said the weather sucked but the pool was awesome. Fingers crossed by late April the weather is a non issue.

Originally Posted by StewartACarroll

thats my fear too but I did not have an issue on our medley relay at worlds so I am likely to do back in San antonio.

I have a friend who I train with whose parents live near the pool and he swims there every time he goes to visit; he said it's awesome. Our kids did TAGS at Northside last March and said the weather sucked but the pool was awesome. Fingers crossed by late April the weather is a non issue.

I did hear that it could be ungodly hot there in late April ... That is also a consideration. Nationals is your target meet? I hear you're trying to recruit Mark/Water Rat.

Originally Posted by Jazz Hands

Freestyle!

Ny freestyle feels kinda ugly right now after months and months of neglect. I would definitely swim the 50 free. But the 100 free is my least favorite sprint event.

You don't have to tell me that the 100 is not fun

Also, in my opinion, if you focused on freestyle technique for a season, you'd be really really fast.

Originally Posted by Jazz Hands

You don't have to tell me that the 100 is not fun

My 50 is all fast turnover windmill style. But that isn't sustainable for a 100.

Originally Posted by Jazz Hands

Also, in my opinion, if you focused on freestyle technique for a season, you'd be really really fast.

Perhaps. But I feel out of my element in freestyle. I'm not sure what I'd even focus on ...

Perhaps. But I feel out of my element in freestyle. I'm not sure what I'd even focus on ...

For sprint freestyle, generally:

- Body position. Stay flat, stretch out, and keep your shoulders high.
- Hip rotation. You want a tight swiveling motion, and it should sync to your shoulder rotation.
- Grip! This is the big one. Grab the water, pull backwards, and feel the pressure the whole time. Once you are done gripping with one arm, you should be ready to grip at the front with the next one.
- Kick for support. Think about providing a platform for the aforementioned grip. Stay loose and don't let your kick dictate your tempo.
- Watch Popov in this video a thousand times for inspiration: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLx5nx856vM

Maybe I should coach you

Originally Posted by Jazz Hands

For sprint freestyle, generally:

- Body position. Stay flat, stretch out, and keep your shoulders high.
- Hip rotation. You want a tight swiveling motion, and it should sync to your shoulder rotation.
- Grip! This is the big one. Grab the water, pull backwards, and feel the pressure the whole time. Once you are done gripping with one arm, you should be ready to grip at the front with the next one.
- Kick for support. Think about providing a platform for the aforementioned grip. Stay loose and don't let your kick dictate your tempo.
- Watch Popov in this video a thousand times for inspiration: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLx5nx856vM

Maybe I should coach you

I do think about grip, for sure. And I definitely need to improve my kick so that I'm not bouncing with my straight arm style.

For virtually my entire masters career, I have swum alone with no feedback and experimented with developing my own style of training. It would be nice to have a coach at times. Or a training partner. I miss training sometimes with you and Pete.

Originally Posted by The Fortress

I do think about grip, for sure. And I definitely need to improve my kick so that I'm not bouncing with my straight arm style.

What do you figure the problem with your kick is?

For virtually my entire masters career, I have swum alone with no feedback and experimented with developing my own style of training. It would be nice to have a coach at times. Or a training partner. I miss training sometimes with you and Pete.

It's not quite the same, but I'd be happy to give you drills and focus cues based on video and/or subjective feedback, stroke count, etc.

If only I could get someone to take video of me ...

I don't think there is anything particularly wrong with my kick. When I watch the vid of my 50 free from nationals in 2012 when I set the NR, I had some strong leg drive. But the last time I swam 50 free, I was told I was bouncing somewhat and my kick lacked some oomph. There theoretically shouldn't be anything wrong with my kick; I have all the tools -- slightly hyperextended knees, floppy ankles, flexy hips. I just never really work on it. My chief preoccupation for years has been fly, back and SDK. When I did start to work more on breast, it improved. I suspect the same could be true of free. Still, though, I am really only interested in the 50 free.

I was told I was bouncing somewhat and my kick lacked some oomph.

I don't think you can tell anything about freestyle kick from above the water. People just look at how white the water is or how high it comes up. Some swimmers have a very powerful kick that doesn't produce a lot of noise, and others (like myself) actually have a weak kick that looks "big." As for bouncing, I prefer to put things in terms of platform and grip. Most actual freestyle technique flaws are problems with one of those two things, and the things people see (e.g. bouncing, splashing, the way your hands enter the water) are sometimes just irrelevant. Your bouncing is only a problem if it increases drag or reduces thrust.

Originally Posted by The Fortress

I did hear that it could be ungodly hot there in late April ... That is also a consideration. Nationals is your target meet? I hear you're trying to recruit Mark/Water Rat.

you know what they say about Texas weather....if you don't like it wait a day and it will change. It's normally nice that time of year but it could be hot. It's likely too late to be cold but you never know.

I age up to 45-49 in a couple of weeks and Spring Nationals is my target meet. I am also going to do long course Nationals this summer. Mark and I are talking .

Originally Posted by StewartACarroll

It's normally nice that time of year but it could be hot. It's likely too late to be cold but you never know.

I was in San Antonio in March of 2014 for work, and it was already disgustingly hot and humid. Well one day was crazy windy.
I'd rather deal with the AZ desert weather.

Originally Posted by aztimm

I was in San Antonio in March of 2014 for work, and it was already disgustingly hot and humid. Well one day was crazy windy.
I'd rather deal with the AZ desert weather.

Yeah humidity is a race killer. Outdoor meets are frequently just not the best choice for a taper meet.

Originally Posted by Jazz Hands

Your bouncing is only a problem if it increases drag or reduces thrust.

True. And it is partly the nature of a a straight arm windmill stroke that there will be some bouncing. I've also noticed this with the way many are swimming 50 fly now -- very flat and there is a bit of jerking involved. See Sara Sjostrom's 50 fly LCM WR.

Originally Posted by StewartACarroll

I age up to 45-49 in a couple of weeks and Spring Nationals is my target meet. I am also going to do long course Nationals this summer. Mark and I are talking .

If you have some other fast guys on your team, you could have a potent relay!