I don't know what just happened. I was going about my Sunday evening when I happened upon a link that pretty much changed the way I watch swimming forever. No joke. Like Neo in The Matrix, next time I watch a 400m IM, I won't see water and swimmers, I will see streaming green computer code.
The link below is a guide to using various race stats to help swimmers. Brilliantly, it uses Katie Hoff's 400 IM and Rebecca Soni's 200 Breast as case studies. It is stat-heavy, but well worth sticking with if you are swim-geek-inclined. Distance Per Cycle, Turn Time, Tempo Trainer, Cadence, Cycle Count.... there is no going back.
QUICK: There is no way USA Swimming should be handing this stuff out for free. If you are a coach/swimmer/fan... watch this.
This is how the best do it. As anyone who sat in the back of class knows, if you can see what the smartest kid is doing.... COPY IT!
PS. Anyone even thinking of getting into the anti-clockwise Freestyle Fast Lane lane when I go to my next public session... watch out. I am going to be distance-per-cycle-tempo-dougieing-streamline-lengthing all over the place.
There is nothing new in that vid. The guy has simplified some things that were over complicated.
ReplyDeleteKatie Hoff emerged as an exc IM from a mid distance squad with no particular outstanding stroke. Her breast improved 04-07 as demnstrated. Not mentioned is her dramatic free improvement from 06-07 when she reached Kate at USA nats 400-800 & then her sprint free improvements n 08.
IF I were doing that analyses I would add that the fS Pro was a big boost - placing her higher in the water . She was a fairly light & high fly /backer so less of an advantage there.
Currently she is doing a 2.32 200 br & 2.11 200 fly -probably enough for a 4.34+ if she were to do the 400.
She would be back at the drawing board to find a 2.5 sec drop.