The Wold Championships are on NBC this Saturday. Michael Phelps starts his quest for the London Olympics. Not only is there fast swimming, but super underwater shots to get a feel for what the pros look like.
check out the following link: world Swimming champs
Monday, July 25, 2011
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Swimming Basics
Why Swim On Top of the Water When the Fastest Part is Under Water?
Momentum, Momentum, Momentum
“When an external force acts upon a body, it changes its momentum; however, when no external force acts, the momentum of the body does not change, a fact which is incorporated in the principle of ‘the conservation of momentum’. Therefore, momentum has come to be known as the force of motion that a moving body acquires in continuing its motion by virtue of inertia.” If you can understand this concept then you will be a very happy swimmer.
Maintaining a proper streamline and being able to time your breakout into your swimming is key to fast swimming. If you ever do anything underwater and feel yourself slow down then you have lost momentum. Momentum will be different for each athlete based on body type, flexibility and skill level. What and how you do your underwater mechanics and how you breakout into your swimming all effects momentum.
As often as possible you must try to keep the 4 H’s in line (Hands, Head, Hips and Heels).
The biggest momentum killer for all strokes is the transition from the underwater swimming to the actual swimming on top of the water. Swimmers and coaches do not spend enough time on this aspect of swimming. This is major especially when a swimmer comes off a wall in an un-streamlined position, not kicking, then deciding to breakout of the water too deep and deciding to breath first thing.
Sound familiar?
Use each wall in practice to break your bad habits. The fastest part of swimming is underwater when done correctly. Why do you think the 15 meter rule, and original rules of breaststroke were made?
BACKSTROKE:
A slow down in timing with improper body position will kill momentum. Keeping the head back, controlling the breathing and maintaining the speed of the kick will help maintain momentum. Increasing stroke count through (each lap) your swims will help maintain momentum.
BREASTSTROKE:
Momentum is lost when a swimmer loses control of body position. Speed is in the kick. Swimmers must remember to never let the time between the finish of a kick and start of the next kick get slower. The time between the finish and start of the kick can tell the story of timing. A constant pace must be maintained at this part of the swim whether it is faster for sprints or slightly slower for other swims. You must control the timing of the kick while maintaining proper mechanics of the pull.
FREESTYLE:
Breathing, head position, finish of stroke while maintaining a constant kick will all affect momentum. Learning how to maintain these mechanics during the race will greatly affect the fi nish of the race and momentum.
Momentum is lost when a swimmer loses control of body position.
BUTTERFLY:
Momentum is lost when the speed of the kick slows. A non-kick, slow kick or bad timing will only make all the other mechanics worse. Timing is key to proper mechanics and momentum.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Texas Collegiate Swim Championships
Check out the Texas universities and colleges for fast times!
Big 12 - UT and A&M
Conference USA - Rice and U of Houston
Big 12 - UT and A&M
Conference USA - Rice and U of Houston
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Growth Takes Time.
Teaching Technique – What We Know, What We Think We Know, and What We Do.
By John Leonard
One of the more common questions that parents have, is when/how the coach teaches the technical aspects of swimming to the athletes. First of all, we know that swimming is a “technique limited” sport. Which means that without good technical strokes, starts and turns, effort and hard work will only carry you a very limited way…..the fact that water becomes more resistant as you go faster, means that perfect technique is rewarded and impaired technique is punished with less speed for more effort. This is age old wisdom that is accepted by all experienced coaches and athletes.
We think we know, that we can teach good technique. Coaches spend countless hours learning not only WHAT a swimmer should do, but HOW to teach them to do it. It appears, in non-scientific terms, that when coaches spend time teaching technique, technique improves. We hope that means there is a direct correlation between our teaching and the athletes learning. It’s a reasonable belief.
Our friend Dr. K. Anders Ericsson at Florida State University, is the world’s leading authority on “becoming an expert” in any domain. Part of his research, written about in popular literature, is that it requires 10,000 hours of dedicated practice (which he terms “Purposeful practice”) in order to acquire “expert” status in any domain. Interestingly, if the ordinary swimmer begins practice at age 8 and follows a normal curve of increasing practice hours each year to age 17-18, they will have put in approximately 10,000 hours……which is a nice coincidence with the long held “truth” among coaches that it takes 10 years to “make a swimmer.” Science meets experience right in the middle, and both are validated.
Now
By John Leonard
One of the more common questions that parents have, is when/how the coach teaches the technical aspects of swimming to the athletes. First of all, we know that swimming is a “technique limited” sport. Which means that without good technical strokes, starts and turns, effort and hard work will only carry you a very limited way…..the fact that water becomes more resistant as you go faster, means that perfect technique is rewarded and impaired technique is punished with less speed for more effort. This is age old wisdom that is accepted by all experienced coaches and athletes.
We think we know, that we can teach good technique. Coaches spend countless hours learning not only WHAT a swimmer should do, but HOW to teach them to do it. It appears, in non-scientific terms, that when coaches spend time teaching technique, technique improves. We hope that means there is a direct correlation between our teaching and the athletes learning. It’s a reasonable belief.
Our friend Dr. K. Anders Ericsson at Florida State University, is the world’s leading authority on “becoming an expert” in any domain. Part of his research, written about in popular literature, is that it requires 10,000 hours of dedicated practice (which he terms “Purposeful practice”) in order to acquire “expert” status in any domain. Interestingly, if the ordinary swimmer begins practice at age 8 and follows a normal curve of increasing practice hours each year to age 17-18, they will have put in approximately 10,000 hours……which is a nice coincidence with the long held “truth” among coaches that it takes 10 years to “make a swimmer.” Science meets experience right in the middle, and both are validated.
Now
Self Talk
Self-talk includes all the purposeful and random thoughts that run through the athlete’s mind, the continual chatter of things said silently and out loud. Self-talk can be positive. Athletes can direct their self-talk toward what they want to do and where they want to focus. Self-talk can motivate, and, if developed purposefully, it can serve numerous other beneficial functions. Unfortunately, self-talk can also be negative and damaging to performance (GIGO, or “garbage in, garbage out”). In fact, when left untrained, self-talk often becomes negative and critical. Therefore, the athlete must learn to manage his or her internal dialogue to keep it beneficial to performance.
As with other mental skills, the first step is awareness. Athletes need to become aware of their inner voices—what they tend to say to themselves silently and out loud and how this affects performance. Keep in mind that what may be negative and damaging to one athlete may be motivational and beneficial to another athlete.
Once aware of their self-talk and its affect on performance, athletes need to develop strategies to manage negative self-talk. One common technique used by athletes is “thought stopping,” which entails the following:
* Identify negative thoughts and the situations in which they typically occur.
* Practice stopping the thoughts or “parking” the thoughts.
Replace the negative thoughts with positive thoughts, cue words, or images. Identify positive replacement thoughts in advance. The keys to thought stopping are being aware of common negative talk; stopping the thought; and filling the void with positive, productive thoughts.
Another technique for managing negative self-talk is for athletes to identify, in advance, what they want to say or reinforce to themselves at critical points in practice and competition. Then, instead of waiting anxiously for negative thoughts to occur, the athlete automatically uses the preplanned positive self-talk. For example, an athlete who typically has defeating thoughts in the middle segment of the 1,500-meter race can develop a plan to automatically say to him- or herself, “relax, take it easy” or “smooth stroke,” during this part of the race, regardless of how he or she is feeling.
Although it may appear that positive self-talk is most important during competition, it is equally important during practice and, therefore, must be monitored and practiced during training. Concentrating on positive self-talk in practice allows for quality training and provides an opportunity to practice this important skill. Athletes must accept that they will experience doubts and fears. They can overcome these doubts by continually reinforcing positive, productive thoughts not just prior to competition but also on a daily basis so that positive self-talk becomes habitual. In preparation for competitions, the athlete can mentally rehearse the cue words or self-talk he or she will use throughout the race. When needed during the race, athletes can trust their training by quieting their negative self-talk and letting their bodies perform.
Article obtained on 2/17/2011 at 8:58 p.m. from USA Swimming.org
file:///C:/Users/CANDICE/Swim%20Team/TTST/ViewMiscArticle.aspx.htm
As with other mental skills, the first step is awareness. Athletes need to become aware of their inner voices—what they tend to say to themselves silently and out loud and how this affects performance. Keep in mind that what may be negative and damaging to one athlete may be motivational and beneficial to another athlete.
Once aware of their self-talk and its affect on performance, athletes need to develop strategies to manage negative self-talk. One common technique used by athletes is “thought stopping,” which entails the following:
* Identify negative thoughts and the situations in which they typically occur.
* Practice stopping the thoughts or “parking” the thoughts.
Replace the negative thoughts with positive thoughts, cue words, or images. Identify positive replacement thoughts in advance. The keys to thought stopping are being aware of common negative talk; stopping the thought; and filling the void with positive, productive thoughts.
Another technique for managing negative self-talk is for athletes to identify, in advance, what they want to say or reinforce to themselves at critical points in practice and competition. Then, instead of waiting anxiously for negative thoughts to occur, the athlete automatically uses the preplanned positive self-talk. For example, an athlete who typically has defeating thoughts in the middle segment of the 1,500-meter race can develop a plan to automatically say to him- or herself, “relax, take it easy” or “smooth stroke,” during this part of the race, regardless of how he or she is feeling.
Although it may appear that positive self-talk is most important during competition, it is equally important during practice and, therefore, must be monitored and practiced during training. Concentrating on positive self-talk in practice allows for quality training and provides an opportunity to practice this important skill. Athletes must accept that they will experience doubts and fears. They can overcome these doubts by continually reinforcing positive, productive thoughts not just prior to competition but also on a daily basis so that positive self-talk becomes habitual. In preparation for competitions, the athlete can mentally rehearse the cue words or self-talk he or she will use throughout the race. When needed during the race, athletes can trust their training by quieting their negative self-talk and letting their bodies perform.
Article obtained on 2/17/2011 at 8:58 p.m. from USA Swimming.org
file:///C:/Users/CANDICE/Swim%20Team/TTST/ViewMiscArticle.aspx.htm
Birthday
Happy Birthday to Rowdy Gaines! Today Rowdey turns 52....He holds 3 Olympic Gold Medals in the 100 Free, 4x100 Free and 4x100 Medley Relays, he also held the world record in the 50 meter in 1980 and 100 meter freestyle from 1981-1985.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Happy Birthday Sippy Woodhead
Sippy Woodhead received three gold medals (in the 200 m freestyle, 4x100 m freestyle relay and 4x100 m medley relay) and two silver medals at the 1978 World Aquatics Championships in Berlin, when she was only 14 years old, and a little taller than 5 feet.
At the 1979 Pan American Games in San Juan she received five gold medals. She won the 100 m, 200 m and 400 m freestyle, as well as being part of the winning teams at the 4x100 m freestyle relay and 4x100 m medley relay. Woodhead had qualified for six events at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, and was regarded to be among the favorites in the four individual distances, as she was ranked world number one in 100 m, 200 m, 400 m and 800 m freestyle. Due to the American boycott of Moscow Olympics, she did not get the chance to participate. This was a great disappointment for her, and she has said that the boycott may have triggered her later health problems.
Woodhead competed at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, where she received a silver medal in 200 m freestyle.
She improved the world record in 50 metres freestyle, long course, 10 April 1980, but the record was further improved by Jill Sterkel the same day.
She improved the world record in 200 metres freestyle, long course, three times, in 1978 and 1979, her last result remained a world record until 1984. She was a member of the American team that held the world record in 4x100 metres freestyle relay from 1978 to 1980.
At the 1979 Pan American Games in San Juan she received five gold medals. She won the 100 m, 200 m and 400 m freestyle, as well as being part of the winning teams at the 4x100 m freestyle relay and 4x100 m medley relay. Woodhead had qualified for six events at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, and was regarded to be among the favorites in the four individual distances, as she was ranked world number one in 100 m, 200 m, 400 m and 800 m freestyle. Due to the American boycott of Moscow Olympics, she did not get the chance to participate. This was a great disappointment for her, and she has said that the boycott may have triggered her later health problems.
Woodhead competed at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, where she received a silver medal in 200 m freestyle.
She improved the world record in 50 metres freestyle, long course, 10 April 1980, but the record was further improved by Jill Sterkel the same day.
She improved the world record in 200 metres freestyle, long course, three times, in 1978 and 1979, her last result remained a world record until 1984. She was a member of the American team that held the world record in 4x100 metres freestyle relay from 1978 to 1980.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Natalie Couglin -preparing for the Grand Prix Austin
Oh my goodness, I'm so tired! Lots of fast swimming & breath control at practice this morning. Really takes it out of me!!
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Live, breathe, swim
Think the words are backwards. . .should be swim, breathe, live
Swim first. . .Breathe ONLY when needed. . .Live to do it again!
Monday, January 10, 2011
Austin Grand Prix - Friday
Grand Prix series resumes this week in Austin
1/10/2011
A deep field of swimming talent, including Olympians Michael Phelps (Baltimore, Md.), Ryan Lochte (Daytona Beach, Fla.), Jason Lezak (Irvine, Calif.), and Katie Hoff (Towson, Md.) will headline the Austin Grand Prix, Jan. 14-16 at the Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center on the University of Texas campus.
This will be first meet of 2011 for many members of the U.S. National Team, including Lochte, who won six gold medals and set two individual world records at the FINA Short Course World Championships in Dubai in December.
Other members of the U.S. National Team expected to compete in Austin include Kate Ziegler (Great Falls, Va.), Garret Weber-Gale (Milwaukee, Wis.), Tyler Clary (Riverside, Calif.), Chloe Sutton (Mission Viejo, Calif.), David Walters (Yorktown, Va.) Peter Vanderkaay (Rochester, Mich.), Eric Shanteau (Lilburn, Ga.), Kathleen Hersey (Atlanta, Ga.), Ricky Berens (Charlotte, N.C.), and Nick Thoman (Cincinnati, Ohio). The current USA Swimming Grand Prix Series leader, Missy Franklin (Centennial, Colo.), will also compete at the meet.
The Austin Grand Prix is the second stop in the seven-meet USA Swimming Grand Prix Series. A leader board can be found online at usaswimming.org/grandprix. Swimmers are awarded five points for a gold medal, three points for a silver medal and one point for a bronze medal. The top scoring swimmer at the conclusion of the Series will be awarded $20,000.
Race footage from each night of finals will be broadcast by Universal Sports and online at usaswimming.org/webcasts.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
New Year Goals and Gifts
The goal setting process is much like Christmas. The more you dream, wish, and talk about presents you want, the more likely you will get them!
Your New Year resolution - take action on your Goals
Late present - Browse the sports section at Half price books and you may stumble upon great swimming books at a super price.
Look for Michael Phelps, Natalie Couglin, Mark Spitz, and others. Learn the secrets to success.
Knowledge is Power!!
Your New Year resolution - take action on your Goals
Late present - Browse the sports section at Half price books and you may stumble upon great swimming books at a super price.
Look for Michael Phelps, Natalie Couglin, Mark Spitz, and others. Learn the secrets to success.
Knowledge is Power!!
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