The Race Club – Swimming Camps • Coaching • Competitive Training • Advanced Techniques

In this velocity meter study coach Gary Hall Sr. analyzes Olympian Brad Tandy’s sprint freestyle technique.  Brad typically uses a deep pull and we wanted to find out what happened to his velocity when he used a slightly less deep pull.  While using a deeper pull creates more frontal drag, the sprint freestyle allows the athlete to make this compromise for a limited duration of time.  Since no one (world class) is swimming sprint freestyle with a high elbow pull the question is, how deep should the pull be?  

The swimming stroke rates for backstroke and freestyle are very similar. So are their fundamentals. For the 200 backstroke, the longest official distance of that stroke, we recommend using the 86 stroke rate.

Almost all the great swimmers use a similar pulling technique and stroke rate in swimming.  In order to achieve a higher stroke rate swimmers often recover the arm quicker by releasing the hand early.  Some coaches emphasize the ‘back end’ of the stroke or finishing the pull all the way through with the hand. The consequence can often lead to a more efficient stroke, but with a  stroke rate that is not fast enough. We tested Olympian Brad Tandy with an early release phase pull and an extended release phase pull to learn what the difference in stroke rate, velocity and acceleration that made some interesting results….

We advocate a ‘core lift’ while swimming freestyle.  Using our drag pressure meter, Coach Gary measured the difference between a relaxed core and a lifted core.  This core lift is often taught in Yoga where the lower lumbar is flattened to the floor while laying on your back.  Naturally the lower lumbar is lifted in this position and takes work in order to get comfortable with a flat back.  In this video we demonstrate core lift exercises that will allow you to understand and improve this critical movement.  Gary then analyzes Olympic Sprint Freestyler Brad Tandy using a velocity meter analysis.  Find out what the difference between a ‘relaxed core’ and a ‘lifted core’ is!

Main Set of the Week: Short Course Freestyle Sprint Set
Now that we are back in short course season, our focus on starts and turns needs to get better. At The Race Club, we pride ourselves in having our members perform great starts and turns.

Sprint Freestyle Pulling Motion: Deep or Deeper?
I have often noticed, particularly among young female sprinters, that the pulling motion used in a sprint is the same technique they utilize in their distance freestyle swims: high elbow, low drag.

Two Great Backstroke Sets

In training swimmers at The Race Club, we feel some sets should focus on technique, while others should focus on conditioning using good technique. Here are two sets that include both.

In Backstroke, Stroke Rate is the Highest Priority

The fundamentals of good backstroke technique are not really much different than with good freestyle technique. Neither are the biomechanics of a good technique much different with the two strokes.