Calling all guinea pigs! That is right. We are looking for all the volunteers we can find to be tested (for free) with our new developing Race Club app and sensor technology. All testing is being done at William Wagner Aquatic Center (Oceanside) or at Alga Norte Center (Carlsbad). Any age, gender or ability is welcome, so long as you can swim. We need all the data we can get. To test all four strokes takes about 20-30 minutes.
While we can’t send you the results of the test until the app is released and available on your devices (this summer), we can do a 10-minute video call with you to share our findings from the test. We will record the meeting and send it to you with an AI generated summary.
Today, we tested four young swimmers and the testing went well. I learn something new each time we test a swimmer. For the first time, we can measure the body and arm’s rotation and rotational speed concurrently with the propulsion forces. Those two metrics together enable us to see how good the timing is. Breaststroke is not the only timing stroke. To swim fast, all four strokes require excellent timing of the coupling motions with the propulsion.
We also now have the capability of measuring swimmer’s technique for more than just one lap at a time and from all four different angles, front and side, above and below the water. That will give us a better perspective of the specific technical errors.
This week we are shooting videos of five selected athletes for production of over 100 new videos prior to the launch of the app. These new videos will be short (around 1 minute duration) and to the point. They will include all four strokes. The swimmers will demonstrate each specific problem with technique that we commonly find with our clients. They will then demonstrate the most effective drills to correct that problem. Finally, they will demonstrate what the stroke looks like once the technique has been corrected.
For the first time, our TRC app will not only be able to identify virtually every mistake that swimmers are making, it will also lead you to the way for correction through our short videos. We are excited about that. After all, what good is it to know what you are doing wrong, if you don’t know how to fix it?
Depending on how the testing and development goes, we are planning to launch the new TRC sensors and app this summer. Our initial target market will be to around 200 swim and triathlon coaches who are most interested in improving their swimmer’s (triathlete’s) techniques.
Stay tuned.
Yours in Swimming,
Gary Sr.