It's been a while...

...since I posted a swim video, so here goes. This is similar to the ladies' backstroke start video posted a while back.

You'll see several different styles of starts here, but note that each swimmer is doing his best to:

a) use an explosive leg drive to get out of and over the water,
b) enter the water cleanly with body following hands, and
c) dolphin kick with a tight streamline to the 15 meter mark.

Hundredths - The Video Evidence

In the 2000 Sydney Games, Anthony Ervin & Gary Hall, Jr. tied for Gold in the 50 free. World record holder and defending Olympic Champion Alexander Popov (a.k.a. The Russian Rocket) finished out of the medals.

Auburn Kick Set

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Encore Women (March '08)

100m IM



100m Fly



100m Breast

Back-Breast Turns

There are plenty of ways to do legal back-breast turns in your i.m. The key is finding one that works best for you.

Whatever type of turn you use (open, back flip, or crossover), you must not roll past vertical before touching the wall with your hand.

Also, no matter how quickly you turn, not doing a good pull-out negates any advantage you gained. Do great pull-outs on all breaststroke starts and turns!

If you're not comfortable with the flip or crossover, do a quick open turn (while getting a good breath) and follow it up with a long streamline before your pull-out.

Here's a crossover turn that pushes the limit of the rule. He's backstroker Adam Mania, of Schroeder YMCA in Brown Deer, Wisconsin (near Milwaukee).

Kicking (& Over-Kicking)

When y'all do it off the walls for five or six yards, the difference is dramatic.

Get into great habits now, so you don't have to think about too much while racing.

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p.s. This video is from December of 2007. The team - Arizona - won both the men's and women's 2008 NCAA Division I Swimming & Diving Championships in March.

Ryan Lochte Backstroke

Backstroke Start

Elite swimmers from around the world are experimenting with new backstroke starts.

Some things they all have in common, though, are:

1. Exploding off the block/wall
2. Arched back while over the surface
3. Clean entry in which the head, torso, legs, and feet follow the hands
4. Intense dolphin kicking
5. Surfacing at the 15 m mark

Watch the gals show how it's done:

Breaststroke Turn

Here's an excellent side view of a breaststroke turn.

Note how:

• quickly his legs get through to the wall,
• quickly he pushes off the wall,
• long he holds his streamline before the pull-out,
• strong his dolphin kick is, and
• he recovers his hands close to his body.

Next, check this one out. He gets quite a bit out of his pull-out.

Keeping if Simple

Want a few simple ways to improve dramatically over the next couple of weeks?

Try these:

1. Eliminate sodas from your diet
2. Get more sleep
3. Alternate breathe on freestyle in workout
4. Don't breathe on your last stroke before freestyle turns
5. Don't breathe on your first stroke after freestyle turns
6. Do perfect streamlines off every wall in every workout

Pretty simple, right? After a couple of weeks, these positive habits will yield positive results. You'll be swimming faster with only a few small changes.

At meets, watch races to see what things top swimmers do correctly that others don't. Also, look for mistakes some swimmers make that cost them close races. Learn from both types of swimmers.

Let's eliminate bad practice habits that can hurt us in races.

When swimming backstroke, push off every wall on your back. When finishing backstroke, stay on your back until you touch the wall.

In breaststroke, hold your streamlines a little longer before taking your underwater pullout.

In breaststroke and butterfly, always touch every wall with two (or more) hands at the same time.

It's as easy as 1-2-3!

Our relay starts looked much better this morning. Remember:

Swing - Step - Go

Embedding the following video doesn't work, as it cuts off the relay starts I want you to watch.

Follow the link and watch the relay starts in the bottom lane (closest to the camera):

2008 SMU Classic: Men's 200 Medley Relay Final

Kirsty Coventry

This interview is from a big meet held in Austin back in March. Kirsty swims and helps with some of the coaching at Longhorn Aquatics. She struck gold in Beijing (200 back) while swimming for her home country of Zimbabwe.

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Longhorn D-Woman Susana Escobar

SMU's Eddie Sinnott

Here's another interview from Garrett's trip up north earlier this week:

Welcome Swimmers and Parents

Since I'm only able to edit our official site from the pool, I've created an unofficial site that I can update from anywhere.

It's best to check both the official site and this one often for updates.

I hope this site proves useful to our Timberview swimmers and parents.

See ya,

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