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- The Swim Coaching Bible, Volume II
The Swim Coaching Bible, Volume II
Edited by Dick Hannula and Nort Thornton
Series: The Coaching Bible
368 Pages
For more than a decade, top coaches have turned to one resource time and time again. Collecting the wisdom, insights, and advice from the sport’s legendary instructors, The Swim Coaching Bible immediately established its place in the libraries of swim coaches around the globe.
Coaches, it’s time to make room alongside that classic for a new resource! The Swim Coaching Bible, Volume II, picks up where the original left off, providing more instruction, guidance, and expertise on every aspect of the sport.
Inside, you’ll learn the secrets, strategies, and philosophies of 27 of today’s most successful coaches, including these legendary leaders:
• Jack Bauerle
• George Block
• Mike Bottom
• Bob Bowman
• Sid Cassidy
• John Urbancheck
• Bill Rose
• Vern Gambetta
• David Durden
• Brett Hawke
• Gregg Troy
• John Leonard
• Dick Shoulberg
• David Marsh
• Teri McKeever
• Bill Sweetenham
From developing swimmers to building a winning program, teaching the nuances and refining stroke techniques to applying the latest research to training and conditioning programs, it’s all here.
Endorsed by the World Swimming Coaches Association, this new collection is another landmark work in competitive swimming. If you coach the sport or want a competitive edge, The Swim Coaching Bible, Volume II, is a must-own.
Part I Establishing Priorities
Chapter 1 Developmental Stages of Competitive Swimmers
John Leonard
Chapter 2 From Youth to Senior in Competitive Swimming
Bill Sweetenham
Chapter 3 Putting the We in Team
Jack Bauerle
Chapter 4 Mastering Swimming Through the Years
Bob Miller
Chapter 5 Building a Team in a Disadvantaged Area
Jim Ellis
Part II Leading Your Program to Its Full Potential
Chapter 6 Applying Science to Your Coaching
Jan Prins
Chapter 7 The X Factor Revisited
George Block
Chapter 8 Planning for Success
Stephan Widmer
Chapter 9 Making Your Program Fun for Swimmers
Bob Steele
Part III Teaching Stroke Technique
Chapter 10 Trends and Techniques in Freestyle
Mike Bottom
Chapter 11 Trends and Techniques in Backstroke
Teri McKeever
Chapter 12 Trends and Techniques in Butterfly
Bob Bowman
Chapter 13 Trends and Techniques in Breaststroke
Nort Thornton
Chapter 14 The Fifth Stroke: Underwater Kicking
Bob Gillett
Chapter 15 Better Starts, Turns, and Finishes
Dick Hannula
Part IV Training for Optimal Performance
Chapter 16 The Art of Training Sprinters
David Marsh and Bill Pilczuk
Chapter 17 Middle Distance Training for All Strokes
Jon Urbanchek
Chapter 18 Freestyle Distance Training
Bill Rose With Mike Lewis
Chapter 19 Training for Open Water
Sid Cassidy
Chapter 20 Individual Medley Training
Gregg Troy
Chapter 21 Training for Relays
David Durden
Chapter 22 Dryland Training
Vern Gambetta
Chapter 23 Power Training in the Pool
Dick Shoulberg
Part V Final Touches for Peak Performance
Chapter 24 Positive Communication, Positive Results
Lanny Landtroop
Chapter 25 Mind Over Body in Competition
Brett Hawke
Dick Hannula is one of the winningest high school and club coaches in the history of swimming. Before retiring in 1993, he coached for 41 years—25 years at Wilson High School and 7 years at Lincoln High School, both in Tacoma, Washington. While at Wilson, he racked up the longest high school undefeated streak on record, winning 323 consecutive meets, including 24 consecutive boys’ Washington state high school swimming championships.
Hannula founded Tacoma Swim Club and served as head coach for 42 years. He has coached four U.S. Olympic team swimmers, including Kaye Hall, Olympic- and world-record holder for the 100-meter backstroke. He has also coached numerous Olympic team members, including one Olympic gold medalist and one world record holder; World University Games swimmers; Pan American Games and World Championship swimmers; several U.S. national champions; and American record holders.
Hannula served multiple terms as president of the American Swimming Coaches Association and is a former vice president of the World Swim Coaches Association. He has been inducted into several halls of fame, including the International Swimming Hall of Fame. Hannula resides in Tacoma, Washington.
Nort Thornton served as head men’s swimming coach at the University of California at Berkeley before retiring in 2007 after 33 years of service. His teams consistently finished in the top 10 nationally while Thornton was at the helm of Golden Bears swimming. Thornton coached Cal to two NCAA Championships and was named NCAA Coach of the Year in 1979 and 1980. An inductee into the International Swimming Hall of Fame, he has coached the U.S. national team at the Olympics and Pan American Games. Forty-eight of his athletes at Cal have gone on to compete in the Olympic Games, winning 14 gold, 10 silver, and 5 bronze medals. He has also served the swimming community as president of the American Swimming Coaches Association.
Thornton continues to remain active on the Cal pool deck as a volunteer coach. His recruits, Milorad Cavic and Nathan Adrian, both earned medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Adrian took home a gold medal as part of the United States’ 400-meter freestyle relay. Cavic won a silver medal in the 100-meter butterfly after being out-touched at the wall by Michael Phelps by one-hundredth of a second. Thornton resides in Moraga, California.
“The Swim Coaching Bible, Volume II, offers essential tactics to make training sessions more successful. It should be on every coach’s desk.”
Gregg Troy-- Head Swimming and Diving Coach, University of Florida, U.S. Men’s 2012 Olympic Swimming Coach
"Dick Hannula and Nort Thornton are two of the most thought-provoking coaches of our time. In The Swim Coaching Bible, Volume II, they have secured a cast of authors second to none to provide an ideal resource for improving swimmers’ performance.”
John Leonard-- Executive Director, American Swimming Coaches Association
How to Design and Implement a Training Program for the Butterfly
Designing and implementing a training program for the butterfly events presents a formidable challenge to coaches.
Trends and Techniques in Butterfly
Bob Bowman
Training Techniques for Butterfly
Designing and implementing a training program for the butterfly events presents a formidable challenge to coaches. Although some aspects of conditioning benefit both 100- and 200-meter swimmers, the energy requirements of the two events are quite different. A few of the world's top swimmers are competitive at both distances (Phelps, Meagher, Caulkins), but specialization is the norm and most swimmers excel at one event or the other (Malchow, ˇCavic, de Bruin). Therefore, the majority of stroke training for butterfly swimmers is geared to one of the Olympic distances, and all types of training are thrown into the mix.
The 200-Meter Butterfly
The 200 fly is a grueling mix of endurance and power that challenges any athlete. Endurance conditioning is the foundation of this event, and most often 200 flyers also are competent 400 freestylers or 400 individual medley swimmers. The general endurance work done for these events complements the more specific work done in butterfly sets. In my opinion, little benefit is gained by swimming butterfly in training with less than excellent technique. Historically, great 200 fly swimmers have been asked to complete gargantuan sets of repeat 200s, 300s, and 400s in butterfly
swimming on short rest. They have also done long swims such as 1,500 or 3,000 meters for time. Although it served some of them well, it also engrained bad technical habits and virtually eliminated a continuous kicking action from the stroke in favor of a more gliding and undulating style. This limits speed potential in the 200 and is contrary to the current, horizontally oriented stroke. Over the past decade, Michael Phelps has broken the world record in the 200 butterfly five times and has seldom swum more than four or five full-stroke 200 butterflies in training per year! The reason for this is simple: He cannot use his kick effectively for long butterfly swims and must resort to a survival stroke in order to complete the distances. We have developed other methods of conditioning his butterfly stroke that challenge his physiology while allowing him to perform his stroke at levels that are near race quality.
At the North Baltimore Aquatic Club, short-course 25-yard swimming has become an important part of the training program for the 200-meter butterfly. The reasons for this are twofold:
1. The shorter distance allows the swimmer to use a stroke that is much closer to the actual racing stroke in short rest training.
2. The swimmer can maintain a higher average heart rate during conditioning sets than in 50-meter training.
For these reasons, the majority of our endurance butterfly sets are done in a 25-yard pool. We use long-course training for specific speed work and for race rehearsal training. Some examples of our short-course fly training include the following:
45 × 50 butterfly = 3 × (10 × 50 @ 45 seconds work on stroke control + 5 × 50 @ 35 seconds at maximum speed)
No break is given between rounds. The swimmer must immediately return to the stroke count and stroke control time assigned by the coach. Michael Phelps holds around 28 seconds on the set of 10 with 6 strokes per length. He then swims around 25 seconds on the set of 5. The pace of the 5 × 50 is at his American record speed for the 200-yard fly! Little doubt exists about why he is the best butterfly swimmer in history.
3 × (4 × 100 fly @ 1:10 or 1:15 hold under 60 seconds + 1 minute rest + 100 fly at maximum speed)
The goal is to swim as close as possible to the second 100 split of the 200 fly on the timed 100. There are 300 yards of recovery drilling and swimming between rounds. This is an excellent set for helping the swimmer develop a technique that will maintain speed at the end of the race. We also like to use sets of 25-yard repeats on short rest done at the best speed the swimmer can hold. Twenty to 30 or even 40 × 25 on 20 seconds is tremendously conditioning and mentally challenging. The frequent, short repetitions also allow the coach to give short feedback tips at the end of each length. This helps the swimmer stay focused on technique under the physical stress of the interval.
In addition to the short-course work that is specific to the 200, we work on longer rest intervals and higher speeds in the 50-meter pool. The swimmers perform three to four broken 200s as follows.
50 dive @ 1:30 @ going out speed of goal 200
100 push @ 2:30 @ middle 100 speed or faster
50 dive @ 1:30 @ fastest possible speed
There is up to 400 meters of active recovery swimming and drilling in between rounds. The total interval for the swim and the recovery is around 10 minutes.
8 to 24 × 50 fly @ 1:30 (odd = dive; even = push)
All are performed at maximum effort. This is a great set for working on speed endurance and offers the coach opportunities to give technical feedback at the end of each repeat. This set mimics the anaerobic stress that the swimmers feel at the end of the race and teaches them to maintain proper technique under stress.
In general, our 200 flyers spend two main sets per week on butterfly; the remaining days are devoted to distance or individual medley training. We also sprinkle small doses of butterfly sprints through the week to help the swimmers develop speed and improve technique.
The 100-Meter Butterfly
Most swimmers who excel at the 100-meter butterfly are speed oriented and also train for the 100 freestyle or possibly the short individual medley. The swimmers have a perfunctory endurance program that allows for effective recovery between speed sets in training. For these swimmers, developing power and quickness to enhance the speed of their first 50 is critical. They must also have the lactate tolerance and buffering capacities to maintain speed over the final 50 meters.
Resistance training and speed-assisted training are very effective for the 100 fly. Our swimmers do sets with parachutes, fins, and surgical tubing on a regular basis. We must ensure that technique remains intact when overloading the stroke with resistance work. The repeats should be short and the intensity should be high.
We like to do the following two sets long course (or short course) to develop the type of speed endurance that 100 butterfly swimmers need to succeed.
30 × 50 @ 1:30 (1:15 short course) (1 kick, 1 drill, 1 swim)
The swims are done at maximum speed. The kicks and drills should be done with perfect precision and at an effort that keeps the system engaged and the heart rate steady between swims. This set is tremendously effective for developing the second 50 meters of the 100 fly. Take stroke and kick counts and stroke rates to determine the maximum level of speed efficiency for each swimmer.
10 × 50 done at maximum speed (4 @ 1:30 followed by 1 each @ 1:20, 1:10, 1:00, 0:50, 0:40 and 0:30)
This set, borrowed from coach Richard Quick, mimics the final 20 meters of the 100 or 200 and teaches the body to produce and then tolerate lactic acid. We like to follow this set with 10 × 100 @ 1:30 freestyle holding under 1:10. This buffering set forces the body to metabolize the lactic acid that is produced during the set and makes the total physical system much more efficient.
Both of these sets simulate for the 100-meter butterfly swimmer the physical demands of the race and allow them to perform the repeats with technique that is near race level.
Some swimmers need training for both events. A careful mixture of both types of training helps the swimmer steadily reach progressive performance levels in both events while excelling at the top level of performance in his or her more natural event. Swimmers must perform these sets with proper technique at all times. This includes underwater dolphin kicking. At North Baltimore Aquatic Club, our coaching staff prescribes a number of dolphin kicks that are to be performed on each wall during each specific set. This number is calculated to achieve maximum speed and distance on the underwater work while taking into account the strokes per length the swimmer takes. This balance between power and efficiency is critical in world-class butterfly swimming.
Learn more about The Swim Coaching Bible, Volume II.
How to Apply Science to Your Coaching
During the past few years, the function of the trunk and spine in swimming has gained attention.
Applying Science to Your Coaching
Jan Prins
Stabilization of the Spine and the Role of the Trunk in Swimming
During the past few years, the function of the trunk and spine in swimming has gained attention. First, we outline spinal stability at it applies to human motion. In any activity that involves using our extremities to move in space, such as running or swimming, the trunk must remain stable while the arms and legs are used for propulsion.
To accomplish this motion, a transfer of kinetic energy takes place. The energy originates at the stable end of the body and moves up the kinetic chain to amplify the end result. Briefly explained, the body can be viewed as a series of links, or segments, connected by the joints. When functioning effectively, this link system can help transmit the forces generated by the muscles, which are attached to these links. By invoking what is called the segmental interaction principle, the forces acting between the segments of a body transfer the potential and contractile energy generated by the muscles during the motion through the segments, and the final result is an increased application of force. This is what takes place when, for example, a swimmer's hand is pulled through the water.
How does this apply to swimming stroke mechanics? First, we need to remind ourselves that when floating in the water, ground reaction force is not present. That is, we do not have the luxury of starting out, with the exception of when pushing off the wall or launching off the blocks with our feet planted against an immovable surface. Without this stable base, our ability to impart force is significantly decreased.
A pilot study conducted at our laboratory demonstrated what takes place when ground reaction force is progressively decreased (Prins, 2007). Using high-speed video cameras, a subject was filmed while performing an overhand throwing action using a water polo ball. When measuring the velocity of the ball at the moment it left the thrower's hand, the results were very predictable. As shown in figure 6.5, the ball velocity was highest when the subject stood on land with her feet in a power stance (i.e., one foot in front of the other). The lowest velocity was recorded when the subject floated in deep water using a flotation vest.
This study confirms what our intuition tells us. In order to exert the highest throwing velocity, we must start with the most stable base we can muster—in this case, standing firmly on the ground. When we attempt to throw while floating unsupported in deep water, the primary base of support is located in the region of the spine and hips, which provides the sole platform from which to initiate muscular forces. This does not imply that the hips should remain immovable. They must, however, provide the necessary base of support to allow for maximum force to be exerted at the other end of the link.
The Biomechanical Implications of Conscious Body Roll
Body roll plays an integral part when swimming freestyle and backstroke because, when swimming these two strokes, the torso rotates around the longitudinal axis of the body. The underlying question is whether hip action is accomplished
1. by conscious, voluntary hip rotation performed either immediately before or during the movements of the arms, or
2. as a consequence of what the arms are doing (i.e., during the hand entry and arm extension, the torso begins and continues to roll without additional conscious motion).
And—this is important—the trunk ceases to roll at the conclusion of the extension phase, immediately before the initiation of the catch phase of the pull.
As discussed previously, when floating on the surface, no ground reaction force is available. In the absence of firm footing, the trunk has to provide the stable platform for the muscles that control both the upper and lower extremities to generate propulsive forces.
We are not suggesting that the hips be held in a rigid, fixed position during swimming because holding any part of the body in a relatively immovable position is clearly unwarranted. Furthermore, voluntarily contracting the anterior abdominal or posterior trunk muscles with the intent of preventing the rotation of the trunk is unnecessarily fatiguing and will interfere with rhythmic, bilateral movements of the arms and legs. Observing the longitudinal motion of the hips in elite freestylers from an underwater lateral view demonstrates the extent to which the torso rotates around a longitudinal axis.
When observing elite competitive swimmers—competing in events ranging from 50 meters to 1,500 meters—it becomes evident that the shorter the event, the flatter and more stable the body position. This reduction in body roll is not performed consciously but rather stems from the need to apply more powerful muscular pulling forces when pulling in an attempt to swim faster. Based on this evidence, we can state that it should not be a question of how much a swimmer's hips should roll but of how much emphasis on active hip rotation should be recommended. Our contention is that recommending conscious rolling of the hips and torso during the course of a stroke cycle is not conducive to the optimal application of force.
Learn more about The Swim Coaching Bible, Volume II.
The Importance of the Start to the Backstroke
Both the swimmer and the coach should learn and experiment with variations because these physical experiences go into the swimmer’s overall inventory and help make the athlete’s chosen start style more athletic and effective.
Trends and Techniques in Backstroke
Teri McKeever
The Start
The start has a number of variations; any variation can be successful depending upon the swimmer. Both the swimmer and the coach should learn and experiment with variations because these physical experiences go into the swimmer's overall inventory and help make the athlete's chosen start style more athletic and effective. The following fundamental principles apply to all styles.
Keep the feet as high on the wall as possible. The backstroke start should be viewed as a dive. Therefore, more advantage can be gained from placing the starting platform as high as the rules allow.
Keep the body springy throughout the start. A jumping or pouncing animal stores springiness in its body when it is preparing to jump or pounce. The backstroker should take on this concept when preparing for the horn, and then maintain that springiness throughout the whole start process of uncoiling and into the first swimming strokes.
Use the whole body to dive. The swimmer should use the whole body to create the start. The “take your mark” position introduces a lot of closed angles throughout the body, and a swimmer can produce much acceleration when opening those angles to create the dive. Many swimmers who come into our program do the backstroke start by accelerating the head, arms, and legs out of sync with the body and therefore lose a lot of potential acceleration. Virtually all jumping movements in sport are dominated by the legs. A jumping sequence is instinctive and physically logical. However, the backstroke start is less effective if these same jumping instincts are used. In the backstroke start, the body is coiled and stabilized partially by the arms and then needs to uncoil and travel upside-down perpendicular to the line of gravity. A normal jumping sequence is not applicable. The body is bigger and slower than any of the extremities and the neck, so another way of looking at it is to emphasize the body and let the arms, legs, and head fit into the whole-body movement.
Make as small a hole as possible when going into the water. No matter which start style is used, the object is to slide into the water through as small a hole as possible. The water is heavy, and the less that needs to be moved out of the way the better.
A very good start (see figure 11.4) usually includes a hole that ends up being almost round and the same size as a cross-section of the widest part of the body. You can see the footprint of a good dive after the swimmer has disappeared under the water. If the disturbed water is circular, then the body slid into the water cleanly and efficiently. If the disturbed water is elliptical or oval, then the swimmer created drag as the body went into the water, which means that some of the acceleration from the dive was unnecessarily lost.
When starting, most swimmers find better success by making sure that the heel of the hand, rather than the palm of the hand or the base of the knuckles, is on the starting bar. Also, if an athlete has problems with the feet sliding down the starting surface, two things may help.
1. The athlete can set up with an image of the pelvis moving backward (toward the turning end of the pool) as he or she pulls towards the starting block. This set-up makes the angle of leg pressure into the wall less acute and more oblique. The force of the push from the legs goes into the wall rather than down the wall toward the bottom. This strategy makes slippage less likely.
2. The athlete can think of the arms as legs in the first part of the start. The arms leap away from the block and the legs push into the wall after the arms have propelled the torso, head and neck, and arms somewhat toward the other end of the pool. This strategy helps prevent slippage and assembles the body into an accelerating unit.
Learn more about The Swim Coaching Bible, Volume II.
How to Design and Implement a Training Program for the Butterfly
Designing and implementing a training program for the butterfly events presents a formidable challenge to coaches.
Trends and Techniques in Butterfly
Bob Bowman
Training Techniques for Butterfly
Designing and implementing a training program for the butterfly events presents a formidable challenge to coaches. Although some aspects of conditioning benefit both 100- and 200-meter swimmers, the energy requirements of the two events are quite different. A few of the world's top swimmers are competitive at both distances (Phelps, Meagher, Caulkins), but specialization is the norm and most swimmers excel at one event or the other (Malchow, ˇCavic, de Bruin). Therefore, the majority of stroke training for butterfly swimmers is geared to one of the Olympic distances, and all types of training are thrown into the mix.
The 200-Meter Butterfly
The 200 fly is a grueling mix of endurance and power that challenges any athlete. Endurance conditioning is the foundation of this event, and most often 200 flyers also are competent 400 freestylers or 400 individual medley swimmers. The general endurance work done for these events complements the more specific work done in butterfly sets. In my opinion, little benefit is gained by swimming butterfly in training with less than excellent technique. Historically, great 200 fly swimmers have been asked to complete gargantuan sets of repeat 200s, 300s, and 400s in butterfly
swimming on short rest. They have also done long swims such as 1,500 or 3,000 meters for time. Although it served some of them well, it also engrained bad technical habits and virtually eliminated a continuous kicking action from the stroke in favor of a more gliding and undulating style. This limits speed potential in the 200 and is contrary to the current, horizontally oriented stroke. Over the past decade, Michael Phelps has broken the world record in the 200 butterfly five times and has seldom swum more than four or five full-stroke 200 butterflies in training per year! The reason for this is simple: He cannot use his kick effectively for long butterfly swims and must resort to a survival stroke in order to complete the distances. We have developed other methods of conditioning his butterfly stroke that challenge his physiology while allowing him to perform his stroke at levels that are near race quality.
At the North Baltimore Aquatic Club, short-course 25-yard swimming has become an important part of the training program for the 200-meter butterfly. The reasons for this are twofold:
1. The shorter distance allows the swimmer to use a stroke that is much closer to the actual racing stroke in short rest training.
2. The swimmer can maintain a higher average heart rate during conditioning sets than in 50-meter training.
For these reasons, the majority of our endurance butterfly sets are done in a 25-yard pool. We use long-course training for specific speed work and for race rehearsal training. Some examples of our short-course fly training include the following:
45 × 50 butterfly = 3 × (10 × 50 @ 45 seconds work on stroke control + 5 × 50 @ 35 seconds at maximum speed)
No break is given between rounds. The swimmer must immediately return to the stroke count and stroke control time assigned by the coach. Michael Phelps holds around 28 seconds on the set of 10 with 6 strokes per length. He then swims around 25 seconds on the set of 5. The pace of the 5 × 50 is at his American record speed for the 200-yard fly! Little doubt exists about why he is the best butterfly swimmer in history.
3 × (4 × 100 fly @ 1:10 or 1:15 hold under 60 seconds + 1 minute rest + 100 fly at maximum speed)
The goal is to swim as close as possible to the second 100 split of the 200 fly on the timed 100. There are 300 yards of recovery drilling and swimming between rounds. This is an excellent set for helping the swimmer develop a technique that will maintain speed at the end of the race. We also like to use sets of 25-yard repeats on short rest done at the best speed the swimmer can hold. Twenty to 30 or even 40 × 25 on 20 seconds is tremendously conditioning and mentally challenging. The frequent, short repetitions also allow the coach to give short feedback tips at the end of each length. This helps the swimmer stay focused on technique under the physical stress of the interval.
In addition to the short-course work that is specific to the 200, we work on longer rest intervals and higher speeds in the 50-meter pool. The swimmers perform three to four broken 200s as follows.
50 dive @ 1:30 @ going out speed of goal 200
100 push @ 2:30 @ middle 100 speed or faster
50 dive @ 1:30 @ fastest possible speed
There is up to 400 meters of active recovery swimming and drilling in between rounds. The total interval for the swim and the recovery is around 10 minutes.
8 to 24 × 50 fly @ 1:30 (odd = dive; even = push)
All are performed at maximum effort. This is a great set for working on speed endurance and offers the coach opportunities to give technical feedback at the end of each repeat. This set mimics the anaerobic stress that the swimmers feel at the end of the race and teaches them to maintain proper technique under stress.
In general, our 200 flyers spend two main sets per week on butterfly; the remaining days are devoted to distance or individual medley training. We also sprinkle small doses of butterfly sprints through the week to help the swimmers develop speed and improve technique.
The 100-Meter Butterfly
Most swimmers who excel at the 100-meter butterfly are speed oriented and also train for the 100 freestyle or possibly the short individual medley. The swimmers have a perfunctory endurance program that allows for effective recovery between speed sets in training. For these swimmers, developing power and quickness to enhance the speed of their first 50 is critical. They must also have the lactate tolerance and buffering capacities to maintain speed over the final 50 meters.
Resistance training and speed-assisted training are very effective for the 100 fly. Our swimmers do sets with parachutes, fins, and surgical tubing on a regular basis. We must ensure that technique remains intact when overloading the stroke with resistance work. The repeats should be short and the intensity should be high.
We like to do the following two sets long course (or short course) to develop the type of speed endurance that 100 butterfly swimmers need to succeed.
30 × 50 @ 1:30 (1:15 short course) (1 kick, 1 drill, 1 swim)
The swims are done at maximum speed. The kicks and drills should be done with perfect precision and at an effort that keeps the system engaged and the heart rate steady between swims. This set is tremendously effective for developing the second 50 meters of the 100 fly. Take stroke and kick counts and stroke rates to determine the maximum level of speed efficiency for each swimmer.
10 × 50 done at maximum speed (4 @ 1:30 followed by 1 each @ 1:20, 1:10, 1:00, 0:50, 0:40 and 0:30)
This set, borrowed from coach Richard Quick, mimics the final 20 meters of the 100 or 200 and teaches the body to produce and then tolerate lactic acid. We like to follow this set with 10 × 100 @ 1:30 freestyle holding under 1:10. This buffering set forces the body to metabolize the lactic acid that is produced during the set and makes the total physical system much more efficient.
Both of these sets simulate for the 100-meter butterfly swimmer the physical demands of the race and allow them to perform the repeats with technique that is near race level.
Some swimmers need training for both events. A careful mixture of both types of training helps the swimmer steadily reach progressive performance levels in both events while excelling at the top level of performance in his or her more natural event. Swimmers must perform these sets with proper technique at all times. This includes underwater dolphin kicking. At North Baltimore Aquatic Club, our coaching staff prescribes a number of dolphin kicks that are to be performed on each wall during each specific set. This number is calculated to achieve maximum speed and distance on the underwater work while taking into account the strokes per length the swimmer takes. This balance between power and efficiency is critical in world-class butterfly swimming.
Learn more about The Swim Coaching Bible, Volume II.
How to Apply Science to Your Coaching
During the past few years, the function of the trunk and spine in swimming has gained attention.
Applying Science to Your Coaching
Jan Prins
Stabilization of the Spine and the Role of the Trunk in Swimming
During the past few years, the function of the trunk and spine in swimming has gained attention. First, we outline spinal stability at it applies to human motion. In any activity that involves using our extremities to move in space, such as running or swimming, the trunk must remain stable while the arms and legs are used for propulsion.
To accomplish this motion, a transfer of kinetic energy takes place. The energy originates at the stable end of the body and moves up the kinetic chain to amplify the end result. Briefly explained, the body can be viewed as a series of links, or segments, connected by the joints. When functioning effectively, this link system can help transmit the forces generated by the muscles, which are attached to these links. By invoking what is called the segmental interaction principle, the forces acting between the segments of a body transfer the potential and contractile energy generated by the muscles during the motion through the segments, and the final result is an increased application of force. This is what takes place when, for example, a swimmer's hand is pulled through the water.
How does this apply to swimming stroke mechanics? First, we need to remind ourselves that when floating in the water, ground reaction force is not present. That is, we do not have the luxury of starting out, with the exception of when pushing off the wall or launching off the blocks with our feet planted against an immovable surface. Without this stable base, our ability to impart force is significantly decreased.
A pilot study conducted at our laboratory demonstrated what takes place when ground reaction force is progressively decreased (Prins, 2007). Using high-speed video cameras, a subject was filmed while performing an overhand throwing action using a water polo ball. When measuring the velocity of the ball at the moment it left the thrower's hand, the results were very predictable. As shown in figure 6.5, the ball velocity was highest when the subject stood on land with her feet in a power stance (i.e., one foot in front of the other). The lowest velocity was recorded when the subject floated in deep water using a flotation vest.
This study confirms what our intuition tells us. In order to exert the highest throwing velocity, we must start with the most stable base we can muster—in this case, standing firmly on the ground. When we attempt to throw while floating unsupported in deep water, the primary base of support is located in the region of the spine and hips, which provides the sole platform from which to initiate muscular forces. This does not imply that the hips should remain immovable. They must, however, provide the necessary base of support to allow for maximum force to be exerted at the other end of the link.
The Biomechanical Implications of Conscious Body Roll
Body roll plays an integral part when swimming freestyle and backstroke because, when swimming these two strokes, the torso rotates around the longitudinal axis of the body. The underlying question is whether hip action is accomplished
1. by conscious, voluntary hip rotation performed either immediately before or during the movements of the arms, or
2. as a consequence of what the arms are doing (i.e., during the hand entry and arm extension, the torso begins and continues to roll without additional conscious motion).
And—this is important—the trunk ceases to roll at the conclusion of the extension phase, immediately before the initiation of the catch phase of the pull.
As discussed previously, when floating on the surface, no ground reaction force is available. In the absence of firm footing, the trunk has to provide the stable platform for the muscles that control both the upper and lower extremities to generate propulsive forces.
We are not suggesting that the hips be held in a rigid, fixed position during swimming because holding any part of the body in a relatively immovable position is clearly unwarranted. Furthermore, voluntarily contracting the anterior abdominal or posterior trunk muscles with the intent of preventing the rotation of the trunk is unnecessarily fatiguing and will interfere with rhythmic, bilateral movements of the arms and legs. Observing the longitudinal motion of the hips in elite freestylers from an underwater lateral view demonstrates the extent to which the torso rotates around a longitudinal axis.
When observing elite competitive swimmers—competing in events ranging from 50 meters to 1,500 meters—it becomes evident that the shorter the event, the flatter and more stable the body position. This reduction in body roll is not performed consciously but rather stems from the need to apply more powerful muscular pulling forces when pulling in an attempt to swim faster. Based on this evidence, we can state that it should not be a question of how much a swimmer's hips should roll but of how much emphasis on active hip rotation should be recommended. Our contention is that recommending conscious rolling of the hips and torso during the course of a stroke cycle is not conducive to the optimal application of force.
Learn more about The Swim Coaching Bible, Volume II.
The Importance of the Start to the Backstroke
Both the swimmer and the coach should learn and experiment with variations because these physical experiences go into the swimmer’s overall inventory and help make the athlete’s chosen start style more athletic and effective.
Trends and Techniques in Backstroke
Teri McKeever
The Start
The start has a number of variations; any variation can be successful depending upon the swimmer. Both the swimmer and the coach should learn and experiment with variations because these physical experiences go into the swimmer's overall inventory and help make the athlete's chosen start style more athletic and effective. The following fundamental principles apply to all styles.
Keep the feet as high on the wall as possible. The backstroke start should be viewed as a dive. Therefore, more advantage can be gained from placing the starting platform as high as the rules allow.
Keep the body springy throughout the start. A jumping or pouncing animal stores springiness in its body when it is preparing to jump or pounce. The backstroker should take on this concept when preparing for the horn, and then maintain that springiness throughout the whole start process of uncoiling and into the first swimming strokes.
Use the whole body to dive. The swimmer should use the whole body to create the start. The “take your mark” position introduces a lot of closed angles throughout the body, and a swimmer can produce much acceleration when opening those angles to create the dive. Many swimmers who come into our program do the backstroke start by accelerating the head, arms, and legs out of sync with the body and therefore lose a lot of potential acceleration. Virtually all jumping movements in sport are dominated by the legs. A jumping sequence is instinctive and physically logical. However, the backstroke start is less effective if these same jumping instincts are used. In the backstroke start, the body is coiled and stabilized partially by the arms and then needs to uncoil and travel upside-down perpendicular to the line of gravity. A normal jumping sequence is not applicable. The body is bigger and slower than any of the extremities and the neck, so another way of looking at it is to emphasize the body and let the arms, legs, and head fit into the whole-body movement.
Make as small a hole as possible when going into the water. No matter which start style is used, the object is to slide into the water through as small a hole as possible. The water is heavy, and the less that needs to be moved out of the way the better.
A very good start (see figure 11.4) usually includes a hole that ends up being almost round and the same size as a cross-section of the widest part of the body. You can see the footprint of a good dive after the swimmer has disappeared under the water. If the disturbed water is circular, then the body slid into the water cleanly and efficiently. If the disturbed water is elliptical or oval, then the swimmer created drag as the body went into the water, which means that some of the acceleration from the dive was unnecessarily lost.
When starting, most swimmers find better success by making sure that the heel of the hand, rather than the palm of the hand or the base of the knuckles, is on the starting bar. Also, if an athlete has problems with the feet sliding down the starting surface, two things may help.
1. The athlete can set up with an image of the pelvis moving backward (toward the turning end of the pool) as he or she pulls towards the starting block. This set-up makes the angle of leg pressure into the wall less acute and more oblique. The force of the push from the legs goes into the wall rather than down the wall toward the bottom. This strategy makes slippage less likely.
2. The athlete can think of the arms as legs in the first part of the start. The arms leap away from the block and the legs push into the wall after the arms have propelled the torso, head and neck, and arms somewhat toward the other end of the pool. This strategy helps prevent slippage and assembles the body into an accelerating unit.
Learn more about The Swim Coaching Bible, Volume II.
How to Design and Implement a Training Program for the Butterfly
Designing and implementing a training program for the butterfly events presents a formidable challenge to coaches.
Trends and Techniques in Butterfly
Bob Bowman
Training Techniques for Butterfly
Designing and implementing a training program for the butterfly events presents a formidable challenge to coaches. Although some aspects of conditioning benefit both 100- and 200-meter swimmers, the energy requirements of the two events are quite different. A few of the world's top swimmers are competitive at both distances (Phelps, Meagher, Caulkins), but specialization is the norm and most swimmers excel at one event or the other (Malchow, ˇCavic, de Bruin). Therefore, the majority of stroke training for butterfly swimmers is geared to one of the Olympic distances, and all types of training are thrown into the mix.
The 200-Meter Butterfly
The 200 fly is a grueling mix of endurance and power that challenges any athlete. Endurance conditioning is the foundation of this event, and most often 200 flyers also are competent 400 freestylers or 400 individual medley swimmers. The general endurance work done for these events complements the more specific work done in butterfly sets. In my opinion, little benefit is gained by swimming butterfly in training with less than excellent technique. Historically, great 200 fly swimmers have been asked to complete gargantuan sets of repeat 200s, 300s, and 400s in butterfly
swimming on short rest. They have also done long swims such as 1,500 or 3,000 meters for time. Although it served some of them well, it also engrained bad technical habits and virtually eliminated a continuous kicking action from the stroke in favor of a more gliding and undulating style. This limits speed potential in the 200 and is contrary to the current, horizontally oriented stroke. Over the past decade, Michael Phelps has broken the world record in the 200 butterfly five times and has seldom swum more than four or five full-stroke 200 butterflies in training per year! The reason for this is simple: He cannot use his kick effectively for long butterfly swims and must resort to a survival stroke in order to complete the distances. We have developed other methods of conditioning his butterfly stroke that challenge his physiology while allowing him to perform his stroke at levels that are near race quality.
At the North Baltimore Aquatic Club, short-course 25-yard swimming has become an important part of the training program for the 200-meter butterfly. The reasons for this are twofold:
1. The shorter distance allows the swimmer to use a stroke that is much closer to the actual racing stroke in short rest training.
2. The swimmer can maintain a higher average heart rate during conditioning sets than in 50-meter training.
For these reasons, the majority of our endurance butterfly sets are done in a 25-yard pool. We use long-course training for specific speed work and for race rehearsal training. Some examples of our short-course fly training include the following:
45 × 50 butterfly = 3 × (10 × 50 @ 45 seconds work on stroke control + 5 × 50 @ 35 seconds at maximum speed)
No break is given between rounds. The swimmer must immediately return to the stroke count and stroke control time assigned by the coach. Michael Phelps holds around 28 seconds on the set of 10 with 6 strokes per length. He then swims around 25 seconds on the set of 5. The pace of the 5 × 50 is at his American record speed for the 200-yard fly! Little doubt exists about why he is the best butterfly swimmer in history.
3 × (4 × 100 fly @ 1:10 or 1:15 hold under 60 seconds + 1 minute rest + 100 fly at maximum speed)
The goal is to swim as close as possible to the second 100 split of the 200 fly on the timed 100. There are 300 yards of recovery drilling and swimming between rounds. This is an excellent set for helping the swimmer develop a technique that will maintain speed at the end of the race. We also like to use sets of 25-yard repeats on short rest done at the best speed the swimmer can hold. Twenty to 30 or even 40 × 25 on 20 seconds is tremendously conditioning and mentally challenging. The frequent, short repetitions also allow the coach to give short feedback tips at the end of each length. This helps the swimmer stay focused on technique under the physical stress of the interval.
In addition to the short-course work that is specific to the 200, we work on longer rest intervals and higher speeds in the 50-meter pool. The swimmers perform three to four broken 200s as follows.
50 dive @ 1:30 @ going out speed of goal 200
100 push @ 2:30 @ middle 100 speed or faster
50 dive @ 1:30 @ fastest possible speed
There is up to 400 meters of active recovery swimming and drilling in between rounds. The total interval for the swim and the recovery is around 10 minutes.
8 to 24 × 50 fly @ 1:30 (odd = dive; even = push)
All are performed at maximum effort. This is a great set for working on speed endurance and offers the coach opportunities to give technical feedback at the end of each repeat. This set mimics the anaerobic stress that the swimmers feel at the end of the race and teaches them to maintain proper technique under stress.
In general, our 200 flyers spend two main sets per week on butterfly; the remaining days are devoted to distance or individual medley training. We also sprinkle small doses of butterfly sprints through the week to help the swimmers develop speed and improve technique.
The 100-Meter Butterfly
Most swimmers who excel at the 100-meter butterfly are speed oriented and also train for the 100 freestyle or possibly the short individual medley. The swimmers have a perfunctory endurance program that allows for effective recovery between speed sets in training. For these swimmers, developing power and quickness to enhance the speed of their first 50 is critical. They must also have the lactate tolerance and buffering capacities to maintain speed over the final 50 meters.
Resistance training and speed-assisted training are very effective for the 100 fly. Our swimmers do sets with parachutes, fins, and surgical tubing on a regular basis. We must ensure that technique remains intact when overloading the stroke with resistance work. The repeats should be short and the intensity should be high.
We like to do the following two sets long course (or short course) to develop the type of speed endurance that 100 butterfly swimmers need to succeed.
30 × 50 @ 1:30 (1:15 short course) (1 kick, 1 drill, 1 swim)
The swims are done at maximum speed. The kicks and drills should be done with perfect precision and at an effort that keeps the system engaged and the heart rate steady between swims. This set is tremendously effective for developing the second 50 meters of the 100 fly. Take stroke and kick counts and stroke rates to determine the maximum level of speed efficiency for each swimmer.
10 × 50 done at maximum speed (4 @ 1:30 followed by 1 each @ 1:20, 1:10, 1:00, 0:50, 0:40 and 0:30)
This set, borrowed from coach Richard Quick, mimics the final 20 meters of the 100 or 200 and teaches the body to produce and then tolerate lactic acid. We like to follow this set with 10 × 100 @ 1:30 freestyle holding under 1:10. This buffering set forces the body to metabolize the lactic acid that is produced during the set and makes the total physical system much more efficient.
Both of these sets simulate for the 100-meter butterfly swimmer the physical demands of the race and allow them to perform the repeats with technique that is near race level.
Some swimmers need training for both events. A careful mixture of both types of training helps the swimmer steadily reach progressive performance levels in both events while excelling at the top level of performance in his or her more natural event. Swimmers must perform these sets with proper technique at all times. This includes underwater dolphin kicking. At North Baltimore Aquatic Club, our coaching staff prescribes a number of dolphin kicks that are to be performed on each wall during each specific set. This number is calculated to achieve maximum speed and distance on the underwater work while taking into account the strokes per length the swimmer takes. This balance between power and efficiency is critical in world-class butterfly swimming.
Learn more about The Swim Coaching Bible, Volume II.
How to Apply Science to Your Coaching
During the past few years, the function of the trunk and spine in swimming has gained attention.
Applying Science to Your Coaching
Jan Prins
Stabilization of the Spine and the Role of the Trunk in Swimming
During the past few years, the function of the trunk and spine in swimming has gained attention. First, we outline spinal stability at it applies to human motion. In any activity that involves using our extremities to move in space, such as running or swimming, the trunk must remain stable while the arms and legs are used for propulsion.
To accomplish this motion, a transfer of kinetic energy takes place. The energy originates at the stable end of the body and moves up the kinetic chain to amplify the end result. Briefly explained, the body can be viewed as a series of links, or segments, connected by the joints. When functioning effectively, this link system can help transmit the forces generated by the muscles, which are attached to these links. By invoking what is called the segmental interaction principle, the forces acting between the segments of a body transfer the potential and contractile energy generated by the muscles during the motion through the segments, and the final result is an increased application of force. This is what takes place when, for example, a swimmer's hand is pulled through the water.
How does this apply to swimming stroke mechanics? First, we need to remind ourselves that when floating in the water, ground reaction force is not present. That is, we do not have the luxury of starting out, with the exception of when pushing off the wall or launching off the blocks with our feet planted against an immovable surface. Without this stable base, our ability to impart force is significantly decreased.
A pilot study conducted at our laboratory demonstrated what takes place when ground reaction force is progressively decreased (Prins, 2007). Using high-speed video cameras, a subject was filmed while performing an overhand throwing action using a water polo ball. When measuring the velocity of the ball at the moment it left the thrower's hand, the results were very predictable. As shown in figure 6.5, the ball velocity was highest when the subject stood on land with her feet in a power stance (i.e., one foot in front of the other). The lowest velocity was recorded when the subject floated in deep water using a flotation vest.
This study confirms what our intuition tells us. In order to exert the highest throwing velocity, we must start with the most stable base we can muster—in this case, standing firmly on the ground. When we attempt to throw while floating unsupported in deep water, the primary base of support is located in the region of the spine and hips, which provides the sole platform from which to initiate muscular forces. This does not imply that the hips should remain immovable. They must, however, provide the necessary base of support to allow for maximum force to be exerted at the other end of the link.
The Biomechanical Implications of Conscious Body Roll
Body roll plays an integral part when swimming freestyle and backstroke because, when swimming these two strokes, the torso rotates around the longitudinal axis of the body. The underlying question is whether hip action is accomplished
1. by conscious, voluntary hip rotation performed either immediately before or during the movements of the arms, or
2. as a consequence of what the arms are doing (i.e., during the hand entry and arm extension, the torso begins and continues to roll without additional conscious motion).
And—this is important—the trunk ceases to roll at the conclusion of the extension phase, immediately before the initiation of the catch phase of the pull.
As discussed previously, when floating on the surface, no ground reaction force is available. In the absence of firm footing, the trunk has to provide the stable platform for the muscles that control both the upper and lower extremities to generate propulsive forces.
We are not suggesting that the hips be held in a rigid, fixed position during swimming because holding any part of the body in a relatively immovable position is clearly unwarranted. Furthermore, voluntarily contracting the anterior abdominal or posterior trunk muscles with the intent of preventing the rotation of the trunk is unnecessarily fatiguing and will interfere with rhythmic, bilateral movements of the arms and legs. Observing the longitudinal motion of the hips in elite freestylers from an underwater lateral view demonstrates the extent to which the torso rotates around a longitudinal axis.
When observing elite competitive swimmers—competing in events ranging from 50 meters to 1,500 meters—it becomes evident that the shorter the event, the flatter and more stable the body position. This reduction in body roll is not performed consciously but rather stems from the need to apply more powerful muscular pulling forces when pulling in an attempt to swim faster. Based on this evidence, we can state that it should not be a question of how much a swimmer's hips should roll but of how much emphasis on active hip rotation should be recommended. Our contention is that recommending conscious rolling of the hips and torso during the course of a stroke cycle is not conducive to the optimal application of force.
Learn more about The Swim Coaching Bible, Volume II.
The Importance of the Start to the Backstroke
Both the swimmer and the coach should learn and experiment with variations because these physical experiences go into the swimmer’s overall inventory and help make the athlete’s chosen start style more athletic and effective.
Trends and Techniques in Backstroke
Teri McKeever
The Start
The start has a number of variations; any variation can be successful depending upon the swimmer. Both the swimmer and the coach should learn and experiment with variations because these physical experiences go into the swimmer's overall inventory and help make the athlete's chosen start style more athletic and effective. The following fundamental principles apply to all styles.
Keep the feet as high on the wall as possible. The backstroke start should be viewed as a dive. Therefore, more advantage can be gained from placing the starting platform as high as the rules allow.
Keep the body springy throughout the start. A jumping or pouncing animal stores springiness in its body when it is preparing to jump or pounce. The backstroker should take on this concept when preparing for the horn, and then maintain that springiness throughout the whole start process of uncoiling and into the first swimming strokes.
Use the whole body to dive. The swimmer should use the whole body to create the start. The “take your mark” position introduces a lot of closed angles throughout the body, and a swimmer can produce much acceleration when opening those angles to create the dive. Many swimmers who come into our program do the backstroke start by accelerating the head, arms, and legs out of sync with the body and therefore lose a lot of potential acceleration. Virtually all jumping movements in sport are dominated by the legs. A jumping sequence is instinctive and physically logical. However, the backstroke start is less effective if these same jumping instincts are used. In the backstroke start, the body is coiled and stabilized partially by the arms and then needs to uncoil and travel upside-down perpendicular to the line of gravity. A normal jumping sequence is not applicable. The body is bigger and slower than any of the extremities and the neck, so another way of looking at it is to emphasize the body and let the arms, legs, and head fit into the whole-body movement.
Make as small a hole as possible when going into the water. No matter which start style is used, the object is to slide into the water through as small a hole as possible. The water is heavy, and the less that needs to be moved out of the way the better.
A very good start (see figure 11.4) usually includes a hole that ends up being almost round and the same size as a cross-section of the widest part of the body. You can see the footprint of a good dive after the swimmer has disappeared under the water. If the disturbed water is circular, then the body slid into the water cleanly and efficiently. If the disturbed water is elliptical or oval, then the swimmer created drag as the body went into the water, which means that some of the acceleration from the dive was unnecessarily lost.
When starting, most swimmers find better success by making sure that the heel of the hand, rather than the palm of the hand or the base of the knuckles, is on the starting bar. Also, if an athlete has problems with the feet sliding down the starting surface, two things may help.
1. The athlete can set up with an image of the pelvis moving backward (toward the turning end of the pool) as he or she pulls towards the starting block. This set-up makes the angle of leg pressure into the wall less acute and more oblique. The force of the push from the legs goes into the wall rather than down the wall toward the bottom. This strategy makes slippage less likely.
2. The athlete can think of the arms as legs in the first part of the start. The arms leap away from the block and the legs push into the wall after the arms have propelled the torso, head and neck, and arms somewhat toward the other end of the pool. This strategy helps prevent slippage and assembles the body into an accelerating unit.
Learn more about The Swim Coaching Bible, Volume II.
How to Design and Implement a Training Program for the Butterfly
Designing and implementing a training program for the butterfly events presents a formidable challenge to coaches.
Trends and Techniques in Butterfly
Bob Bowman
Training Techniques for Butterfly
Designing and implementing a training program for the butterfly events presents a formidable challenge to coaches. Although some aspects of conditioning benefit both 100- and 200-meter swimmers, the energy requirements of the two events are quite different. A few of the world's top swimmers are competitive at both distances (Phelps, Meagher, Caulkins), but specialization is the norm and most swimmers excel at one event or the other (Malchow, ˇCavic, de Bruin). Therefore, the majority of stroke training for butterfly swimmers is geared to one of the Olympic distances, and all types of training are thrown into the mix.
The 200-Meter Butterfly
The 200 fly is a grueling mix of endurance and power that challenges any athlete. Endurance conditioning is the foundation of this event, and most often 200 flyers also are competent 400 freestylers or 400 individual medley swimmers. The general endurance work done for these events complements the more specific work done in butterfly sets. In my opinion, little benefit is gained by swimming butterfly in training with less than excellent technique. Historically, great 200 fly swimmers have been asked to complete gargantuan sets of repeat 200s, 300s, and 400s in butterfly
swimming on short rest. They have also done long swims such as 1,500 or 3,000 meters for time. Although it served some of them well, it also engrained bad technical habits and virtually eliminated a continuous kicking action from the stroke in favor of a more gliding and undulating style. This limits speed potential in the 200 and is contrary to the current, horizontally oriented stroke. Over the past decade, Michael Phelps has broken the world record in the 200 butterfly five times and has seldom swum more than four or five full-stroke 200 butterflies in training per year! The reason for this is simple: He cannot use his kick effectively for long butterfly swims and must resort to a survival stroke in order to complete the distances. We have developed other methods of conditioning his butterfly stroke that challenge his physiology while allowing him to perform his stroke at levels that are near race quality.
At the North Baltimore Aquatic Club, short-course 25-yard swimming has become an important part of the training program for the 200-meter butterfly. The reasons for this are twofold:
1. The shorter distance allows the swimmer to use a stroke that is much closer to the actual racing stroke in short rest training.
2. The swimmer can maintain a higher average heart rate during conditioning sets than in 50-meter training.
For these reasons, the majority of our endurance butterfly sets are done in a 25-yard pool. We use long-course training for specific speed work and for race rehearsal training. Some examples of our short-course fly training include the following:
45 × 50 butterfly = 3 × (10 × 50 @ 45 seconds work on stroke control + 5 × 50 @ 35 seconds at maximum speed)
No break is given between rounds. The swimmer must immediately return to the stroke count and stroke control time assigned by the coach. Michael Phelps holds around 28 seconds on the set of 10 with 6 strokes per length. He then swims around 25 seconds on the set of 5. The pace of the 5 × 50 is at his American record speed for the 200-yard fly! Little doubt exists about why he is the best butterfly swimmer in history.
3 × (4 × 100 fly @ 1:10 or 1:15 hold under 60 seconds + 1 minute rest + 100 fly at maximum speed)
The goal is to swim as close as possible to the second 100 split of the 200 fly on the timed 100. There are 300 yards of recovery drilling and swimming between rounds. This is an excellent set for helping the swimmer develop a technique that will maintain speed at the end of the race. We also like to use sets of 25-yard repeats on short rest done at the best speed the swimmer can hold. Twenty to 30 or even 40 × 25 on 20 seconds is tremendously conditioning and mentally challenging. The frequent, short repetitions also allow the coach to give short feedback tips at the end of each length. This helps the swimmer stay focused on technique under the physical stress of the interval.
In addition to the short-course work that is specific to the 200, we work on longer rest intervals and higher speeds in the 50-meter pool. The swimmers perform three to four broken 200s as follows.
50 dive @ 1:30 @ going out speed of goal 200
100 push @ 2:30 @ middle 100 speed or faster
50 dive @ 1:30 @ fastest possible speed
There is up to 400 meters of active recovery swimming and drilling in between rounds. The total interval for the swim and the recovery is around 10 minutes.
8 to 24 × 50 fly @ 1:30 (odd = dive; even = push)
All are performed at maximum effort. This is a great set for working on speed endurance and offers the coach opportunities to give technical feedback at the end of each repeat. This set mimics the anaerobic stress that the swimmers feel at the end of the race and teaches them to maintain proper technique under stress.
In general, our 200 flyers spend two main sets per week on butterfly; the remaining days are devoted to distance or individual medley training. We also sprinkle small doses of butterfly sprints through the week to help the swimmers develop speed and improve technique.
The 100-Meter Butterfly
Most swimmers who excel at the 100-meter butterfly are speed oriented and also train for the 100 freestyle or possibly the short individual medley. The swimmers have a perfunctory endurance program that allows for effective recovery between speed sets in training. For these swimmers, developing power and quickness to enhance the speed of their first 50 is critical. They must also have the lactate tolerance and buffering capacities to maintain speed over the final 50 meters.
Resistance training and speed-assisted training are very effective for the 100 fly. Our swimmers do sets with parachutes, fins, and surgical tubing on a regular basis. We must ensure that technique remains intact when overloading the stroke with resistance work. The repeats should be short and the intensity should be high.
We like to do the following two sets long course (or short course) to develop the type of speed endurance that 100 butterfly swimmers need to succeed.
30 × 50 @ 1:30 (1:15 short course) (1 kick, 1 drill, 1 swim)
The swims are done at maximum speed. The kicks and drills should be done with perfect precision and at an effort that keeps the system engaged and the heart rate steady between swims. This set is tremendously effective for developing the second 50 meters of the 100 fly. Take stroke and kick counts and stroke rates to determine the maximum level of speed efficiency for each swimmer.
10 × 50 done at maximum speed (4 @ 1:30 followed by 1 each @ 1:20, 1:10, 1:00, 0:50, 0:40 and 0:30)
This set, borrowed from coach Richard Quick, mimics the final 20 meters of the 100 or 200 and teaches the body to produce and then tolerate lactic acid. We like to follow this set with 10 × 100 @ 1:30 freestyle holding under 1:10. This buffering set forces the body to metabolize the lactic acid that is produced during the set and makes the total physical system much more efficient.
Both of these sets simulate for the 100-meter butterfly swimmer the physical demands of the race and allow them to perform the repeats with technique that is near race level.
Some swimmers need training for both events. A careful mixture of both types of training helps the swimmer steadily reach progressive performance levels in both events while excelling at the top level of performance in his or her more natural event. Swimmers must perform these sets with proper technique at all times. This includes underwater dolphin kicking. At North Baltimore Aquatic Club, our coaching staff prescribes a number of dolphin kicks that are to be performed on each wall during each specific set. This number is calculated to achieve maximum speed and distance on the underwater work while taking into account the strokes per length the swimmer takes. This balance between power and efficiency is critical in world-class butterfly swimming.
Learn more about The Swim Coaching Bible, Volume II.
How to Apply Science to Your Coaching
During the past few years, the function of the trunk and spine in swimming has gained attention.
Applying Science to Your Coaching
Jan Prins
Stabilization of the Spine and the Role of the Trunk in Swimming
During the past few years, the function of the trunk and spine in swimming has gained attention. First, we outline spinal stability at it applies to human motion. In any activity that involves using our extremities to move in space, such as running or swimming, the trunk must remain stable while the arms and legs are used for propulsion.
To accomplish this motion, a transfer of kinetic energy takes place. The energy originates at the stable end of the body and moves up the kinetic chain to amplify the end result. Briefly explained, the body can be viewed as a series of links, or segments, connected by the joints. When functioning effectively, this link system can help transmit the forces generated by the muscles, which are attached to these links. By invoking what is called the segmental interaction principle, the forces acting between the segments of a body transfer the potential and contractile energy generated by the muscles during the motion through the segments, and the final result is an increased application of force. This is what takes place when, for example, a swimmer's hand is pulled through the water.
How does this apply to swimming stroke mechanics? First, we need to remind ourselves that when floating in the water, ground reaction force is not present. That is, we do not have the luxury of starting out, with the exception of when pushing off the wall or launching off the blocks with our feet planted against an immovable surface. Without this stable base, our ability to impart force is significantly decreased.
A pilot study conducted at our laboratory demonstrated what takes place when ground reaction force is progressively decreased (Prins, 2007). Using high-speed video cameras, a subject was filmed while performing an overhand throwing action using a water polo ball. When measuring the velocity of the ball at the moment it left the thrower's hand, the results were very predictable. As shown in figure 6.5, the ball velocity was highest when the subject stood on land with her feet in a power stance (i.e., one foot in front of the other). The lowest velocity was recorded when the subject floated in deep water using a flotation vest.
This study confirms what our intuition tells us. In order to exert the highest throwing velocity, we must start with the most stable base we can muster—in this case, standing firmly on the ground. When we attempt to throw while floating unsupported in deep water, the primary base of support is located in the region of the spine and hips, which provides the sole platform from which to initiate muscular forces. This does not imply that the hips should remain immovable. They must, however, provide the necessary base of support to allow for maximum force to be exerted at the other end of the link.
The Biomechanical Implications of Conscious Body Roll
Body roll plays an integral part when swimming freestyle and backstroke because, when swimming these two strokes, the torso rotates around the longitudinal axis of the body. The underlying question is whether hip action is accomplished
1. by conscious, voluntary hip rotation performed either immediately before or during the movements of the arms, or
2. as a consequence of what the arms are doing (i.e., during the hand entry and arm extension, the torso begins and continues to roll without additional conscious motion).
And—this is important—the trunk ceases to roll at the conclusion of the extension phase, immediately before the initiation of the catch phase of the pull.
As discussed previously, when floating on the surface, no ground reaction force is available. In the absence of firm footing, the trunk has to provide the stable platform for the muscles that control both the upper and lower extremities to generate propulsive forces.
We are not suggesting that the hips be held in a rigid, fixed position during swimming because holding any part of the body in a relatively immovable position is clearly unwarranted. Furthermore, voluntarily contracting the anterior abdominal or posterior trunk muscles with the intent of preventing the rotation of the trunk is unnecessarily fatiguing and will interfere with rhythmic, bilateral movements of the arms and legs. Observing the longitudinal motion of the hips in elite freestylers from an underwater lateral view demonstrates the extent to which the torso rotates around a longitudinal axis.
When observing elite competitive swimmers—competing in events ranging from 50 meters to 1,500 meters—it becomes evident that the shorter the event, the flatter and more stable the body position. This reduction in body roll is not performed consciously but rather stems from the need to apply more powerful muscular pulling forces when pulling in an attempt to swim faster. Based on this evidence, we can state that it should not be a question of how much a swimmer's hips should roll but of how much emphasis on active hip rotation should be recommended. Our contention is that recommending conscious rolling of the hips and torso during the course of a stroke cycle is not conducive to the optimal application of force.
Learn more about The Swim Coaching Bible, Volume II.
The Importance of the Start to the Backstroke
Both the swimmer and the coach should learn and experiment with variations because these physical experiences go into the swimmer’s overall inventory and help make the athlete’s chosen start style more athletic and effective.
Trends and Techniques in Backstroke
Teri McKeever
The Start
The start has a number of variations; any variation can be successful depending upon the swimmer. Both the swimmer and the coach should learn and experiment with variations because these physical experiences go into the swimmer's overall inventory and help make the athlete's chosen start style more athletic and effective. The following fundamental principles apply to all styles.
Keep the feet as high on the wall as possible. The backstroke start should be viewed as a dive. Therefore, more advantage can be gained from placing the starting platform as high as the rules allow.
Keep the body springy throughout the start. A jumping or pouncing animal stores springiness in its body when it is preparing to jump or pounce. The backstroker should take on this concept when preparing for the horn, and then maintain that springiness throughout the whole start process of uncoiling and into the first swimming strokes.
Use the whole body to dive. The swimmer should use the whole body to create the start. The “take your mark” position introduces a lot of closed angles throughout the body, and a swimmer can produce much acceleration when opening those angles to create the dive. Many swimmers who come into our program do the backstroke start by accelerating the head, arms, and legs out of sync with the body and therefore lose a lot of potential acceleration. Virtually all jumping movements in sport are dominated by the legs. A jumping sequence is instinctive and physically logical. However, the backstroke start is less effective if these same jumping instincts are used. In the backstroke start, the body is coiled and stabilized partially by the arms and then needs to uncoil and travel upside-down perpendicular to the line of gravity. A normal jumping sequence is not applicable. The body is bigger and slower than any of the extremities and the neck, so another way of looking at it is to emphasize the body and let the arms, legs, and head fit into the whole-body movement.
Make as small a hole as possible when going into the water. No matter which start style is used, the object is to slide into the water through as small a hole as possible. The water is heavy, and the less that needs to be moved out of the way the better.
A very good start (see figure 11.4) usually includes a hole that ends up being almost round and the same size as a cross-section of the widest part of the body. You can see the footprint of a good dive after the swimmer has disappeared under the water. If the disturbed water is circular, then the body slid into the water cleanly and efficiently. If the disturbed water is elliptical or oval, then the swimmer created drag as the body went into the water, which means that some of the acceleration from the dive was unnecessarily lost.
When starting, most swimmers find better success by making sure that the heel of the hand, rather than the palm of the hand or the base of the knuckles, is on the starting bar. Also, if an athlete has problems with the feet sliding down the starting surface, two things may help.
1. The athlete can set up with an image of the pelvis moving backward (toward the turning end of the pool) as he or she pulls towards the starting block. This set-up makes the angle of leg pressure into the wall less acute and more oblique. The force of the push from the legs goes into the wall rather than down the wall toward the bottom. This strategy makes slippage less likely.
2. The athlete can think of the arms as legs in the first part of the start. The arms leap away from the block and the legs push into the wall after the arms have propelled the torso, head and neck, and arms somewhat toward the other end of the pool. This strategy helps prevent slippage and assembles the body into an accelerating unit.
Learn more about The Swim Coaching Bible, Volume II.
How to Design and Implement a Training Program for the Butterfly
Designing and implementing a training program for the butterfly events presents a formidable challenge to coaches.
Trends and Techniques in Butterfly
Bob Bowman
Training Techniques for Butterfly
Designing and implementing a training program for the butterfly events presents a formidable challenge to coaches. Although some aspects of conditioning benefit both 100- and 200-meter swimmers, the energy requirements of the two events are quite different. A few of the world's top swimmers are competitive at both distances (Phelps, Meagher, Caulkins), but specialization is the norm and most swimmers excel at one event or the other (Malchow, ˇCavic, de Bruin). Therefore, the majority of stroke training for butterfly swimmers is geared to one of the Olympic distances, and all types of training are thrown into the mix.
The 200-Meter Butterfly
The 200 fly is a grueling mix of endurance and power that challenges any athlete. Endurance conditioning is the foundation of this event, and most often 200 flyers also are competent 400 freestylers or 400 individual medley swimmers. The general endurance work done for these events complements the more specific work done in butterfly sets. In my opinion, little benefit is gained by swimming butterfly in training with less than excellent technique. Historically, great 200 fly swimmers have been asked to complete gargantuan sets of repeat 200s, 300s, and 400s in butterfly
swimming on short rest. They have also done long swims such as 1,500 or 3,000 meters for time. Although it served some of them well, it also engrained bad technical habits and virtually eliminated a continuous kicking action from the stroke in favor of a more gliding and undulating style. This limits speed potential in the 200 and is contrary to the current, horizontally oriented stroke. Over the past decade, Michael Phelps has broken the world record in the 200 butterfly five times and has seldom swum more than four or five full-stroke 200 butterflies in training per year! The reason for this is simple: He cannot use his kick effectively for long butterfly swims and must resort to a survival stroke in order to complete the distances. We have developed other methods of conditioning his butterfly stroke that challenge his physiology while allowing him to perform his stroke at levels that are near race quality.
At the North Baltimore Aquatic Club, short-course 25-yard swimming has become an important part of the training program for the 200-meter butterfly. The reasons for this are twofold:
1. The shorter distance allows the swimmer to use a stroke that is much closer to the actual racing stroke in short rest training.
2. The swimmer can maintain a higher average heart rate during conditioning sets than in 50-meter training.
For these reasons, the majority of our endurance butterfly sets are done in a 25-yard pool. We use long-course training for specific speed work and for race rehearsal training. Some examples of our short-course fly training include the following:
45 × 50 butterfly = 3 × (10 × 50 @ 45 seconds work on stroke control + 5 × 50 @ 35 seconds at maximum speed)
No break is given between rounds. The swimmer must immediately return to the stroke count and stroke control time assigned by the coach. Michael Phelps holds around 28 seconds on the set of 10 with 6 strokes per length. He then swims around 25 seconds on the set of 5. The pace of the 5 × 50 is at his American record speed for the 200-yard fly! Little doubt exists about why he is the best butterfly swimmer in history.
3 × (4 × 100 fly @ 1:10 or 1:15 hold under 60 seconds + 1 minute rest + 100 fly at maximum speed)
The goal is to swim as close as possible to the second 100 split of the 200 fly on the timed 100. There are 300 yards of recovery drilling and swimming between rounds. This is an excellent set for helping the swimmer develop a technique that will maintain speed at the end of the race. We also like to use sets of 25-yard repeats on short rest done at the best speed the swimmer can hold. Twenty to 30 or even 40 × 25 on 20 seconds is tremendously conditioning and mentally challenging. The frequent, short repetitions also allow the coach to give short feedback tips at the end of each length. This helps the swimmer stay focused on technique under the physical stress of the interval.
In addition to the short-course work that is specific to the 200, we work on longer rest intervals and higher speeds in the 50-meter pool. The swimmers perform three to four broken 200s as follows.
50 dive @ 1:30 @ going out speed of goal 200
100 push @ 2:30 @ middle 100 speed or faster
50 dive @ 1:30 @ fastest possible speed
There is up to 400 meters of active recovery swimming and drilling in between rounds. The total interval for the swim and the recovery is around 10 minutes.
8 to 24 × 50 fly @ 1:30 (odd = dive; even = push)
All are performed at maximum effort. This is a great set for working on speed endurance and offers the coach opportunities to give technical feedback at the end of each repeat. This set mimics the anaerobic stress that the swimmers feel at the end of the race and teaches them to maintain proper technique under stress.
In general, our 200 flyers spend two main sets per week on butterfly; the remaining days are devoted to distance or individual medley training. We also sprinkle small doses of butterfly sprints through the week to help the swimmers develop speed and improve technique.
The 100-Meter Butterfly
Most swimmers who excel at the 100-meter butterfly are speed oriented and also train for the 100 freestyle or possibly the short individual medley. The swimmers have a perfunctory endurance program that allows for effective recovery between speed sets in training. For these swimmers, developing power and quickness to enhance the speed of their first 50 is critical. They must also have the lactate tolerance and buffering capacities to maintain speed over the final 50 meters.
Resistance training and speed-assisted training are very effective for the 100 fly. Our swimmers do sets with parachutes, fins, and surgical tubing on a regular basis. We must ensure that technique remains intact when overloading the stroke with resistance work. The repeats should be short and the intensity should be high.
We like to do the following two sets long course (or short course) to develop the type of speed endurance that 100 butterfly swimmers need to succeed.
30 × 50 @ 1:30 (1:15 short course) (1 kick, 1 drill, 1 swim)
The swims are done at maximum speed. The kicks and drills should be done with perfect precision and at an effort that keeps the system engaged and the heart rate steady between swims. This set is tremendously effective for developing the second 50 meters of the 100 fly. Take stroke and kick counts and stroke rates to determine the maximum level of speed efficiency for each swimmer.
10 × 50 done at maximum speed (4 @ 1:30 followed by 1 each @ 1:20, 1:10, 1:00, 0:50, 0:40 and 0:30)
This set, borrowed from coach Richard Quick, mimics the final 20 meters of the 100 or 200 and teaches the body to produce and then tolerate lactic acid. We like to follow this set with 10 × 100 @ 1:30 freestyle holding under 1:10. This buffering set forces the body to metabolize the lactic acid that is produced during the set and makes the total physical system much more efficient.
Both of these sets simulate for the 100-meter butterfly swimmer the physical demands of the race and allow them to perform the repeats with technique that is near race level.
Some swimmers need training for both events. A careful mixture of both types of training helps the swimmer steadily reach progressive performance levels in both events while excelling at the top level of performance in his or her more natural event. Swimmers must perform these sets with proper technique at all times. This includes underwater dolphin kicking. At North Baltimore Aquatic Club, our coaching staff prescribes a number of dolphin kicks that are to be performed on each wall during each specific set. This number is calculated to achieve maximum speed and distance on the underwater work while taking into account the strokes per length the swimmer takes. This balance between power and efficiency is critical in world-class butterfly swimming.
Learn more about The Swim Coaching Bible, Volume II.
How to Apply Science to Your Coaching
During the past few years, the function of the trunk and spine in swimming has gained attention.
Applying Science to Your Coaching
Jan Prins
Stabilization of the Spine and the Role of the Trunk in Swimming
During the past few years, the function of the trunk and spine in swimming has gained attention. First, we outline spinal stability at it applies to human motion. In any activity that involves using our extremities to move in space, such as running or swimming, the trunk must remain stable while the arms and legs are used for propulsion.
To accomplish this motion, a transfer of kinetic energy takes place. The energy originates at the stable end of the body and moves up the kinetic chain to amplify the end result. Briefly explained, the body can be viewed as a series of links, or segments, connected by the joints. When functioning effectively, this link system can help transmit the forces generated by the muscles, which are attached to these links. By invoking what is called the segmental interaction principle, the forces acting between the segments of a body transfer the potential and contractile energy generated by the muscles during the motion through the segments, and the final result is an increased application of force. This is what takes place when, for example, a swimmer's hand is pulled through the water.
How does this apply to swimming stroke mechanics? First, we need to remind ourselves that when floating in the water, ground reaction force is not present. That is, we do not have the luxury of starting out, with the exception of when pushing off the wall or launching off the blocks with our feet planted against an immovable surface. Without this stable base, our ability to impart force is significantly decreased.
A pilot study conducted at our laboratory demonstrated what takes place when ground reaction force is progressively decreased (Prins, 2007). Using high-speed video cameras, a subject was filmed while performing an overhand throwing action using a water polo ball. When measuring the velocity of the ball at the moment it left the thrower's hand, the results were very predictable. As shown in figure 6.5, the ball velocity was highest when the subject stood on land with her feet in a power stance (i.e., one foot in front of the other). The lowest velocity was recorded when the subject floated in deep water using a flotation vest.
This study confirms what our intuition tells us. In order to exert the highest throwing velocity, we must start with the most stable base we can muster—in this case, standing firmly on the ground. When we attempt to throw while floating unsupported in deep water, the primary base of support is located in the region of the spine and hips, which provides the sole platform from which to initiate muscular forces. This does not imply that the hips should remain immovable. They must, however, provide the necessary base of support to allow for maximum force to be exerted at the other end of the link.
The Biomechanical Implications of Conscious Body Roll
Body roll plays an integral part when swimming freestyle and backstroke because, when swimming these two strokes, the torso rotates around the longitudinal axis of the body. The underlying question is whether hip action is accomplished
1. by conscious, voluntary hip rotation performed either immediately before or during the movements of the arms, or
2. as a consequence of what the arms are doing (i.e., during the hand entry and arm extension, the torso begins and continues to roll without additional conscious motion).
And—this is important—the trunk ceases to roll at the conclusion of the extension phase, immediately before the initiation of the catch phase of the pull.
As discussed previously, when floating on the surface, no ground reaction force is available. In the absence of firm footing, the trunk has to provide the stable platform for the muscles that control both the upper and lower extremities to generate propulsive forces.
We are not suggesting that the hips be held in a rigid, fixed position during swimming because holding any part of the body in a relatively immovable position is clearly unwarranted. Furthermore, voluntarily contracting the anterior abdominal or posterior trunk muscles with the intent of preventing the rotation of the trunk is unnecessarily fatiguing and will interfere with rhythmic, bilateral movements of the arms and legs. Observing the longitudinal motion of the hips in elite freestylers from an underwater lateral view demonstrates the extent to which the torso rotates around a longitudinal axis.
When observing elite competitive swimmers—competing in events ranging from 50 meters to 1,500 meters—it becomes evident that the shorter the event, the flatter and more stable the body position. This reduction in body roll is not performed consciously but rather stems from the need to apply more powerful muscular pulling forces when pulling in an attempt to swim faster. Based on this evidence, we can state that it should not be a question of how much a swimmer's hips should roll but of how much emphasis on active hip rotation should be recommended. Our contention is that recommending conscious rolling of the hips and torso during the course of a stroke cycle is not conducive to the optimal application of force.
Learn more about The Swim Coaching Bible, Volume II.
The Importance of the Start to the Backstroke
Both the swimmer and the coach should learn and experiment with variations because these physical experiences go into the swimmer’s overall inventory and help make the athlete’s chosen start style more athletic and effective.
Trends and Techniques in Backstroke
Teri McKeever
The Start
The start has a number of variations; any variation can be successful depending upon the swimmer. Both the swimmer and the coach should learn and experiment with variations because these physical experiences go into the swimmer's overall inventory and help make the athlete's chosen start style more athletic and effective. The following fundamental principles apply to all styles.
Keep the feet as high on the wall as possible. The backstroke start should be viewed as a dive. Therefore, more advantage can be gained from placing the starting platform as high as the rules allow.
Keep the body springy throughout the start. A jumping or pouncing animal stores springiness in its body when it is preparing to jump or pounce. The backstroker should take on this concept when preparing for the horn, and then maintain that springiness throughout the whole start process of uncoiling and into the first swimming strokes.
Use the whole body to dive. The swimmer should use the whole body to create the start. The “take your mark” position introduces a lot of closed angles throughout the body, and a swimmer can produce much acceleration when opening those angles to create the dive. Many swimmers who come into our program do the backstroke start by accelerating the head, arms, and legs out of sync with the body and therefore lose a lot of potential acceleration. Virtually all jumping movements in sport are dominated by the legs. A jumping sequence is instinctive and physically logical. However, the backstroke start is less effective if these same jumping instincts are used. In the backstroke start, the body is coiled and stabilized partially by the arms and then needs to uncoil and travel upside-down perpendicular to the line of gravity. A normal jumping sequence is not applicable. The body is bigger and slower than any of the extremities and the neck, so another way of looking at it is to emphasize the body and let the arms, legs, and head fit into the whole-body movement.
Make as small a hole as possible when going into the water. No matter which start style is used, the object is to slide into the water through as small a hole as possible. The water is heavy, and the less that needs to be moved out of the way the better.
A very good start (see figure 11.4) usually includes a hole that ends up being almost round and the same size as a cross-section of the widest part of the body. You can see the footprint of a good dive after the swimmer has disappeared under the water. If the disturbed water is circular, then the body slid into the water cleanly and efficiently. If the disturbed water is elliptical or oval, then the swimmer created drag as the body went into the water, which means that some of the acceleration from the dive was unnecessarily lost.
When starting, most swimmers find better success by making sure that the heel of the hand, rather than the palm of the hand or the base of the knuckles, is on the starting bar. Also, if an athlete has problems with the feet sliding down the starting surface, two things may help.
1. The athlete can set up with an image of the pelvis moving backward (toward the turning end of the pool) as he or she pulls towards the starting block. This set-up makes the angle of leg pressure into the wall less acute and more oblique. The force of the push from the legs goes into the wall rather than down the wall toward the bottom. This strategy makes slippage less likely.
2. The athlete can think of the arms as legs in the first part of the start. The arms leap away from the block and the legs push into the wall after the arms have propelled the torso, head and neck, and arms somewhat toward the other end of the pool. This strategy helps prevent slippage and assembles the body into an accelerating unit.
Learn more about The Swim Coaching Bible, Volume II.
How to Design and Implement a Training Program for the Butterfly
Designing and implementing a training program for the butterfly events presents a formidable challenge to coaches.
Trends and Techniques in Butterfly
Bob Bowman
Training Techniques for Butterfly
Designing and implementing a training program for the butterfly events presents a formidable challenge to coaches. Although some aspects of conditioning benefit both 100- and 200-meter swimmers, the energy requirements of the two events are quite different. A few of the world's top swimmers are competitive at both distances (Phelps, Meagher, Caulkins), but specialization is the norm and most swimmers excel at one event or the other (Malchow, ˇCavic, de Bruin). Therefore, the majority of stroke training for butterfly swimmers is geared to one of the Olympic distances, and all types of training are thrown into the mix.
The 200-Meter Butterfly
The 200 fly is a grueling mix of endurance and power that challenges any athlete. Endurance conditioning is the foundation of this event, and most often 200 flyers also are competent 400 freestylers or 400 individual medley swimmers. The general endurance work done for these events complements the more specific work done in butterfly sets. In my opinion, little benefit is gained by swimming butterfly in training with less than excellent technique. Historically, great 200 fly swimmers have been asked to complete gargantuan sets of repeat 200s, 300s, and 400s in butterfly
swimming on short rest. They have also done long swims such as 1,500 or 3,000 meters for time. Although it served some of them well, it also engrained bad technical habits and virtually eliminated a continuous kicking action from the stroke in favor of a more gliding and undulating style. This limits speed potential in the 200 and is contrary to the current, horizontally oriented stroke. Over the past decade, Michael Phelps has broken the world record in the 200 butterfly five times and has seldom swum more than four or five full-stroke 200 butterflies in training per year! The reason for this is simple: He cannot use his kick effectively for long butterfly swims and must resort to a survival stroke in order to complete the distances. We have developed other methods of conditioning his butterfly stroke that challenge his physiology while allowing him to perform his stroke at levels that are near race quality.
At the North Baltimore Aquatic Club, short-course 25-yard swimming has become an important part of the training program for the 200-meter butterfly. The reasons for this are twofold:
1. The shorter distance allows the swimmer to use a stroke that is much closer to the actual racing stroke in short rest training.
2. The swimmer can maintain a higher average heart rate during conditioning sets than in 50-meter training.
For these reasons, the majority of our endurance butterfly sets are done in a 25-yard pool. We use long-course training for specific speed work and for race rehearsal training. Some examples of our short-course fly training include the following:
45 × 50 butterfly = 3 × (10 × 50 @ 45 seconds work on stroke control + 5 × 50 @ 35 seconds at maximum speed)
No break is given between rounds. The swimmer must immediately return to the stroke count and stroke control time assigned by the coach. Michael Phelps holds around 28 seconds on the set of 10 with 6 strokes per length. He then swims around 25 seconds on the set of 5. The pace of the 5 × 50 is at his American record speed for the 200-yard fly! Little doubt exists about why he is the best butterfly swimmer in history.
3 × (4 × 100 fly @ 1:10 or 1:15 hold under 60 seconds + 1 minute rest + 100 fly at maximum speed)
The goal is to swim as close as possible to the second 100 split of the 200 fly on the timed 100. There are 300 yards of recovery drilling and swimming between rounds. This is an excellent set for helping the swimmer develop a technique that will maintain speed at the end of the race. We also like to use sets of 25-yard repeats on short rest done at the best speed the swimmer can hold. Twenty to 30 or even 40 × 25 on 20 seconds is tremendously conditioning and mentally challenging. The frequent, short repetitions also allow the coach to give short feedback tips at the end of each length. This helps the swimmer stay focused on technique under the physical stress of the interval.
In addition to the short-course work that is specific to the 200, we work on longer rest intervals and higher speeds in the 50-meter pool. The swimmers perform three to four broken 200s as follows.
50 dive @ 1:30 @ going out speed of goal 200
100 push @ 2:30 @ middle 100 speed or faster
50 dive @ 1:30 @ fastest possible speed
There is up to 400 meters of active recovery swimming and drilling in between rounds. The total interval for the swim and the recovery is around 10 minutes.
8 to 24 × 50 fly @ 1:30 (odd = dive; even = push)
All are performed at maximum effort. This is a great set for working on speed endurance and offers the coach opportunities to give technical feedback at the end of each repeat. This set mimics the anaerobic stress that the swimmers feel at the end of the race and teaches them to maintain proper technique under stress.
In general, our 200 flyers spend two main sets per week on butterfly; the remaining days are devoted to distance or individual medley training. We also sprinkle small doses of butterfly sprints through the week to help the swimmers develop speed and improve technique.
The 100-Meter Butterfly
Most swimmers who excel at the 100-meter butterfly are speed oriented and also train for the 100 freestyle or possibly the short individual medley. The swimmers have a perfunctory endurance program that allows for effective recovery between speed sets in training. For these swimmers, developing power and quickness to enhance the speed of their first 50 is critical. They must also have the lactate tolerance and buffering capacities to maintain speed over the final 50 meters.
Resistance training and speed-assisted training are very effective for the 100 fly. Our swimmers do sets with parachutes, fins, and surgical tubing on a regular basis. We must ensure that technique remains intact when overloading the stroke with resistance work. The repeats should be short and the intensity should be high.
We like to do the following two sets long course (or short course) to develop the type of speed endurance that 100 butterfly swimmers need to succeed.
30 × 50 @ 1:30 (1:15 short course) (1 kick, 1 drill, 1 swim)
The swims are done at maximum speed. The kicks and drills should be done with perfect precision and at an effort that keeps the system engaged and the heart rate steady between swims. This set is tremendously effective for developing the second 50 meters of the 100 fly. Take stroke and kick counts and stroke rates to determine the maximum level of speed efficiency for each swimmer.
10 × 50 done at maximum speed (4 @ 1:30 followed by 1 each @ 1:20, 1:10, 1:00, 0:50, 0:40 and 0:30)
This set, borrowed from coach Richard Quick, mimics the final 20 meters of the 100 or 200 and teaches the body to produce and then tolerate lactic acid. We like to follow this set with 10 × 100 @ 1:30 freestyle holding under 1:10. This buffering set forces the body to metabolize the lactic acid that is produced during the set and makes the total physical system much more efficient.
Both of these sets simulate for the 100-meter butterfly swimmer the physical demands of the race and allow them to perform the repeats with technique that is near race level.
Some swimmers need training for both events. A careful mixture of both types of training helps the swimmer steadily reach progressive performance levels in both events while excelling at the top level of performance in his or her more natural event. Swimmers must perform these sets with proper technique at all times. This includes underwater dolphin kicking. At North Baltimore Aquatic Club, our coaching staff prescribes a number of dolphin kicks that are to be performed on each wall during each specific set. This number is calculated to achieve maximum speed and distance on the underwater work while taking into account the strokes per length the swimmer takes. This balance between power and efficiency is critical in world-class butterfly swimming.
Learn more about The Swim Coaching Bible, Volume II.
How to Apply Science to Your Coaching
During the past few years, the function of the trunk and spine in swimming has gained attention.
Applying Science to Your Coaching
Jan Prins
Stabilization of the Spine and the Role of the Trunk in Swimming
During the past few years, the function of the trunk and spine in swimming has gained attention. First, we outline spinal stability at it applies to human motion. In any activity that involves using our extremities to move in space, such as running or swimming, the trunk must remain stable while the arms and legs are used for propulsion.
To accomplish this motion, a transfer of kinetic energy takes place. The energy originates at the stable end of the body and moves up the kinetic chain to amplify the end result. Briefly explained, the body can be viewed as a series of links, or segments, connected by the joints. When functioning effectively, this link system can help transmit the forces generated by the muscles, which are attached to these links. By invoking what is called the segmental interaction principle, the forces acting between the segments of a body transfer the potential and contractile energy generated by the muscles during the motion through the segments, and the final result is an increased application of force. This is what takes place when, for example, a swimmer's hand is pulled through the water.
How does this apply to swimming stroke mechanics? First, we need to remind ourselves that when floating in the water, ground reaction force is not present. That is, we do not have the luxury of starting out, with the exception of when pushing off the wall or launching off the blocks with our feet planted against an immovable surface. Without this stable base, our ability to impart force is significantly decreased.
A pilot study conducted at our laboratory demonstrated what takes place when ground reaction force is progressively decreased (Prins, 2007). Using high-speed video cameras, a subject was filmed while performing an overhand throwing action using a water polo ball. When measuring the velocity of the ball at the moment it left the thrower's hand, the results were very predictable. As shown in figure 6.5, the ball velocity was highest when the subject stood on land with her feet in a power stance (i.e., one foot in front of the other). The lowest velocity was recorded when the subject floated in deep water using a flotation vest.
This study confirms what our intuition tells us. In order to exert the highest throwing velocity, we must start with the most stable base we can muster—in this case, standing firmly on the ground. When we attempt to throw while floating unsupported in deep water, the primary base of support is located in the region of the spine and hips, which provides the sole platform from which to initiate muscular forces. This does not imply that the hips should remain immovable. They must, however, provide the necessary base of support to allow for maximum force to be exerted at the other end of the link.
The Biomechanical Implications of Conscious Body Roll
Body roll plays an integral part when swimming freestyle and backstroke because, when swimming these two strokes, the torso rotates around the longitudinal axis of the body. The underlying question is whether hip action is accomplished
1. by conscious, voluntary hip rotation performed either immediately before or during the movements of the arms, or
2. as a consequence of what the arms are doing (i.e., during the hand entry and arm extension, the torso begins and continues to roll without additional conscious motion).
And—this is important—the trunk ceases to roll at the conclusion of the extension phase, immediately before the initiation of the catch phase of the pull.
As discussed previously, when floating on the surface, no ground reaction force is available. In the absence of firm footing, the trunk has to provide the stable platform for the muscles that control both the upper and lower extremities to generate propulsive forces.
We are not suggesting that the hips be held in a rigid, fixed position during swimming because holding any part of the body in a relatively immovable position is clearly unwarranted. Furthermore, voluntarily contracting the anterior abdominal or posterior trunk muscles with the intent of preventing the rotation of the trunk is unnecessarily fatiguing and will interfere with rhythmic, bilateral movements of the arms and legs. Observing the longitudinal motion of the hips in elite freestylers from an underwater lateral view demonstrates the extent to which the torso rotates around a longitudinal axis.
When observing elite competitive swimmers—competing in events ranging from 50 meters to 1,500 meters—it becomes evident that the shorter the event, the flatter and more stable the body position. This reduction in body roll is not performed consciously but rather stems from the need to apply more powerful muscular pulling forces when pulling in an attempt to swim faster. Based on this evidence, we can state that it should not be a question of how much a swimmer's hips should roll but of how much emphasis on active hip rotation should be recommended. Our contention is that recommending conscious rolling of the hips and torso during the course of a stroke cycle is not conducive to the optimal application of force.
Learn more about The Swim Coaching Bible, Volume II.
The Importance of the Start to the Backstroke
Both the swimmer and the coach should learn and experiment with variations because these physical experiences go into the swimmer’s overall inventory and help make the athlete’s chosen start style more athletic and effective.
Trends and Techniques in Backstroke
Teri McKeever
The Start
The start has a number of variations; any variation can be successful depending upon the swimmer. Both the swimmer and the coach should learn and experiment with variations because these physical experiences go into the swimmer's overall inventory and help make the athlete's chosen start style more athletic and effective. The following fundamental principles apply to all styles.
Keep the feet as high on the wall as possible. The backstroke start should be viewed as a dive. Therefore, more advantage can be gained from placing the starting platform as high as the rules allow.
Keep the body springy throughout the start. A jumping or pouncing animal stores springiness in its body when it is preparing to jump or pounce. The backstroker should take on this concept when preparing for the horn, and then maintain that springiness throughout the whole start process of uncoiling and into the first swimming strokes.
Use the whole body to dive. The swimmer should use the whole body to create the start. The “take your mark” position introduces a lot of closed angles throughout the body, and a swimmer can produce much acceleration when opening those angles to create the dive. Many swimmers who come into our program do the backstroke start by accelerating the head, arms, and legs out of sync with the body and therefore lose a lot of potential acceleration. Virtually all jumping movements in sport are dominated by the legs. A jumping sequence is instinctive and physically logical. However, the backstroke start is less effective if these same jumping instincts are used. In the backstroke start, the body is coiled and stabilized partially by the arms and then needs to uncoil and travel upside-down perpendicular to the line of gravity. A normal jumping sequence is not applicable. The body is bigger and slower than any of the extremities and the neck, so another way of looking at it is to emphasize the body and let the arms, legs, and head fit into the whole-body movement.
Make as small a hole as possible when going into the water. No matter which start style is used, the object is to slide into the water through as small a hole as possible. The water is heavy, and the less that needs to be moved out of the way the better.
A very good start (see figure 11.4) usually includes a hole that ends up being almost round and the same size as a cross-section of the widest part of the body. You can see the footprint of a good dive after the swimmer has disappeared under the water. If the disturbed water is circular, then the body slid into the water cleanly and efficiently. If the disturbed water is elliptical or oval, then the swimmer created drag as the body went into the water, which means that some of the acceleration from the dive was unnecessarily lost.
When starting, most swimmers find better success by making sure that the heel of the hand, rather than the palm of the hand or the base of the knuckles, is on the starting bar. Also, if an athlete has problems with the feet sliding down the starting surface, two things may help.
1. The athlete can set up with an image of the pelvis moving backward (toward the turning end of the pool) as he or she pulls towards the starting block. This set-up makes the angle of leg pressure into the wall less acute and more oblique. The force of the push from the legs goes into the wall rather than down the wall toward the bottom. This strategy makes slippage less likely.
2. The athlete can think of the arms as legs in the first part of the start. The arms leap away from the block and the legs push into the wall after the arms have propelled the torso, head and neck, and arms somewhat toward the other end of the pool. This strategy helps prevent slippage and assembles the body into an accelerating unit.
Learn more about The Swim Coaching Bible, Volume II.
How to Design and Implement a Training Program for the Butterfly
Designing and implementing a training program for the butterfly events presents a formidable challenge to coaches.
Trends and Techniques in Butterfly
Bob Bowman
Training Techniques for Butterfly
Designing and implementing a training program for the butterfly events presents a formidable challenge to coaches. Although some aspects of conditioning benefit both 100- and 200-meter swimmers, the energy requirements of the two events are quite different. A few of the world's top swimmers are competitive at both distances (Phelps, Meagher, Caulkins), but specialization is the norm and most swimmers excel at one event or the other (Malchow, ˇCavic, de Bruin). Therefore, the majority of stroke training for butterfly swimmers is geared to one of the Olympic distances, and all types of training are thrown into the mix.
The 200-Meter Butterfly
The 200 fly is a grueling mix of endurance and power that challenges any athlete. Endurance conditioning is the foundation of this event, and most often 200 flyers also are competent 400 freestylers or 400 individual medley swimmers. The general endurance work done for these events complements the more specific work done in butterfly sets. In my opinion, little benefit is gained by swimming butterfly in training with less than excellent technique. Historically, great 200 fly swimmers have been asked to complete gargantuan sets of repeat 200s, 300s, and 400s in butterfly
swimming on short rest. They have also done long swims such as 1,500 or 3,000 meters for time. Although it served some of them well, it also engrained bad technical habits and virtually eliminated a continuous kicking action from the stroke in favor of a more gliding and undulating style. This limits speed potential in the 200 and is contrary to the current, horizontally oriented stroke. Over the past decade, Michael Phelps has broken the world record in the 200 butterfly five times and has seldom swum more than four or five full-stroke 200 butterflies in training per year! The reason for this is simple: He cannot use his kick effectively for long butterfly swims and must resort to a survival stroke in order to complete the distances. We have developed other methods of conditioning his butterfly stroke that challenge his physiology while allowing him to perform his stroke at levels that are near race quality.
At the North Baltimore Aquatic Club, short-course 25-yard swimming has become an important part of the training program for the 200-meter butterfly. The reasons for this are twofold:
1. The shorter distance allows the swimmer to use a stroke that is much closer to the actual racing stroke in short rest training.
2. The swimmer can maintain a higher average heart rate during conditioning sets than in 50-meter training.
For these reasons, the majority of our endurance butterfly sets are done in a 25-yard pool. We use long-course training for specific speed work and for race rehearsal training. Some examples of our short-course fly training include the following:
45 × 50 butterfly = 3 × (10 × 50 @ 45 seconds work on stroke control + 5 × 50 @ 35 seconds at maximum speed)
No break is given between rounds. The swimmer must immediately return to the stroke count and stroke control time assigned by the coach. Michael Phelps holds around 28 seconds on the set of 10 with 6 strokes per length. He then swims around 25 seconds on the set of 5. The pace of the 5 × 50 is at his American record speed for the 200-yard fly! Little doubt exists about why he is the best butterfly swimmer in history.
3 × (4 × 100 fly @ 1:10 or 1:15 hold under 60 seconds + 1 minute rest + 100 fly at maximum speed)
The goal is to swim as close as possible to the second 100 split of the 200 fly on the timed 100. There are 300 yards of recovery drilling and swimming between rounds. This is an excellent set for helping the swimmer develop a technique that will maintain speed at the end of the race. We also like to use sets of 25-yard repeats on short rest done at the best speed the swimmer can hold. Twenty to 30 or even 40 × 25 on 20 seconds is tremendously conditioning and mentally challenging. The frequent, short repetitions also allow the coach to give short feedback tips at the end of each length. This helps the swimmer stay focused on technique under the physical stress of the interval.
In addition to the short-course work that is specific to the 200, we work on longer rest intervals and higher speeds in the 50-meter pool. The swimmers perform three to four broken 200s as follows.
50 dive @ 1:30 @ going out speed of goal 200
100 push @ 2:30 @ middle 100 speed or faster
50 dive @ 1:30 @ fastest possible speed
There is up to 400 meters of active recovery swimming and drilling in between rounds. The total interval for the swim and the recovery is around 10 minutes.
8 to 24 × 50 fly @ 1:30 (odd = dive; even = push)
All are performed at maximum effort. This is a great set for working on speed endurance and offers the coach opportunities to give technical feedback at the end of each repeat. This set mimics the anaerobic stress that the swimmers feel at the end of the race and teaches them to maintain proper technique under stress.
In general, our 200 flyers spend two main sets per week on butterfly; the remaining days are devoted to distance or individual medley training. We also sprinkle small doses of butterfly sprints through the week to help the swimmers develop speed and improve technique.
The 100-Meter Butterfly
Most swimmers who excel at the 100-meter butterfly are speed oriented and also train for the 100 freestyle or possibly the short individual medley. The swimmers have a perfunctory endurance program that allows for effective recovery between speed sets in training. For these swimmers, developing power and quickness to enhance the speed of their first 50 is critical. They must also have the lactate tolerance and buffering capacities to maintain speed over the final 50 meters.
Resistance training and speed-assisted training are very effective for the 100 fly. Our swimmers do sets with parachutes, fins, and surgical tubing on a regular basis. We must ensure that technique remains intact when overloading the stroke with resistance work. The repeats should be short and the intensity should be high.
We like to do the following two sets long course (or short course) to develop the type of speed endurance that 100 butterfly swimmers need to succeed.
30 × 50 @ 1:30 (1:15 short course) (1 kick, 1 drill, 1 swim)
The swims are done at maximum speed. The kicks and drills should be done with perfect precision and at an effort that keeps the system engaged and the heart rate steady between swims. This set is tremendously effective for developing the second 50 meters of the 100 fly. Take stroke and kick counts and stroke rates to determine the maximum level of speed efficiency for each swimmer.
10 × 50 done at maximum speed (4 @ 1:30 followed by 1 each @ 1:20, 1:10, 1:00, 0:50, 0:40 and 0:30)
This set, borrowed from coach Richard Quick, mimics the final 20 meters of the 100 or 200 and teaches the body to produce and then tolerate lactic acid. We like to follow this set with 10 × 100 @ 1:30 freestyle holding under 1:10. This buffering set forces the body to metabolize the lactic acid that is produced during the set and makes the total physical system much more efficient.
Both of these sets simulate for the 100-meter butterfly swimmer the physical demands of the race and allow them to perform the repeats with technique that is near race level.
Some swimmers need training for both events. A careful mixture of both types of training helps the swimmer steadily reach progressive performance levels in both events while excelling at the top level of performance in his or her more natural event. Swimmers must perform these sets with proper technique at all times. This includes underwater dolphin kicking. At North Baltimore Aquatic Club, our coaching staff prescribes a number of dolphin kicks that are to be performed on each wall during each specific set. This number is calculated to achieve maximum speed and distance on the underwater work while taking into account the strokes per length the swimmer takes. This balance between power and efficiency is critical in world-class butterfly swimming.
Learn more about The Swim Coaching Bible, Volume II.
How to Apply Science to Your Coaching
During the past few years, the function of the trunk and spine in swimming has gained attention.
Applying Science to Your Coaching
Jan Prins
Stabilization of the Spine and the Role of the Trunk in Swimming
During the past few years, the function of the trunk and spine in swimming has gained attention. First, we outline spinal stability at it applies to human motion. In any activity that involves using our extremities to move in space, such as running or swimming, the trunk must remain stable while the arms and legs are used for propulsion.
To accomplish this motion, a transfer of kinetic energy takes place. The energy originates at the stable end of the body and moves up the kinetic chain to amplify the end result. Briefly explained, the body can be viewed as a series of links, or segments, connected by the joints. When functioning effectively, this link system can help transmit the forces generated by the muscles, which are attached to these links. By invoking what is called the segmental interaction principle, the forces acting between the segments of a body transfer the potential and contractile energy generated by the muscles during the motion through the segments, and the final result is an increased application of force. This is what takes place when, for example, a swimmer's hand is pulled through the water.
How does this apply to swimming stroke mechanics? First, we need to remind ourselves that when floating in the water, ground reaction force is not present. That is, we do not have the luxury of starting out, with the exception of when pushing off the wall or launching off the blocks with our feet planted against an immovable surface. Without this stable base, our ability to impart force is significantly decreased.
A pilot study conducted at our laboratory demonstrated what takes place when ground reaction force is progressively decreased (Prins, 2007). Using high-speed video cameras, a subject was filmed while performing an overhand throwing action using a water polo ball. When measuring the velocity of the ball at the moment it left the thrower's hand, the results were very predictable. As shown in figure 6.5, the ball velocity was highest when the subject stood on land with her feet in a power stance (i.e., one foot in front of the other). The lowest velocity was recorded when the subject floated in deep water using a flotation vest.
This study confirms what our intuition tells us. In order to exert the highest throwing velocity, we must start with the most stable base we can muster—in this case, standing firmly on the ground. When we attempt to throw while floating unsupported in deep water, the primary base of support is located in the region of the spine and hips, which provides the sole platform from which to initiate muscular forces. This does not imply that the hips should remain immovable. They must, however, provide the necessary base of support to allow for maximum force to be exerted at the other end of the link.
The Biomechanical Implications of Conscious Body Roll
Body roll plays an integral part when swimming freestyle and backstroke because, when swimming these two strokes, the torso rotates around the longitudinal axis of the body. The underlying question is whether hip action is accomplished
1. by conscious, voluntary hip rotation performed either immediately before or during the movements of the arms, or
2. as a consequence of what the arms are doing (i.e., during the hand entry and arm extension, the torso begins and continues to roll without additional conscious motion).
And—this is important—the trunk ceases to roll at the conclusion of the extension phase, immediately before the initiation of the catch phase of the pull.
As discussed previously, when floating on the surface, no ground reaction force is available. In the absence of firm footing, the trunk has to provide the stable platform for the muscles that control both the upper and lower extremities to generate propulsive forces.
We are not suggesting that the hips be held in a rigid, fixed position during swimming because holding any part of the body in a relatively immovable position is clearly unwarranted. Furthermore, voluntarily contracting the anterior abdominal or posterior trunk muscles with the intent of preventing the rotation of the trunk is unnecessarily fatiguing and will interfere with rhythmic, bilateral movements of the arms and legs. Observing the longitudinal motion of the hips in elite freestylers from an underwater lateral view demonstrates the extent to which the torso rotates around a longitudinal axis.
When observing elite competitive swimmers—competing in events ranging from 50 meters to 1,500 meters—it becomes evident that the shorter the event, the flatter and more stable the body position. This reduction in body roll is not performed consciously but rather stems from the need to apply more powerful muscular pulling forces when pulling in an attempt to swim faster. Based on this evidence, we can state that it should not be a question of how much a swimmer's hips should roll but of how much emphasis on active hip rotation should be recommended. Our contention is that recommending conscious rolling of the hips and torso during the course of a stroke cycle is not conducive to the optimal application of force.
Learn more about The Swim Coaching Bible, Volume II.
The Importance of the Start to the Backstroke
Both the swimmer and the coach should learn and experiment with variations because these physical experiences go into the swimmer’s overall inventory and help make the athlete’s chosen start style more athletic and effective.
Trends and Techniques in Backstroke
Teri McKeever
The Start
The start has a number of variations; any variation can be successful depending upon the swimmer. Both the swimmer and the coach should learn and experiment with variations because these physical experiences go into the swimmer's overall inventory and help make the athlete's chosen start style more athletic and effective. The following fundamental principles apply to all styles.
Keep the feet as high on the wall as possible. The backstroke start should be viewed as a dive. Therefore, more advantage can be gained from placing the starting platform as high as the rules allow.
Keep the body springy throughout the start. A jumping or pouncing animal stores springiness in its body when it is preparing to jump or pounce. The backstroker should take on this concept when preparing for the horn, and then maintain that springiness throughout the whole start process of uncoiling and into the first swimming strokes.
Use the whole body to dive. The swimmer should use the whole body to create the start. The “take your mark” position introduces a lot of closed angles throughout the body, and a swimmer can produce much acceleration when opening those angles to create the dive. Many swimmers who come into our program do the backstroke start by accelerating the head, arms, and legs out of sync with the body and therefore lose a lot of potential acceleration. Virtually all jumping movements in sport are dominated by the legs. A jumping sequence is instinctive and physically logical. However, the backstroke start is less effective if these same jumping instincts are used. In the backstroke start, the body is coiled and stabilized partially by the arms and then needs to uncoil and travel upside-down perpendicular to the line of gravity. A normal jumping sequence is not applicable. The body is bigger and slower than any of the extremities and the neck, so another way of looking at it is to emphasize the body and let the arms, legs, and head fit into the whole-body movement.
Make as small a hole as possible when going into the water. No matter which start style is used, the object is to slide into the water through as small a hole as possible. The water is heavy, and the less that needs to be moved out of the way the better.
A very good start (see figure 11.4) usually includes a hole that ends up being almost round and the same size as a cross-section of the widest part of the body. You can see the footprint of a good dive after the swimmer has disappeared under the water. If the disturbed water is circular, then the body slid into the water cleanly and efficiently. If the disturbed water is elliptical or oval, then the swimmer created drag as the body went into the water, which means that some of the acceleration from the dive was unnecessarily lost.
When starting, most swimmers find better success by making sure that the heel of the hand, rather than the palm of the hand or the base of the knuckles, is on the starting bar. Also, if an athlete has problems with the feet sliding down the starting surface, two things may help.
1. The athlete can set up with an image of the pelvis moving backward (toward the turning end of the pool) as he or she pulls towards the starting block. This set-up makes the angle of leg pressure into the wall less acute and more oblique. The force of the push from the legs goes into the wall rather than down the wall toward the bottom. This strategy makes slippage less likely.
2. The athlete can think of the arms as legs in the first part of the start. The arms leap away from the block and the legs push into the wall after the arms have propelled the torso, head and neck, and arms somewhat toward the other end of the pool. This strategy helps prevent slippage and assembles the body into an accelerating unit.
Learn more about The Swim Coaching Bible, Volume II.
How to Design and Implement a Training Program for the Butterfly
Designing and implementing a training program for the butterfly events presents a formidable challenge to coaches.
Trends and Techniques in Butterfly
Bob Bowman
Training Techniques for Butterfly
Designing and implementing a training program for the butterfly events presents a formidable challenge to coaches. Although some aspects of conditioning benefit both 100- and 200-meter swimmers, the energy requirements of the two events are quite different. A few of the world's top swimmers are competitive at both distances (Phelps, Meagher, Caulkins), but specialization is the norm and most swimmers excel at one event or the other (Malchow, ˇCavic, de Bruin). Therefore, the majority of stroke training for butterfly swimmers is geared to one of the Olympic distances, and all types of training are thrown into the mix.
The 200-Meter Butterfly
The 200 fly is a grueling mix of endurance and power that challenges any athlete. Endurance conditioning is the foundation of this event, and most often 200 flyers also are competent 400 freestylers or 400 individual medley swimmers. The general endurance work done for these events complements the more specific work done in butterfly sets. In my opinion, little benefit is gained by swimming butterfly in training with less than excellent technique. Historically, great 200 fly swimmers have been asked to complete gargantuan sets of repeat 200s, 300s, and 400s in butterfly
swimming on short rest. They have also done long swims such as 1,500 or 3,000 meters for time. Although it served some of them well, it also engrained bad technical habits and virtually eliminated a continuous kicking action from the stroke in favor of a more gliding and undulating style. This limits speed potential in the 200 and is contrary to the current, horizontally oriented stroke. Over the past decade, Michael Phelps has broken the world record in the 200 butterfly five times and has seldom swum more than four or five full-stroke 200 butterflies in training per year! The reason for this is simple: He cannot use his kick effectively for long butterfly swims and must resort to a survival stroke in order to complete the distances. We have developed other methods of conditioning his butterfly stroke that challenge his physiology while allowing him to perform his stroke at levels that are near race quality.
At the North Baltimore Aquatic Club, short-course 25-yard swimming has become an important part of the training program for the 200-meter butterfly. The reasons for this are twofold:
1. The shorter distance allows the swimmer to use a stroke that is much closer to the actual racing stroke in short rest training.
2. The swimmer can maintain a higher average heart rate during conditioning sets than in 50-meter training.
For these reasons, the majority of our endurance butterfly sets are done in a 25-yard pool. We use long-course training for specific speed work and for race rehearsal training. Some examples of our short-course fly training include the following:
45 × 50 butterfly = 3 × (10 × 50 @ 45 seconds work on stroke control + 5 × 50 @ 35 seconds at maximum speed)
No break is given between rounds. The swimmer must immediately return to the stroke count and stroke control time assigned by the coach. Michael Phelps holds around 28 seconds on the set of 10 with 6 strokes per length. He then swims around 25 seconds on the set of 5. The pace of the 5 × 50 is at his American record speed for the 200-yard fly! Little doubt exists about why he is the best butterfly swimmer in history.
3 × (4 × 100 fly @ 1:10 or 1:15 hold under 60 seconds + 1 minute rest + 100 fly at maximum speed)
The goal is to swim as close as possible to the second 100 split of the 200 fly on the timed 100. There are 300 yards of recovery drilling and swimming between rounds. This is an excellent set for helping the swimmer develop a technique that will maintain speed at the end of the race. We also like to use sets of 25-yard repeats on short rest done at the best speed the swimmer can hold. Twenty to 30 or even 40 × 25 on 20 seconds is tremendously conditioning and mentally challenging. The frequent, short repetitions also allow the coach to give short feedback tips at the end of each length. This helps the swimmer stay focused on technique under the physical stress of the interval.
In addition to the short-course work that is specific to the 200, we work on longer rest intervals and higher speeds in the 50-meter pool. The swimmers perform three to four broken 200s as follows.
50 dive @ 1:30 @ going out speed of goal 200
100 push @ 2:30 @ middle 100 speed or faster
50 dive @ 1:30 @ fastest possible speed
There is up to 400 meters of active recovery swimming and drilling in between rounds. The total interval for the swim and the recovery is around 10 minutes.
8 to 24 × 50 fly @ 1:30 (odd = dive; even = push)
All are performed at maximum effort. This is a great set for working on speed endurance and offers the coach opportunities to give technical feedback at the end of each repeat. This set mimics the anaerobic stress that the swimmers feel at the end of the race and teaches them to maintain proper technique under stress.
In general, our 200 flyers spend two main sets per week on butterfly; the remaining days are devoted to distance or individual medley training. We also sprinkle small doses of butterfly sprints through the week to help the swimmers develop speed and improve technique.
The 100-Meter Butterfly
Most swimmers who excel at the 100-meter butterfly are speed oriented and also train for the 100 freestyle or possibly the short individual medley. The swimmers have a perfunctory endurance program that allows for effective recovery between speed sets in training. For these swimmers, developing power and quickness to enhance the speed of their first 50 is critical. They must also have the lactate tolerance and buffering capacities to maintain speed over the final 50 meters.
Resistance training and speed-assisted training are very effective for the 100 fly. Our swimmers do sets with parachutes, fins, and surgical tubing on a regular basis. We must ensure that technique remains intact when overloading the stroke with resistance work. The repeats should be short and the intensity should be high.
We like to do the following two sets long course (or short course) to develop the type of speed endurance that 100 butterfly swimmers need to succeed.
30 × 50 @ 1:30 (1:15 short course) (1 kick, 1 drill, 1 swim)
The swims are done at maximum speed. The kicks and drills should be done with perfect precision and at an effort that keeps the system engaged and the heart rate steady between swims. This set is tremendously effective for developing the second 50 meters of the 100 fly. Take stroke and kick counts and stroke rates to determine the maximum level of speed efficiency for each swimmer.
10 × 50 done at maximum speed (4 @ 1:30 followed by 1 each @ 1:20, 1:10, 1:00, 0:50, 0:40 and 0:30)
This set, borrowed from coach Richard Quick, mimics the final 20 meters of the 100 or 200 and teaches the body to produce and then tolerate lactic acid. We like to follow this set with 10 × 100 @ 1:30 freestyle holding under 1:10. This buffering set forces the body to metabolize the lactic acid that is produced during the set and makes the total physical system much more efficient.
Both of these sets simulate for the 100-meter butterfly swimmer the physical demands of the race and allow them to perform the repeats with technique that is near race level.
Some swimmers need training for both events. A careful mixture of both types of training helps the swimmer steadily reach progressive performance levels in both events while excelling at the top level of performance in his or her more natural event. Swimmers must perform these sets with proper technique at all times. This includes underwater dolphin kicking. At North Baltimore Aquatic Club, our coaching staff prescribes a number of dolphin kicks that are to be performed on each wall during each specific set. This number is calculated to achieve maximum speed and distance on the underwater work while taking into account the strokes per length the swimmer takes. This balance between power and efficiency is critical in world-class butterfly swimming.
Learn more about The Swim Coaching Bible, Volume II.
How to Apply Science to Your Coaching
During the past few years, the function of the trunk and spine in swimming has gained attention.
Applying Science to Your Coaching
Jan Prins
Stabilization of the Spine and the Role of the Trunk in Swimming
During the past few years, the function of the trunk and spine in swimming has gained attention. First, we outline spinal stability at it applies to human motion. In any activity that involves using our extremities to move in space, such as running or swimming, the trunk must remain stable while the arms and legs are used for propulsion.
To accomplish this motion, a transfer of kinetic energy takes place. The energy originates at the stable end of the body and moves up the kinetic chain to amplify the end result. Briefly explained, the body can be viewed as a series of links, or segments, connected by the joints. When functioning effectively, this link system can help transmit the forces generated by the muscles, which are attached to these links. By invoking what is called the segmental interaction principle, the forces acting between the segments of a body transfer the potential and contractile energy generated by the muscles during the motion through the segments, and the final result is an increased application of force. This is what takes place when, for example, a swimmer's hand is pulled through the water.
How does this apply to swimming stroke mechanics? First, we need to remind ourselves that when floating in the water, ground reaction force is not present. That is, we do not have the luxury of starting out, with the exception of when pushing off the wall or launching off the blocks with our feet planted against an immovable surface. Without this stable base, our ability to impart force is significantly decreased.
A pilot study conducted at our laboratory demonstrated what takes place when ground reaction force is progressively decreased (Prins, 2007). Using high-speed video cameras, a subject was filmed while performing an overhand throwing action using a water polo ball. When measuring the velocity of the ball at the moment it left the thrower's hand, the results were very predictable. As shown in figure 6.5, the ball velocity was highest when the subject stood on land with her feet in a power stance (i.e., one foot in front of the other). The lowest velocity was recorded when the subject floated in deep water using a flotation vest.
This study confirms what our intuition tells us. In order to exert the highest throwing velocity, we must start with the most stable base we can muster—in this case, standing firmly on the ground. When we attempt to throw while floating unsupported in deep water, the primary base of support is located in the region of the spine and hips, which provides the sole platform from which to initiate muscular forces. This does not imply that the hips should remain immovable. They must, however, provide the necessary base of support to allow for maximum force to be exerted at the other end of the link.
The Biomechanical Implications of Conscious Body Roll
Body roll plays an integral part when swimming freestyle and backstroke because, when swimming these two strokes, the torso rotates around the longitudinal axis of the body. The underlying question is whether hip action is accomplished
1. by conscious, voluntary hip rotation performed either immediately before or during the movements of the arms, or
2. as a consequence of what the arms are doing (i.e., during the hand entry and arm extension, the torso begins and continues to roll without additional conscious motion).
And—this is important—the trunk ceases to roll at the conclusion of the extension phase, immediately before the initiation of the catch phase of the pull.
As discussed previously, when floating on the surface, no ground reaction force is available. In the absence of firm footing, the trunk has to provide the stable platform for the muscles that control both the upper and lower extremities to generate propulsive forces.
We are not suggesting that the hips be held in a rigid, fixed position during swimming because holding any part of the body in a relatively immovable position is clearly unwarranted. Furthermore, voluntarily contracting the anterior abdominal or posterior trunk muscles with the intent of preventing the rotation of the trunk is unnecessarily fatiguing and will interfere with rhythmic, bilateral movements of the arms and legs. Observing the longitudinal motion of the hips in elite freestylers from an underwater lateral view demonstrates the extent to which the torso rotates around a longitudinal axis.
When observing elite competitive swimmers—competing in events ranging from 50 meters to 1,500 meters—it becomes evident that the shorter the event, the flatter and more stable the body position. This reduction in body roll is not performed consciously but rather stems from the need to apply more powerful muscular pulling forces when pulling in an attempt to swim faster. Based on this evidence, we can state that it should not be a question of how much a swimmer's hips should roll but of how much emphasis on active hip rotation should be recommended. Our contention is that recommending conscious rolling of the hips and torso during the course of a stroke cycle is not conducive to the optimal application of force.
Learn more about The Swim Coaching Bible, Volume II.
The Importance of the Start to the Backstroke
Both the swimmer and the coach should learn and experiment with variations because these physical experiences go into the swimmer’s overall inventory and help make the athlete’s chosen start style more athletic and effective.
Trends and Techniques in Backstroke
Teri McKeever
The Start
The start has a number of variations; any variation can be successful depending upon the swimmer. Both the swimmer and the coach should learn and experiment with variations because these physical experiences go into the swimmer's overall inventory and help make the athlete's chosen start style more athletic and effective. The following fundamental principles apply to all styles.
Keep the feet as high on the wall as possible. The backstroke start should be viewed as a dive. Therefore, more advantage can be gained from placing the starting platform as high as the rules allow.
Keep the body springy throughout the start. A jumping or pouncing animal stores springiness in its body when it is preparing to jump or pounce. The backstroker should take on this concept when preparing for the horn, and then maintain that springiness throughout the whole start process of uncoiling and into the first swimming strokes.
Use the whole body to dive. The swimmer should use the whole body to create the start. The “take your mark” position introduces a lot of closed angles throughout the body, and a swimmer can produce much acceleration when opening those angles to create the dive. Many swimmers who come into our program do the backstroke start by accelerating the head, arms, and legs out of sync with the body and therefore lose a lot of potential acceleration. Virtually all jumping movements in sport are dominated by the legs. A jumping sequence is instinctive and physically logical. However, the backstroke start is less effective if these same jumping instincts are used. In the backstroke start, the body is coiled and stabilized partially by the arms and then needs to uncoil and travel upside-down perpendicular to the line of gravity. A normal jumping sequence is not applicable. The body is bigger and slower than any of the extremities and the neck, so another way of looking at it is to emphasize the body and let the arms, legs, and head fit into the whole-body movement.
Make as small a hole as possible when going into the water. No matter which start style is used, the object is to slide into the water through as small a hole as possible. The water is heavy, and the less that needs to be moved out of the way the better.
A very good start (see figure 11.4) usually includes a hole that ends up being almost round and the same size as a cross-section of the widest part of the body. You can see the footprint of a good dive after the swimmer has disappeared under the water. If the disturbed water is circular, then the body slid into the water cleanly and efficiently. If the disturbed water is elliptical or oval, then the swimmer created drag as the body went into the water, which means that some of the acceleration from the dive was unnecessarily lost.
When starting, most swimmers find better success by making sure that the heel of the hand, rather than the palm of the hand or the base of the knuckles, is on the starting bar. Also, if an athlete has problems with the feet sliding down the starting surface, two things may help.
1. The athlete can set up with an image of the pelvis moving backward (toward the turning end of the pool) as he or she pulls towards the starting block. This set-up makes the angle of leg pressure into the wall less acute and more oblique. The force of the push from the legs goes into the wall rather than down the wall toward the bottom. This strategy makes slippage less likely.
2. The athlete can think of the arms as legs in the first part of the start. The arms leap away from the block and the legs push into the wall after the arms have propelled the torso, head and neck, and arms somewhat toward the other end of the pool. This strategy helps prevent slippage and assembles the body into an accelerating unit.
Learn more about The Swim Coaching Bible, Volume II.
How to Design and Implement a Training Program for the Butterfly
Designing and implementing a training program for the butterfly events presents a formidable challenge to coaches.
Trends and Techniques in Butterfly
Bob Bowman
Training Techniques for Butterfly
Designing and implementing a training program for the butterfly events presents a formidable challenge to coaches. Although some aspects of conditioning benefit both 100- and 200-meter swimmers, the energy requirements of the two events are quite different. A few of the world's top swimmers are competitive at both distances (Phelps, Meagher, Caulkins), but specialization is the norm and most swimmers excel at one event or the other (Malchow, ˇCavic, de Bruin). Therefore, the majority of stroke training for butterfly swimmers is geared to one of the Olympic distances, and all types of training are thrown into the mix.
The 200-Meter Butterfly
The 200 fly is a grueling mix of endurance and power that challenges any athlete. Endurance conditioning is the foundation of this event, and most often 200 flyers also are competent 400 freestylers or 400 individual medley swimmers. The general endurance work done for these events complements the more specific work done in butterfly sets. In my opinion, little benefit is gained by swimming butterfly in training with less than excellent technique. Historically, great 200 fly swimmers have been asked to complete gargantuan sets of repeat 200s, 300s, and 400s in butterfly
swimming on short rest. They have also done long swims such as 1,500 or 3,000 meters for time. Although it served some of them well, it also engrained bad technical habits and virtually eliminated a continuous kicking action from the stroke in favor of a more gliding and undulating style. This limits speed potential in the 200 and is contrary to the current, horizontally oriented stroke. Over the past decade, Michael Phelps has broken the world record in the 200 butterfly five times and has seldom swum more than four or five full-stroke 200 butterflies in training per year! The reason for this is simple: He cannot use his kick effectively for long butterfly swims and must resort to a survival stroke in order to complete the distances. We have developed other methods of conditioning his butterfly stroke that challenge his physiology while allowing him to perform his stroke at levels that are near race quality.
At the North Baltimore Aquatic Club, short-course 25-yard swimming has become an important part of the training program for the 200-meter butterfly. The reasons for this are twofold:
1. The shorter distance allows the swimmer to use a stroke that is much closer to the actual racing stroke in short rest training.
2. The swimmer can maintain a higher average heart rate during conditioning sets than in 50-meter training.
For these reasons, the majority of our endurance butterfly sets are done in a 25-yard pool. We use long-course training for specific speed work and for race rehearsal training. Some examples of our short-course fly training include the following:
45 × 50 butterfly = 3 × (10 × 50 @ 45 seconds work on stroke control + 5 × 50 @ 35 seconds at maximum speed)
No break is given between rounds. The swimmer must immediately return to the stroke count and stroke control time assigned by the coach. Michael Phelps holds around 28 seconds on the set of 10 with 6 strokes per length. He then swims around 25 seconds on the set of 5. The pace of the 5 × 50 is at his American record speed for the 200-yard fly! Little doubt exists about why he is the best butterfly swimmer in history.
3 × (4 × 100 fly @ 1:10 or 1:15 hold under 60 seconds + 1 minute rest + 100 fly at maximum speed)
The goal is to swim as close as possible to the second 100 split of the 200 fly on the timed 100. There are 300 yards of recovery drilling and swimming between rounds. This is an excellent set for helping the swimmer develop a technique that will maintain speed at the end of the race. We also like to use sets of 25-yard repeats on short rest done at the best speed the swimmer can hold. Twenty to 30 or even 40 × 25 on 20 seconds is tremendously conditioning and mentally challenging. The frequent, short repetitions also allow the coach to give short feedback tips at the end of each length. This helps the swimmer stay focused on technique under the physical stress of the interval.
In addition to the short-course work that is specific to the 200, we work on longer rest intervals and higher speeds in the 50-meter pool. The swimmers perform three to four broken 200s as follows.
50 dive @ 1:30 @ going out speed of goal 200
100 push @ 2:30 @ middle 100 speed or faster
50 dive @ 1:30 @ fastest possible speed
There is up to 400 meters of active recovery swimming and drilling in between rounds. The total interval for the swim and the recovery is around 10 minutes.
8 to 24 × 50 fly @ 1:30 (odd = dive; even = push)
All are performed at maximum effort. This is a great set for working on speed endurance and offers the coach opportunities to give technical feedback at the end of each repeat. This set mimics the anaerobic stress that the swimmers feel at the end of the race and teaches them to maintain proper technique under stress.
In general, our 200 flyers spend two main sets per week on butterfly; the remaining days are devoted to distance or individual medley training. We also sprinkle small doses of butterfly sprints through the week to help the swimmers develop speed and improve technique.
The 100-Meter Butterfly
Most swimmers who excel at the 100-meter butterfly are speed oriented and also train for the 100 freestyle or possibly the short individual medley. The swimmers have a perfunctory endurance program that allows for effective recovery between speed sets in training. For these swimmers, developing power and quickness to enhance the speed of their first 50 is critical. They must also have the lactate tolerance and buffering capacities to maintain speed over the final 50 meters.
Resistance training and speed-assisted training are very effective for the 100 fly. Our swimmers do sets with parachutes, fins, and surgical tubing on a regular basis. We must ensure that technique remains intact when overloading the stroke with resistance work. The repeats should be short and the intensity should be high.
We like to do the following two sets long course (or short course) to develop the type of speed endurance that 100 butterfly swimmers need to succeed.
30 × 50 @ 1:30 (1:15 short course) (1 kick, 1 drill, 1 swim)
The swims are done at maximum speed. The kicks and drills should be done with perfect precision and at an effort that keeps the system engaged and the heart rate steady between swims. This set is tremendously effective for developing the second 50 meters of the 100 fly. Take stroke and kick counts and stroke rates to determine the maximum level of speed efficiency for each swimmer.
10 × 50 done at maximum speed (4 @ 1:30 followed by 1 each @ 1:20, 1:10, 1:00, 0:50, 0:40 and 0:30)
This set, borrowed from coach Richard Quick, mimics the final 20 meters of the 100 or 200 and teaches the body to produce and then tolerate lactic acid. We like to follow this set with 10 × 100 @ 1:30 freestyle holding under 1:10. This buffering set forces the body to metabolize the lactic acid that is produced during the set and makes the total physical system much more efficient.
Both of these sets simulate for the 100-meter butterfly swimmer the physical demands of the race and allow them to perform the repeats with technique that is near race level.
Some swimmers need training for both events. A careful mixture of both types of training helps the swimmer steadily reach progressive performance levels in both events while excelling at the top level of performance in his or her more natural event. Swimmers must perform these sets with proper technique at all times. This includes underwater dolphin kicking. At North Baltimore Aquatic Club, our coaching staff prescribes a number of dolphin kicks that are to be performed on each wall during each specific set. This number is calculated to achieve maximum speed and distance on the underwater work while taking into account the strokes per length the swimmer takes. This balance between power and efficiency is critical in world-class butterfly swimming.
Learn more about The Swim Coaching Bible, Volume II.
How to Apply Science to Your Coaching
During the past few years, the function of the trunk and spine in swimming has gained attention.
Applying Science to Your Coaching
Jan Prins
Stabilization of the Spine and the Role of the Trunk in Swimming
During the past few years, the function of the trunk and spine in swimming has gained attention. First, we outline spinal stability at it applies to human motion. In any activity that involves using our extremities to move in space, such as running or swimming, the trunk must remain stable while the arms and legs are used for propulsion.
To accomplish this motion, a transfer of kinetic energy takes place. The energy originates at the stable end of the body and moves up the kinetic chain to amplify the end result. Briefly explained, the body can be viewed as a series of links, or segments, connected by the joints. When functioning effectively, this link system can help transmit the forces generated by the muscles, which are attached to these links. By invoking what is called the segmental interaction principle, the forces acting between the segments of a body transfer the potential and contractile energy generated by the muscles during the motion through the segments, and the final result is an increased application of force. This is what takes place when, for example, a swimmer's hand is pulled through the water.
How does this apply to swimming stroke mechanics? First, we need to remind ourselves that when floating in the water, ground reaction force is not present. That is, we do not have the luxury of starting out, with the exception of when pushing off the wall or launching off the blocks with our feet planted against an immovable surface. Without this stable base, our ability to impart force is significantly decreased.
A pilot study conducted at our laboratory demonstrated what takes place when ground reaction force is progressively decreased (Prins, 2007). Using high-speed video cameras, a subject was filmed while performing an overhand throwing action using a water polo ball. When measuring the velocity of the ball at the moment it left the thrower's hand, the results were very predictable. As shown in figure 6.5, the ball velocity was highest when the subject stood on land with her feet in a power stance (i.e., one foot in front of the other). The lowest velocity was recorded when the subject floated in deep water using a flotation vest.
This study confirms what our intuition tells us. In order to exert the highest throwing velocity, we must start with the most stable base we can muster—in this case, standing firmly on the ground. When we attempt to throw while floating unsupported in deep water, the primary base of support is located in the region of the spine and hips, which provides the sole platform from which to initiate muscular forces. This does not imply that the hips should remain immovable. They must, however, provide the necessary base of support to allow for maximum force to be exerted at the other end of the link.
The Biomechanical Implications of Conscious Body Roll
Body roll plays an integral part when swimming freestyle and backstroke because, when swimming these two strokes, the torso rotates around the longitudinal axis of the body. The underlying question is whether hip action is accomplished
1. by conscious, voluntary hip rotation performed either immediately before or during the movements of the arms, or
2. as a consequence of what the arms are doing (i.e., during the hand entry and arm extension, the torso begins and continues to roll without additional conscious motion).
And—this is important—the trunk ceases to roll at the conclusion of the extension phase, immediately before the initiation of the catch phase of the pull.
As discussed previously, when floating on the surface, no ground reaction force is available. In the absence of firm footing, the trunk has to provide the stable platform for the muscles that control both the upper and lower extremities to generate propulsive forces.
We are not suggesting that the hips be held in a rigid, fixed position during swimming because holding any part of the body in a relatively immovable position is clearly unwarranted. Furthermore, voluntarily contracting the anterior abdominal or posterior trunk muscles with the intent of preventing the rotation of the trunk is unnecessarily fatiguing and will interfere with rhythmic, bilateral movements of the arms and legs. Observing the longitudinal motion of the hips in elite freestylers from an underwater lateral view demonstrates the extent to which the torso rotates around a longitudinal axis.
When observing elite competitive swimmers—competing in events ranging from 50 meters to 1,500 meters—it becomes evident that the shorter the event, the flatter and more stable the body position. This reduction in body roll is not performed consciously but rather stems from the need to apply more powerful muscular pulling forces when pulling in an attempt to swim faster. Based on this evidence, we can state that it should not be a question of how much a swimmer's hips should roll but of how much emphasis on active hip rotation should be recommended. Our contention is that recommending conscious rolling of the hips and torso during the course of a stroke cycle is not conducive to the optimal application of force.
Learn more about The Swim Coaching Bible, Volume II.
The Importance of the Start to the Backstroke
Both the swimmer and the coach should learn and experiment with variations because these physical experiences go into the swimmer’s overall inventory and help make the athlete’s chosen start style more athletic and effective.
Trends and Techniques in Backstroke
Teri McKeever
The Start
The start has a number of variations; any variation can be successful depending upon the swimmer. Both the swimmer and the coach should learn and experiment with variations because these physical experiences go into the swimmer's overall inventory and help make the athlete's chosen start style more athletic and effective. The following fundamental principles apply to all styles.
Keep the feet as high on the wall as possible. The backstroke start should be viewed as a dive. Therefore, more advantage can be gained from placing the starting platform as high as the rules allow.
Keep the body springy throughout the start. A jumping or pouncing animal stores springiness in its body when it is preparing to jump or pounce. The backstroker should take on this concept when preparing for the horn, and then maintain that springiness throughout the whole start process of uncoiling and into the first swimming strokes.
Use the whole body to dive. The swimmer should use the whole body to create the start. The “take your mark” position introduces a lot of closed angles throughout the body, and a swimmer can produce much acceleration when opening those angles to create the dive. Many swimmers who come into our program do the backstroke start by accelerating the head, arms, and legs out of sync with the body and therefore lose a lot of potential acceleration. Virtually all jumping movements in sport are dominated by the legs. A jumping sequence is instinctive and physically logical. However, the backstroke start is less effective if these same jumping instincts are used. In the backstroke start, the body is coiled and stabilized partially by the arms and then needs to uncoil and travel upside-down perpendicular to the line of gravity. A normal jumping sequence is not applicable. The body is bigger and slower than any of the extremities and the neck, so another way of looking at it is to emphasize the body and let the arms, legs, and head fit into the whole-body movement.
Make as small a hole as possible when going into the water. No matter which start style is used, the object is to slide into the water through as small a hole as possible. The water is heavy, and the less that needs to be moved out of the way the better.
A very good start (see figure 11.4) usually includes a hole that ends up being almost round and the same size as a cross-section of the widest part of the body. You can see the footprint of a good dive after the swimmer has disappeared under the water. If the disturbed water is circular, then the body slid into the water cleanly and efficiently. If the disturbed water is elliptical or oval, then the swimmer created drag as the body went into the water, which means that some of the acceleration from the dive was unnecessarily lost.
When starting, most swimmers find better success by making sure that the heel of the hand, rather than the palm of the hand or the base of the knuckles, is on the starting bar. Also, if an athlete has problems with the feet sliding down the starting surface, two things may help.
1. The athlete can set up with an image of the pelvis moving backward (toward the turning end of the pool) as he or she pulls towards the starting block. This set-up makes the angle of leg pressure into the wall less acute and more oblique. The force of the push from the legs goes into the wall rather than down the wall toward the bottom. This strategy makes slippage less likely.
2. The athlete can think of the arms as legs in the first part of the start. The arms leap away from the block and the legs push into the wall after the arms have propelled the torso, head and neck, and arms somewhat toward the other end of the pool. This strategy helps prevent slippage and assembles the body into an accelerating unit.
Learn more about The Swim Coaching Bible, Volume II.
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