Swimming Efficiency - Play Swim Golf!

[Q.]

Someone mentioned this before and I thought they were kidding.
Source From Mat Luebbers

Swimming Efficiency - Play Swim Golf!

Swim more with each swimming stroke

To learn how to get more out of each stroke, play a game of Golf! This simple swimming drill will help swimmers develop better swimming technique, improved efficiency, and sense of pace. Here's how:Someone mentioned this before and I thought they were kidding.

1. Determine a reasonable distance, number of repeats of that distance, and an interval for each repeat - for example, 9 x 50 yards on 1 minute.
2. Perform one repeat.
3. Count your stroke cycles for that repeat - a cycle is each time your left hand (or your right hand, but only one hand) enters the water.
4. Note your time for the repeat.
5. Add the two numbers together for your par score - for example, 45 seconds plus 25 strokes = a par of 70.
6. Perform the set of 9 x 50 yards, starting a new 50 every 1 minute.
7. Count your stroke cycles for each repeat, adding that number to your time for each repeat.
8. Compare this number to your par.
9. Keep track of the difference.For example, on your first 50 you take 28 strokes and have a time of 40 seconds for a score of 68. Compared to a par of 70, you are two under!
10. Complete all of the repeats.
11. Total your score for the front nine.

Do the set from time to time to measure your progress. Focus on something different on different repeats - long strokes, fast strokes, high elbows - and note the results. Technique is more important than brut force. Remember to do drill work as part of your practices. Change the interval and watch the results - what do you learn about your technique when you get more or less rest? Can you decrease the rest and still stay efficient?

Updated: September 6, 2004

[Ogedei]

Nope, I was dead serious

[Jimbo]

Oh wow. I haven't even been able to keep up with laps..now this. I just have to get better at counting. Water resistant chalk to put marks on the pool walls?

[Ogedei]

When I did my tri, our swim was 500m in a pool. They told us they would have lane counters, but to count as well.

I can't remeber if I started counting and forgot after a few laps or just plain didn't count. Thank god they DID have lane counters that can count better than I can in the pool!

hahahahha

Og.

[emartin10]

I ALWAYS forget how many laps I've done. Stupid memory.

E

[ODB]

I did a 1500 meter race for my 40th birthday. I lost count but didn't trust the lane counter. It was hell.

[fitzy21]

never played swim golf that way. sounds interesting.

the way we played at swim practice was on the least amounts of breaths you take on a 50yd freestyle sprint:

18 sprints x 50yds - start every 40 seconds
each sprint has a par - we usually went up to par 4 (just like its scored in golf)

sprint 1 - par 3
sprint 2 - par 2
sprint 3 - par 4
sprint 4 - par 2
sprint 5 - par 3
sprint 6 - par 1
sprint 7 - par 3
sprint 8 - par 4
sprint 9 - par 2

^^something like that.

[Ogedei]

So you only got one breath on sprint #6? That's Evil.

[fitzy21]

Originally Posted by Ogedei

So you only got one breath on sprint #6? That's Evil.

yea haha. after doing it a few times, you learn to save the breathing for the hard sprints - par 1 and par 2 sprints - rather than wasting it on the par 4 and sometimes the par 3's.

like on sprint 3, you have a par 4. you don't use all 4 breaths, maybe you will use 2 breaths. staying on par for the first 2 sprints will leave you with a -2 score after you finish sprint 3. now you have have 2 extra breaths you can "waste" on a hard sprint, such as spring 6.

once you get up to spring 14 or so, its pretty hard to stay on par if you're not in really good shape.

thats what we did on my college swim team, i wouldn't expect a newcomer to swimming to be able to pull something like that off with the rest periods we had. i was swimming all the sprints under 30seconds, and then getting around 10-15 seconds rest...so definately adjust to your level of swimming.

[ODB]

As a side note....Back in the 50's and early 60's the breaststroke was done completely under water. Your only breath was at the wall. My father was an All-American in breast at the time. He can still hold his breath forever.