Masters Swimming
632
Member
723 days
Ironmom posted 1 year ago.
grlawguy;58810 wrote:
A Masters program starts its winter session in a couple of weeks. I should go and watch to get a feel for the regular practices, but I haven't yet.How "good" a swimmer do I have to be to participate in the practices?
How much stroke instruction should I expect from the coaches?
I think that this depends a whole lot on the Masters program in question. They vary pretty widely, and going to check it out and maybe talk to the coach is a good plan. Even the same Masters team from year to year may be different if they switch coaches.
The Masters group I swim occasionally with used to get no stroke instruction at all, and the coach always swam the workout, didn't coach from the deck. Now we have a new coach who does both, so swimmers get more stroke coaching, and I sometimes come and just do stroke work with individual swimmers in a separate lane (when I can haul my lazy butt out of bed at 5:00 am - eek!)
As to how good you have to be, again that varies widely. In our program, I think the slow lane is about 1:40 to 1:50 pace per 100, the medium lane is 1:15 - 1:30, and the fast guys are in the 1:00 - 1:15 range. But I've seen programs that have a lot slower swimmers than ours, and I've also seen programs that lean a lot more to the uber-competitive end.
grlawguy;58810 wrote:
Where I am at: I currently swim 3-4 times per week and a minimum of 1000 yards per session, with a maximum to date of 1600 yards with a goal of 1900 yards at least once per week in preparation for doing OLY distance races in summer of 2007.I have not mastered flip turns yet (gotta work on that) and am working on my non-stop endurance.
Thanks.
Our Masters group does 3000 - 4000 yards per workout. But they don't frown on people leaving early if they can't go the whole distance, and people often start off that way and move towards swimming longer and longer.
Endurance in swimming is strongly linked to good technique, so if your Master's program doesn't offer stroke coaching, you might ask where you can find a good stroke coach. Often they are not terribly expensive, and can do a lot in just a few sessions to improve efficiency and endurance. Typically, I can increase someone's efficiency 25% in just one or two half-hour coaching sessions, and I've literally seen people go from barely completing 100 yards to swimming a mile or more in just a few stroke lessons if it is their stroke that is holding them back, endurance-wise.
As far as flip turns goes, I wouldn't sweat that one (though they do look cool, don't they?) A good open wall turn can be close to as effective as a flip turn, until you're going under 1:45 per 100. Until you're movng at least that fast, the momentum isn't there to get much out of a flip, IMHO. I don't know what your average speed is, but that's something to consider anyway. A bad flip turn can actually rob you of oxygen and bleed away your speed, so it's better to execute a good wall turn with an excellent gliding position than a bad flip turn. If your pace is under 1:45 per hundred, then starting to work on flip turns could be beneficial. Just remember it's not a somersault and you shouldn't have to flap your arms to propel yourself around, the momentum from your swimming should take you over and through the turn.
Hope some of that is helpful!
Blue Skies, -Robin-
http://ironmom.blogspot.com/
257
Member
956 days
fittycent posted 1 year ago.
Having recently joined a masters swim club, I had basically the same thought process you're now having, and that process is still fresh in my mind.
Going to watch a practice and meet the coach is a good idea. That's what I did, and I knew within five minutes that the club was a good fit for me.
My club has swimmers of ALL abilities, and no snobs (at least not that I've met). Our coach is constantly observing us individually and giving pointers on our stroke - probably once or twice per session he singles me out and gives me advice. He also spends a little time each session instructing the class as a whole on technique.
For me, masters swimming has given me a boost I could've never had by swimming alone without a coach. If you join a club similar to mine, you'll exceed 1900 yards in short order (every session). You'll probably master flip turns much quicker also, since you'll be forced to do them to keep up with the others in your lane.
The biggest benefit for me has been the added enjoyment I get from swim workouts. I look forward to them very much now. Before, swimming on my own, I would get SO BORED. I also don't have the discipline to push myself as hard as my coach pushes me.
Interested to hear the board's collective thoughts about Masters swim programs as a means to refine your stroke and build endurance.
A Masters program starts its winter session in a couple of weeks. I should go and watch to get a feel for the regular practices, but I haven't yet.
How "good" a swimmer do I have to be to participate in the practices?
How much stroke instruction should I expect from the coaches?
Where I am at: I currently swim 3-4 times per week and a minimum of 1000 yards per session, with a maximum to date of 1600 yards with a goal of 1900 yards at least once per week in preparation for doing OLY distance races in summer of 2007.
I have not mastered flip turns yet (gotta work on that) and am working on my non-stop endurance.
Thanks.