MY PROCEDURE Time to get in the water. You’ll no doubt develop your own approach, but my sequence is the following: • I ask the client to get in and swim front crawl relatively continuously at an easy, warm-up intensity until I see what I need and ask him or her to stop (usually 10- 15 minutes). The client can stop to rest as needed, and if/when he or she does, you may be able to obtain some clues about the athlete’s pacing, breathing, conditioning, etc.


• I observe from above water, looking for patterns (both adaptive and maladaptive) and problems. I also like to listen to the client’s breathing for the first few laps to see if the client even has an “easy gear.”


• Next I film from above water so that I get both sides and front and back.


• I observe the client from underwater, continuing to look for patterns and obvious problems.


• I film the client underwater from all four directions.


• I stop the client and again check the breathing to see how hard he or she was working.


• At this point I probably have a rough take on the client’s stroke and have mentally triaged the one or two things that were screaming loudest for help. I’ll describe the client’s stroke, show him or her the video and start some corrective drills if time permits.


• After the first meeting, I’ll watch the video until I understand the stroke well enough to write it up (see below).


MY LIST: POSTURE/FORE-AFT BALANCE • Generally: Is the client’s position mainly uphill, downhill, horizontal? How well is this serving him or her?


• Head & Neck: What is the position (flexion, extension, neutral, rotation, etc.) in each stroke phase? How is this affecting overall posture? When the position changes, does it occur via the neck, torso or both?


• Back & Hips: Are things generally “hammocked,” “domed” or neutral, and how is this affecting posture?


• Arms & legs: Does limb activity affect the overall orientation?


HTU: Does the HTU move, or is it motionless? Is rotation the predominant movement, or is there some slithering? How much rotation is there, is it relatively equal to each side, and how well linked is this rotation to the other parts of the machine? How well is this working?


ARMS • Individually: Using your own preferred lingo, describe each arm’s progression though the stroke phases (recovery, entry, catch, etc.) and mention errors that you notice (side-armed recovery, dropped elbow catch). Next determine how effectively each arm is doing the job in each phase. Finally, determine each arm’s main motor: intrinsic arm muscles, shoulders, HTU, etc.


• Together: Describe the predominant rhythm between the arms and evaluate its effectiveness. For instance, is the athlete arms-opposite, “catch-uppy,” or “almost catch-uppy?” Maybe he or she has a galloping/hybrid rhythm.


• Relative to the HTU: Through each stroke phase, how rhythmically and mechanically linked are the arms to the HTU, and how well does this work for the client? Are the arms in rhythm or at war with the HTU rotation?


LEGS • Individually: Describe the basic mechanics of the kick. Consider the amplitude of the kick, the amount of splashing, the joint at which the kick originates and the fluidity of the motion. How effective is the picture? What is the main motor (hips, HTU, quads, etc.)?


• Together/Relative to HTU: These were considered as individual issues for the arms, but they’re inseparable for the legs. Consider the overall rhythm (6- beat, 2-beat, combo, etc). Do the legs roll with the torso, battle it, stay flat but


leave the torso alone? Does the client maintain a steady flutter kick throughout the stroke, or does the kick switch to a scissor or breaststroke kick at some point? If there’s a change, what’s the likely cause?


BREATHING • Individually: How generally effective is the breathing? Is there good air exchange, what “pipes” are being used for inhaling and exhaling? Does a lot of water enter the sinuses? Is the breath rate sustainable? Does volume remain consistent, or do the breaths get gradually smaller over time? How much overall effort is the breathing itself taking? On what vehicle does the face “ride” into inhale position (torso, neck, both)? Is the predominant motion rotation or extension?


• Relatively: o Rhythm: Is the breathing unilateral or bilateral? Is there a distinct rhythm? Does the face remain out of the water well after exhaling, or does it return to the water quickly? Do any of the above help/hurt other aspects of the stroke?


o Posture: Does the body’s orientation regularly shift in a way that appears linked to breathing? Which is the cause and which the effect?


o Limbs: Are there any hitches in the arms and/or legs that appear linked to breathing? Which is the cause and which the effect?


Okay, detective, the next step is to devise


and implement a corrective strategy. I have a procedure for that, too, but that’s a whole other article.


Drew Surinsky, MS, JD, CSCS, is a USA


Triathlon Level II certified coach, ASCA Level II certified swim coach, exercise physiologist and NSCA certified strength and conditioning specialist. He is president of Nice Guy Training, Inc. and has taught swimming for 32 years.


PERFORMANCECOACHING | page 11


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