310610 Swim Squad

Before starting, can i gently request for all to be slightly early and be ready to start at 8? As per mentioned before by YY in the chitty chatty, 1 hr is indeed a little short but that is because usually we can't have the 1 hr in whole whilst waiting for some late ones to come.

For all that has been early and on time ALL the time, THANK YOU. You've been really really responsible to everyone in the team because it is everyone's time that we're using in that mini 1 hr session. :)

And to all that is in the team, I Really appreciate your attendance and giving me the chance to help you out with your swim. :)

Training focus: Mild Speed work.

Featured guest trainee: Edmund :P

Training:
W/U
100 FS
100 FS Kick
100 FS

6x50 moderately fast
4x50 alt draftee.

400 moderate pace with running shorts (resistance training)

Total: 1.2km

Partner format for drafting sets:
KK & Vince
Ed & TeckBeng
Calvin & Gen
Sam & Mari
KH & James
HongJun & Ken
Lawrence & Aaron

Please comment if you find that this partnering is too slow or too fast for you. It is important to find someone of about the same speed (or slightly faster) to train with during training!
Thanks.

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After the demo sprint from myself, edmund, vince and TB, I could see that there is a huge issue about getting the legs to work and also getting the legs to work in a coordinated fashion with the arms.

First of all, we break down the stroke.

Arms: Catch, push
Body: Rotation, starting before catch, ending TOGETHER with the end of the push
Legs: 1/2 or 3 beat kicks.

Lets tackle the arm pull and body rotation first.
The body will start rotating along the spine's alignment abt a split second faster, then the arm pull start.
It is a motion that engages the lats during the catch phase, (using your big muscle to pull than to use the arm muscles only) then the pull phase will follow in synchronized fashion with the rest of the rotation of the body.

I.e: The Push & The Rotation Ends AT THE SAME TIME.
I.e: They're done Together.

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The legs:

There really is a lot of confusion here and it is very tough for me to describe in very clear cut manner.

Lets understand first and foremost, that the body rotation without a leg kick will cause the body to lose balance as it comes to the side position whilst gliding.
Thus the function of the leg is really FIRST to balance the body position from side to side, THEN propulsion.

So when we do slow swim, we can allow ourselves to use 1 beat kick or 2 beat kick PER PULL to balance ourselves when rotating.

When to kick which leg?

Right arm pull

1 beat kick - Left kick only

2 beat kick - Right --> Left.

Basically its the opposite leg that you must finish with.

So 3 beat kick for a Right arm pull will be:

Left --> Right --> Left

We need the last kick (if 1 beat kick then the only kick) to end together when the push end.

I.e, its going to be something roughly like this for a 3 beat kick 1 cycle

1) Move my body, get my hand and forearm into catch position + LEFT KICK
2) Pulling til my forearm to my chest + RIGHT KICK
3) Pushing til end + LEFT KICK end.

clear so far?

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For the arms there are 2 steps/parts of movements, Catch and Push.
For the legs there are 3 steps/parts of movements in a 3 beat kick.

However, for the stroke to be coordinated, we need Each CYCLE, ie: 1 Pull + The 3-Beat Kicks + The Rotation to the Side to END AT THE SAME TIME.

So, there're multiple body parts moving, your torso and your arms... then your legs, it seems like crazy loads of coordination to do.

FRET NOT!

There is actually one movement that is a REALLY SIMPLE 1-step thing.

The rotation of your hip & belly button (lets refer this to H&BB) from left to right.

Each time one cycle finish, your H&BB will face the rotated side.

I.E: the movement of H&BB is a simple Face Left, Face Right.

Because of its simplicity, we shall use it to synchronize our multiple-parts arm and leg movements.

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**REMINDER**
For the stroke to be coordinated Each CYCLE, ie: 1 Pull + The 3-Beat Kicks + The Rotation to the Side MUST END AT THE SAME TIME.
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With above as pre - req, we can now simplify freestyle into a 2 part ordeal (really?).

One cycle, and H&BB face 1 side.

That is as much as I can explain in words, I NEED YOU TO COMMENT TO TELL ME WHICH PART YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND SO I CAN EXPLAIN FURTHER and not just talk science or alien language here.

Thanks!
KK

ps - Read again. But please clear your mind before reading.. Don't start (REPEAT: DO NOT START) reading with a mindset that rings in your mind "Aiya.. its too long.. too chim to understand..".. If you read ANY piece of articles like that, you're just going to have a hard time even understanding A + B really don't = C.