Early Vertical Arm (or Learn to catch water in your freestyle stroke)
by
Libor
Posted in: Blog Posts in Swimming
It looks like that the most requested topic in the poll in the sidebar is about freestyle. Well, let me talk to you about how to get the most out of your stroke. One of the key things you need to do at the beginning of your freestyle stroke (that is when your fingers enter the water up front) is to make sure that you actually catch as much water...
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New Site is Live!
by
Libor
Posted in: Blog Posts in Swimming
After a long procrastination period of not writing and no maintenance, I was finally able to put some time and effort into the Swimming Hub site. And the result? Well, you can see for yourselves what has changed. The design is a bit different and with the additions of tabs, you can find your related topics easier. Check out also the poll on the ...
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RSS Feed Updated
by
Libor
Posted in: Blog Posts in Swimming
Just wanted to let you guys know that the feed for this blog has been changed, so if you have recently subscribed to this site, please change your feed to the following RSS FeedSee more swimming related articles at blog.swimator.com.
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New LZR Racer Suit
by
Libor
Posted in: Blog Posts in Swimming
Well, I haven't really been posting in a while (my apologies) as I've been traveling around the world and still am for a few months, but this news I had to share with some folks or actually more get your input on what you think. Some of you have probably already read the articles or saw the results from the recent competitions where a lot of ...
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Sprint Breastroke Workout
by
Libor
Posted in: Blog Posts in Swimming
One of you have asked me to give some workout advice in your comments, so here it is. A few tips for your breastroke 50s and 100s and I am sure it could come handy for longer events as well. First, keep in mind that breastroke is a combination of leg power with good timing, so focus on this in your workout (apart from strenghtening your arms and...
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Breastroke lesson - How about them legs?
by
Libor
Posted in: Questions & Answers in Swimming
Now that you have been instructed on how to use the arms we can get on with explaining the leg movements. Don't get discouraged here as it is one of the hardest parts in swimming to teach. When I was little I was always told "kick like a frog, kick like a frog". Hmm, it is really not quite so, but we can take a few pointers from the frog legs, ...
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Breastroke lesson - How to use your arms?
by
Libor
Posted in: Questions & Answers in Swimming
It has been another long stinch of not posting, so I will try to redeem myself. :). This post will focus on how to use your arms in breastroke. There are also a couple of videos that will demonstrate some of the info I am about to give you.Alright, let's start with a blackboard (see image with drawings). Breastroke usually comprises of 4-5 phase...
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How Not To Swim Freestyle
by
Libor
Posted in: Blog Posts in Swimming
Ok, let's check out how it is NOT suppose to be done for a change. In this short video you will see a front view of a freestyle swimmer who is swimming against the current in a small swim flume which is shown on the image below. These endless swimming pools are quite nice, especially if combined with a front snorkel depicted on the second pictu...
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Backstroke Magic
by
Libor
Posted in: Blog Posts in Swimming
Most people view backstroke as one of the most beautiful strokes out there. When swam correctly, the swimmer appears as if gliding on top of the water with rotating arms in smooth motion. Let's have a look how it is done.There are several aspects that one needs to focus on - head position, leg movement, hip rotation and arm motion. So let us dis...
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Flip turn schooling - Advanced
by
Libor
Posted in: Blog Posts in Swimming
Here are a few special tips and tricks if you are already a flip turn professional :). Let's focus on the glide into the turn first:When you start your glide, you should be slowly submerging yourself underwater, so you do not start your flip turn with your head and back out of the water. This drill is called The Submarine. So, to practice this, ...
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Flip turn schooling - Part 1
by
Libor
Posted in: Blog Posts in Swimming
After a longer pause, here is another tip that you might find helpful. Most beginner swimmers find it quite challenging to perform a flip turn at each side of the pool. Your troubles are over, read on and then go to the pool and practice, practice, practice (as someone wise once said: practice makes perfect and with no pain, there is no gain - t...
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Breastroke Pullout 101
by
Libor
Posted in: Blog Posts in Swimming
It is well know that the fastest breastrokers have one of the longest and fastest breastroke pullouts. Now why is that? Are they bigger, stronger or smaller and smarter? Not really, they just know when to pull and how to position their body in the water in order to decrease the amount of resistance and increase the speed. With a little bit of pr...
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Going dry for a change
by
Libor
Posted in: Blog Posts in Exercise
As many of you know, dryland work is almost as important as the time spent in the water. Many coaches try to hammer thousands of miles (kilometers) during practices focusing little or not at all on strengthening the body outside the pool. Such practices lead to swimmer burnouts early in their years and many shoulder problems (even though those a...
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Tips for beginners of all ages (kids, adults) - part 2
by
Libor
Posted in: Blog Posts in Swimming
Not Only For BeginnersNow that you had some time to practice getting used to the water, doing bops, blowing bubbles, putting your face in the water, holding breath and relaxing, it is time we start focusing on floating. However, don't neglect the other drills if you still have some troubles. Be patient and the success will come.Think of your bod...
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Tips for beginners of all ages (kids, adults) - part 1
by
Libor
Posted in: Blog Posts in Swimming
I have finally found some time to add another post, so here it is.Swimming is a sport that is not natural to everyone. Walking, running, biking, all of these are quite easy to master, however, it takes some coordination and stamina to learn how to swim. Here are a few tips that will help you to conquer the world of water.Before getting in the wa...
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How to improve your kicking?
by
Libor
Posted in: Questions & Answers in Swimming
In this post, I will discuss a few tips and tricks on how to improve your kick or how to make kicking more fun.Let's start with the basics.a.) Kicking without keyboard is a must for majority of the kicking excercises. Advantages include: working on stabilizing body (your core), improving balance, easier on the shoulders and much more. If you hav...
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Learn to Control your Breathing
by
Libor
Posted in: Blog Posts in Swimming
It is not a secret that a swimmer has one of the best lung capacities from all athletes or at least should have. :) . Here are a few ways how you can improve your breath holding ability during every day practice.1. Lungbuster - exhale all your air and when no air is in your lungs, push off the wall and either sprint fly or free for a 25 or sprin...
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Coaches Still Like Toys
by
Libor
Posted in: Blog Posts in Swimming
I was just surfing the web and found this very cool fin. It is not a regular flipper. Instead of putting it on as a shoe, a swimmer attaches it to his/hers shins. This way, it releases the stress on the ankles and the achilles tendon (this is very bad with the monofins). No more lost fins after a strong pushoff from the wall. You can even be cre...
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