So you have mastered the bike and the run legs of a triathlon, but like many others you are in doubt about your swimming and would like some feedback and guidance as how to become more efficient. Coach Alan explains why a swim clinic might be just what you need.
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| HD video allows for frame by frame analysis and high quality images of your swimming stroke. |
Tri Training Harder have just confirmed all of the dates for our 2014 Swim Clinics from August to November based at Abingdon School.
Why are swim clinics useful?
Thoughts may be turning towards the end of your season. If this is the case it is an important time to sit back and reflect upon what has hopefully been a successful 2014 season. After this period of reflection it is time to start building your 2015 House (more on this in a following series of blogs...). A good way to start is by assessing your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities to improve and threats to your current performance levels. It may be that you have a swim weakness and you have identified these clinics as an opportunity to improve.
When learning anything technical everybody moves along a continuum from moving awkwardly (whilst concentrating highly) to moving with an automated ease. Sometimes there is a hiccup along the way and bad habits become automated. I like to call these gremlins and getting rid of gremlins takes time! Combine this with the foreign water environment, skill development or improvement can be challenging. What is most important though, is identifying the most important gremlins to fight, and this is where quality time with a qualified coach is vital.
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| It all got a bit much for Kurt during a swim session in Portugal. Time out! |
Swim Frequently.
To facilitate a positive change, frequency of swimming is of high importance. Each time you go swimming you will spend a portion of the session getting reacquainted to being in the water and this is part of the reason for an unpressured approach to a warm up. The longer you leave between swims the longer this period of reacquaitance will be and the less you will get out of the session.
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| The focus to each swimmer given in 1-1 sessions is undoubtably one of the best ways to make leaps forward. |
Over the autumn and winter as the nights draw in and the weather deteoriates it is a great opportunity to get in the pool and increase your swimming frequency. If you can start this period with a high level of personal feedback on a one to one basis with an experienced coach you will increase the likelihood of moving along the skill acquisition continuum towards being a more efficient swimmer. As a sneaky bonus you will gain aerobic fitness in a low impact, warm, light, traffic free, puncture free, rain free, snow free and wind free environment allowing your body and mind to recover a little from the previous seasons efforts with lower chances of illness or injury when compared to cycling or running.
What can I expect from a Tri Training Harder clinic?
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| Videos are taken from a variety of angles to make identification of flaws easier for both coach and swimmer. |
- Choose between and individual session (30 mins, 1 hour or 2 hours) or a group session (2 hours)
- HD swim video analysis with either individual feedback or a group discussion session.
- Individual instruction from a qualified, experienced coach as to what your focus points should be for the coming months. Drills will be explained and demonstrated so that clients go away feeling motivated and sure in what they need to do to improve.
- In-depth report card emailed to you the next day so that you don't forget what you have learnt.
- Free silicone swimming hat.
For a more information on what options there are for participants, click here.
To sign up, click here.
Establish these good habits, remove the gremlins and move into your 2015 House having already made a step forward whilst still remaining fresh and injury free.
Alan, Coaching Manager at Tri Training Harder
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| Coach Philip demonstrates some catch mechanics at a sunset open water swim session in Portugal. |