STROKE ANALYSIS
As swim coaches we stand on the deck and observe what our swimmers and triathletes are doing…or not doing. We can see if the head is coming to high out the water, if there is a lack of or over body rotation, if the upper and lower body are connected to roll together, if the recovery arm is high or comes round the side, if the kick is too wide to balance something happening at the front of the stroke etc. But, like an iceberg, a swimmer viewed only from the surface of the water can be—and many times is—very deceptive. Most of the body sits under the water. Viewed from the topside, form and technique can look great, yet when viewed from below the surface, there might be indications of a considerable need for improvement.
“Refraction at the boundary between water and air bends light and causes objects and depths to appear shallower than they are. If a swimmer’s legs appear 20 cm below the surface of the water, you won’t be far off by doubling your estimate.”
Observing a swimmer at actual swim speed is difficult.
Video stroke analysis is simply the best way for any athlete who is looking to improve overall stroke technique. Video stroke analysis gives me (the coach) the opportunity to view a swimmer at a slow speed so I can see multitude of angles, and positions to better assess their unique strengths and weaknesses.
What the swimmer gets from this video stroke analysis is a full written report where I will go into detail on each aspect of the front crawl swim stroke, showing screenshots of areas of their stroke and the improvements needed to give the swimmer a better understanding. Then a summary of the areas they need to work on first and what drills needed to help improve these areas. They will also get their videos to accompany the report. I also offer at an extra cost a face to face meeting to go through the videos and the report with the swimmer.
The video analysis can only be booked for a Tuesday at 6am at Bradfield College Sports Centre.
TUESDAY TECHNIQUE SWIM SESSION
Along with Georgia from Merlin Triathlon Coaching, we coach a pure Technique Session at Bradfield Sports Complex, Reading at 6am on Tuesday mornings. These are specifically planned to help improve our swimmers’ front crawl technique. These are suitable for all sorts of swimmers: whether it’s a specific swim challenge, an experienced swimmer but feel held back by flaws in their stroke, have reached a plateau or simply want to improve their confidence and enjoyment in the water. In the beautiful six-lane 25m pool at Bradfield College Sports Complex, we have a maximum of 12 swimmers (ratio of swimmer to coach of 6:1, at most). We plan our sessions in advance, working on different aspects of technique in a progressive way, but we adapt them as we go along, according to the needs of our swimmers. To help with efficiency and planning, swimmers book on through Team App which is downloaded to your phone. You can find us here: Find us here
OPEN WATER
At my local lake (H2O Swim Centre, Burghfield, Reading) from April to September, again in collaboration with Georgia at Merlin Triathlon Coaching we coach group introduction to open water sessions, open water skills for racing and triathlon group sessions, WOW Women in Open Water sessions as well as 1:1 coaching and small group (3:1) coaching.
For 1:1 or small group coaching I have a swim coach bone connection communicators which allows me to give you feedback while you are swimming.
All sessions are booked via our Team App booking system or direct contact with us.
TRIATHLON CLUB
I also coach 2 swim sessions for my local Triathlon Club TRI2O on Wednesdays at the Willink Leisure Centre, Burghfield Reading at 6:30am and at Bradfield Sports Complex, Bradfield, Reading at 6am, full Details Click here