Want to know your swim type?
Ms_J1
Posts: 253 Member
I thought this site was pretty cool so I'm passing it on. I'm a swinger. I be swingin'! The "poor perception of their technique" description was dead on. Up until now, I never understood why my coach keeps telling me to raise my elbow higher and to move my arms up and not out to the side. I thought I was doing it wrong!
If anyone wants to find out their swim type and share it (or not share it), here's the site: http://www.swimtypes.com/yourtype.html
Swinger Profile
The Swinger nearly always has good swimming experience over a long period of time and feels confident in the water. The key characteristic of the swinger compared to the Smooth type is that they have less body roll, meaning their arms tend to swing round the side of the body rather than travel over the top.
Over the years some bad habits may have crept in and their stroke is often in need of a tune up.
Swinger Common Characteristics:
• A very competent swimmer who normally has a background in competitive swimming.
• Lots of rhythm and timing in the stroke - plenty of oomph. As a result they tend to race very well in open water.
• A lack of body rotation causes arms to swing around the side at high speed. The momentum of these swinging arms often carries them across the centre line at the front of the stroke creating a cross-over.
• Leg kick is normally minimal - ideal for conserving energy during distance swimming and triathlon events.
• Some degree of poor core control is often apparent with a pulsing action through the core as required by the butterfly stroke.
• Head position often high, with eyes looking forwards, goggles close to the surface.
• A hurried catch results in somewhat reduced feel for the water.
• Swingers have often experienced a plateau in performance for several seasons no matter how much work they do in the pool.
• A Swinger with an unrefined stroke often experiences shoulder injury.
• Swingers often have a poor perception of their stroke technique as they have been criticised by swimming coaches over the years who prefer a Smoother style.
• Typical swimming speed is 1:45 to sub 1:00 per 100m.
Personality Traits
• Often quite resistant to adapting their stroke technique for fear of taking a step backwards. Needs to consider the long term benefits of stroke changes.
• Swingers are often very outgoing characters and enjoy the social side of squad training.
Areas To Work On:
• Accepting that by developing key elements of the stroke it is possible to improve their swimming speed significantly.
• Develop better body rotation and symmetry in the stroke.
• Maintain the rhythmical nature of the stroke whilst working to improve stroke length.
• Improving the catch phase of the stroke to give a better hold on the water.
• Taking slightly longer over the catch - and not hurrying it - is key to improving.
• An improved fingertip first (not thumb first) hand entry is key to catch development.
• Developing a two beat kick is often very effective for Swingers racing distance or triathlon events.
Potential
Swingers are nearly always competent swimmers already performing at a high level in the water. A radical overhaul of their stroke is not required. However it is important for them to be open minded about making some stroke refinements. Each refinement will chip away at their swim splits and have them swimming faster than ever.
If anyone wants to find out their swim type and share it (or not share it), here's the site: http://www.swimtypes.com/yourtype.html
Swinger Profile
The Swinger nearly always has good swimming experience over a long period of time and feels confident in the water. The key characteristic of the swinger compared to the Smooth type is that they have less body roll, meaning their arms tend to swing round the side of the body rather than travel over the top.
Over the years some bad habits may have crept in and their stroke is often in need of a tune up.
Swinger Common Characteristics:
• A very competent swimmer who normally has a background in competitive swimming.
• Lots of rhythm and timing in the stroke - plenty of oomph. As a result they tend to race very well in open water.
• A lack of body rotation causes arms to swing around the side at high speed. The momentum of these swinging arms often carries them across the centre line at the front of the stroke creating a cross-over.
• Leg kick is normally minimal - ideal for conserving energy during distance swimming and triathlon events.
• Some degree of poor core control is often apparent with a pulsing action through the core as required by the butterfly stroke.
• Head position often high, with eyes looking forwards, goggles close to the surface.
• A hurried catch results in somewhat reduced feel for the water.
• Swingers have often experienced a plateau in performance for several seasons no matter how much work they do in the pool.
• A Swinger with an unrefined stroke often experiences shoulder injury.
• Swingers often have a poor perception of their stroke technique as they have been criticised by swimming coaches over the years who prefer a Smoother style.
• Typical swimming speed is 1:45 to sub 1:00 per 100m.
Personality Traits
• Often quite resistant to adapting their stroke technique for fear of taking a step backwards. Needs to consider the long term benefits of stroke changes.
• Swingers are often very outgoing characters and enjoy the social side of squad training.
Areas To Work On:
• Accepting that by developing key elements of the stroke it is possible to improve their swimming speed significantly.
• Develop better body rotation and symmetry in the stroke.
• Maintain the rhythmical nature of the stroke whilst working to improve stroke length.
• Improving the catch phase of the stroke to give a better hold on the water.
• Taking slightly longer over the catch - and not hurrying it - is key to improving.
• An improved fingertip first (not thumb first) hand entry is key to catch development.
• Developing a two beat kick is often very effective for Swingers racing distance or triathlon events.
Potential
Swingers are nearly always competent swimmers already performing at a high level in the water. A radical overhaul of their stroke is not required. However it is important for them to be open minded about making some stroke refinements. Each refinement will chip away at their swim splits and have them swimming faster than ever.
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Replies
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Oooh! I watched all the videos for these on youtube the other day!!
I think I'm a bambino....:embarassed: In my defense...I just started learning how to swim like 6 weeks ago lol.
Bambino Common Characteristics:
• A very gentle swim stroke which lacks "oomph".
• A rotary / windmill style of arm stroke which lacks catch and hold at the front end of the stroke.
• The lack of purchase at the front means the lead hand tends to collapse easily offering little support whilst breathing. Bambinos often struggle with breathing for this reason.
• Typically a wide and deep arm pull through, relying heavily on the shoulder muscle groups to pull them through the water.
• Very limited body rotation and lifts head noticeably to breathe.
• A better body position than the Arnie by virtue of a lower muscle mass being more conducive to flotation.
• Really struggles in open water (e.g. triathlon swim starts) due to limited confidence and lack of rhythm in the stroke.
• Swimming speed is typically 1:50 to 2:30 per 100m. ((HAHAHA I THINK MINE IS LIKE 3:30 THAT IS SO BAD))
Personality Traits:
• Due to limited swimming experience, self confidence in the water is lacking.
Areas To Work On:
• Swimming as often as possible to boost confidence. ((definitely doing this!! 7 days a week haha!))
• Although mentally challenging for the Bambino, proper training sets are a great way to boost confidence and feel good about their swimming. An increase in a Bambino's confidence always reflects positively on their stroke.
• Improving rhythm and timing to develop a more rhythmical positive action, achieve this by lifting stroke rate by 3-8 strokes per minute. A Wetronome is extremely valuable to achieve this - an increase in stroke rate (strokes per minute) normally makes swimming feel easier for the Bambino, not harder.
• Develop more feel and support at the front of the stroke using sculling and doggy paddle drills.
• Increased positivity in the arm stroke to give greater propulsion.0 -
I'm an overglider. I have long been coached to reduce distance per stroke, and sometimes I actually notice a "dead spot" when I'm really stretching it out. I also tend to be very technical, especially with free and breast. I guess I need to crank it up a notch!
Overglider Common Characteristics:
• A long and smooth stroke when viewed from above the water but often with a very slow stroke rate which lacks rhythm and flow. A clear dead-spot is always present, normally at the front of the stroke at full extension.
• Typically breathes every two strokes to one preferred side (unilateral breathing) with distinctly more rotation to the breathing side.
• Lack of rotation to the non-breathing side causes non-breathing arm to sweep round the side of the swimmer rather than over the top.
• Very common to see lead hand extending forwards and the palm pushing against the water "applying the brakes".
• Straight arm catch and pull pushing down on the water rather than pressing it backwards. This is fundamentally linked to the dead-spot as a better bent elbow catch technique would remove the dead-spot and naturally lift stroke rate.
• Overgliders often have a pronounced scissor kick due to a loss of balance whilst gliding.
• Low stroke rate and big dead spots gives a tendency to stall between strokes causing a loss of efficiency. This is worsened in open water where cramped or choppy conditions further stall the Overglider.
• Typical swimming speed is 1:30 to 2:20 per 100m.
Personality Traits:
• The most conscientious swimmer of all, having read all the books and watched all the DVDs on how to improve their swimming.
• Tends to treat swimming as a serious technical exercise.
Areas To Work On:
• Development of a better catch and pull through technique is essential for the Overglider. Not only will this increase propulsion, it will act to remove the dead-spot.
• Improved rhythm, timing and flow is a must for the Overglider. They should be looking to lift their stroke rate by 3 to 8 strokes per minute.
• Once stroke rate has been lifted slightly this gives the opportunity to breathe bilaterally and so naturally develop more symmetry in the stroke.0 -
I am a mixture of a swinger and a kicktastic so, a kicktastic swinger!! I am taking lessons in my effort to become a "smooth" swimmer but am finding it difficult and much more exhausting than my normal stroke, but I am getting there. Also interesting to read that swingers that try to change style (like me) swim more slowly in the new style - that is definately me at the moment (I am now much slower) but I will get faster!0
