My triathlon coaching advice today is…….learn different strokes. Often I see in triathlon coaching that swimming is the weakest point for most. There are various drills one can do to imporve this. Yet, one of my favorite ways to to build speed and efficiency is through doing different strokes.
The top swimmers I know all do different strokes. At first I only did freestyle when started doing triathlons. As I started swimming with better swimmers I noticed that they used different strokes when training and encouraged me to do the same to build more speed. So I took there advice and have found it to be right on.
In traithlon coaching I now use deifferent strokes with my athletes. As different strokes will do the following,
1) Teachs you how to grip the water better. This is especially true of brest stroke and butterfly. As both of these strokes will help you develop a better catch phase in you free style stroke. One of the best swimmers I know who, holds several master records, will do a brest stroke event in a swim meet befor his main freestyle race so he can get the feel for the water better.
2) Develops different muscle groups. This is important as one wants to remain balanced. Back stroke is especially good at this.
3) Develops you better cardio wise. Different strokes will increase you heart rate more than free style. I took this tip from a long distance swimmer who dose 28 mile open water races. He told me when you use other strokes it is harder cardio wise thus when you go back to freestyle it is easier. Basically you get stronger cardio wise.
In triathlon coaching I believe the importance of other strokes is key in developing one self into becoming a strong swimmer. Check out this guy swimming in the antarctic. Proof that if you train for it you can do any thing.
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