Stage 1 – Stroke Length Control
Stage 1 Objectives
- Choose an SPL goal you will work to achieve.
- Learn specific features of the stroke which you adjust to achieve that SPL.
- Gain control over those features in order hold SPL consistent over distance intervals.
Step 1 will guide you in examining each piece of the stroke, one-by-one, in order of priority. There are fundamental skills and then there are advanced skills that are dependent upon your fundamental skills. Dependent skills will be much easier to develop the stronger the fundamentals are in your stroke.
The assignments in this step will work through those stroke skills, piece by piece. You may use that list of assignments as a refresher or review at any time during your progress through this course. At each new challenge level, when using stroke counting, tempo and increased distance those stroke skills will be challenged. The simple assignments will be useful to you to use periodically to search for weak spots and strengthen your control.
Stage 1 Reading
Recommended reading… In our Knowledge Base:
- Organizing Focal Points
- Focal Point Blending
- Sections Of The Freestyle Stroke
- Glossary Of Practice Terms
- How To Count Strokes
- Height – Stroke Count Index
- TI Freestyle Drills: Superman, Skate, Spear, Swing
- TI Freestyle Drills: 2-Beat Kick, The Catch
- TI Freestyle Drills: Rhythmic Breathing
- Synchronized Propulsion Pieces
In our FAQs:
In our Practice Library:
Stage 1 Skills Test Swim
Objective
To test your ability to hold your chosen SPL N consistent over the distance of your test swim.
Instructions
Using your previously chosen Target Distance, you will conduct a test swim either by swimming that distance in intervals or by swimming that distance continuously.
Pick 3 high-impact Focal Points (those that help you the most to hold your chosen SPL) and cycle through them during the test swim.
You may break up this total distance into ‘mental’ intervals, where you will change your focus of attention after a certain number of lengths.
You do not need to measure the time on this test swim, because you want the focus and your devotion to stay simply upon SPL control. Time control will come later when these foundation skills are more firmly in place. Have someone count strokes for you, or count for yourself. Use a water-proof note pad at the wall to quickly record SPL counts between intervals, or use some way to note on what lengths SPL varied from your goal during in the test swim.
Example
For example, Kerstin’s Test Swim will be 1000m, and she will do it in 4x 250 meter intervals, with 30 seconds passive rest in between. She will test her ability to hold 19 SPL on every length, or do her best to keep an average of 19 SPL on each 2x 25m (one length might be a little more, so she will make the second length a little less to make up for it). She will use Focal Points A, B, and C.
- Interval #1 AB
- Interval #2 BC
- Interval #3 AC
- Interval #4 ABC
Report
Did you succeed in your objectives?
What was your SPL across the test swim?
Where did it start to get difficult to hold your Target SPL? What do you think made it difficult?
What Focal Points helped you the most at the moment you felt some struggle?
What weaknesses did you notice in your technique that affected SPL control?
What weaknesses did you notice in your attention that affected SPL control?
What practices will you do to strengthen those areas?
Record your results and observations in your Discussion Zone.
Assignment 101: Measure Current SPL
OBJECTIVE
- To find out what SPL you are currently (naturally) using when you swim.
INSTRUCTIONS
Do whatever practice you would like today – maybe one that you normally do – but at the beginning, somewhere in the middle, and then toward the end, spend a few laps counting strokes and record these results.
Look specifically for what SPL you find more comfortable, where you feel you can produce your best stroke (the one you are capable of right now) and swim the longest time with.
Also, take note of how far you push-off from the wall and begin your first stroke. The backstroke flags are positioned at the 5 meter/yard mark on lap pools. Does the distance of that push-off and glide change from length to length? Does it change from beginning, to middle, to the end of practice?
And, observe how you finish at the wall, on the end of the length. Do you glide extra distance to the wall? Do you stroke right to the end? Does it vary a lot?
REPORT
In your Discussion Zone record your stroke counts and your observations about the push-off and glide, and the finish at the wall. In one of the later assignments in this step you will be examining and improving those parts of the swim.
Assignment 102: Choose Target SPL
OBJECTIVE
- Pick an SPL improvement goal to work on.
INSTRUCTIONS
REPORT
Assignment 103: Interrupted Breathing
Assignment 104: Head Spine Alignment
Assignment 105: Hip Alignment
INSTRUCTIONS
You will set up a task to examine and improve your hip alignment – first in Superman Glide, and then in Skate Position. Then take some strokes to see that you start of each stroke and finish of each stroke in Perfect Skate with the hips still level.
Alternate between drill and whole stroke – on the drill you will work through a few focal points looking for ways to improve the skill. On the whole stroke portion you will count strokes to measure the effect, both in terms of how many strokes, but also in how much easier it is to achieve a better SPL by certain adjustments you make in the body part.
Assignment 106: Arm Alignment
Assignment 107: Leg Alignment
Assignment 108: Balance Opportunities
OBJECTIVE
- To examine features of your balance that could be causing hindrance in SPL improvement.
INSTRUCTIONS
REPORT
Assignment 109: Recovery Swing
Assignment 110: Entry and Extension
Assignment 111: Streamline Opportunities
Assignment 112: The Perfect 25
Assignment 113: Breathing - Head Position
Assignment 114: Breathing - Timing
Assignment 115: Breathing - Air Management
Assignment 116: Breathing - Patterns
Assignment 117: Propulsion - Hip Drive
Assignment 118: Propulsion - The Catch
Assignment 119: Propulsion - 2-Beat Kick
Assignment 120: Synchronized Propulsion
Stage 2 – Adjust Stroke Length with Precision
Stage 2 Objectives
OBJECTIVES
- Learn which parts of the stroke you can control to adjust SPL with precision.
- Switch SPL within your 3-Point SPL range on command, like switching gears on a bicycle.
- Learn to switch SPL by feel.
STEP 1 has you learning how to achieve your a certain SPL – either ideal or improved SPL. In that step you learned to recognize and memorize the ways you control your body shape and timing of movements in order to achieve that SPL. You are at STEP 2 because you know how to do that. Now you need to expand your ability to hold that N SPL and shift it up (N+1) and down (N-1), like gears on a bicycle, using short distance intervals. We call this SPL Gears. Each swimmer will have an SPL Green Zone (discussed in STEP 1) range of about 5 points (like 17 to 21 SPL). Within that range is a ‘Sweet Spot’ of about 3 points (like 17 to 19 SPL). Ideally, you will work with these 3 SPL counts in your training. For example: if you have been achieving an SPL of 19, now you will work on shifting from 19 to 18 SPL on different lengths, and from 19 to 20 on different lengths.
Stage 2 Reading
Recommended reading… In our Knowledge Base:
In our FAQs:
In our Practice Library:
Stage 2 Skills Test Swim
OBJECTIVE
1) To test your ability to shift precisely into your trained SPL gears at designated points in your test swim.
INSTRUCTIONS
Using the 3 SPL gears (N, N-1, N+1) you have been training with, you will conduct a test swim of your ability to shift gears by feel, on command, over your Target Distance, either by swimming that distance in intervals or by swimming that distance continuously.
Pick 3 of your favorite, most effective Focal Points (those that allow you to adjust and control SPL the easiest) and use them during the test swim.
You do not need to measure the time on this test swim, because you want the focus and your devotion to stay simply upon SPL shifting and control. Time control will come later when these foundation skills are more firmly in place. You will need to count strokes for yourself.
At any point that you fall off of your chosen SPL for that length, you will make a correction while swimming and continue on.
For example, Piotr’s Test Swim will be 800m. He will do it in 4x 200 meter intervals, with 20 seconds passive rest in between. He will test his ability to hold shift from 17 SPL to 18 SPL, and to 16 SPL. He will set up a different shifting pattern for each interval.
- Interval #1 – 100m at 17 SPL, 100m at 18 SPL.
- Interval #2 – 100m at 16 SPL, 50m at 17, 50m at 18.
- Interval #3 – 50m at 17 SPL, 50m at 18, 50m at 17, 50m at 16.
- Interval #4 – 50m at 18 SPL, 100m at 17, 50m at 16.
REPORT
Did you succeed?
How precise was your shifting at each shift point? Were you able to add or subtract one stroke without extra glide to the wall?
Where did it start to get difficult? In holding a particular SPL or in shifting? Was shifting to a higher SPL or shifting to a lower SPL harder? Why?
What Focal Points helped you the most to adjust SPL? What Focal Points helped you the most to hold SPL?
What weaknesses did you notice in your technique that affected SPL control? What weaknesses did you notice in your attention that affected SPL control?
What practices will you do to strengthen those areas? Record your results and observations in your Discussion Zone.