Coaching | Mediterra Swim & Run

Core Muscles For Swimming

by Coach Mat | 20 Jul, 2013

Here is an essay my wife, Gail, elected to write for this blog. She is a licensed occupational therapist (OT) who has helped me develop an appreciation for the therapeutic advantages of TI (therapeutic as in both ‘rehabilitation’ and in ‘performance...

Magic Moment

by Coach Mat | 10 Jul, 2013

Here is a message I received recently from a swimmer I have been corresponding with. He describes something I am eager to disclose to my new-to-open water swimmers: swim on mindfully until you come to the magic moment! Here is his comment: Another thing I want to...

Slide And Glide Example

by Coach Mat | 10 Jun, 2013

A recent comment I received on my post Long Live ‘Slide-And-Glide’ (drill) asked for a video example of this. I think Shinji’s 9-stroke video gets the idea across. Notice how there is no pause in the stroke. One arm is always moving, and moving...

Problem Solving In Open Water

by Coach Mat | 7 Jun, 2013

We can divide the teaching we give in our private lessons, camps, and workshops in two categories: 1) Stroke and Swimming Skills 2) Problem-Solving Skills “Problem-Solving?” you might ask. (The sunset view from the veranda of our hotel here in Kaş where we...

Feel For Feedback

by Coach Mat | 2 Jun, 2013

Have you ever asked your coach, “Hey, look at me. Am I doing this right?” What are you trying to get with that question? Feedback. You need feedback to tell whether you are doing the right thing or not so you can make some improvement. There’s no way...

Imprinting A Quality Catch

by Coach Mat | 23 May, 2013

Here are some great questions from a comment on Opportunity Cost. He is asking about Early Vertical Forearm (EVF) and what to expect in establishing this skill: I’ve been musing on this very thing [opportunity costs] in my TI practice. I’ve recently...