Common Problems and Solutions | Mediterra Swim & Run

Capturing The Awesome Stroke

by Coach Mat | 17 Aug, 2013

When was the last time, after taking a breather (at the wall, or a pause in an ow swim to recover) and then when you resumed swimming, your first few strokes felt AWESOME before everything gradually faded back into ‘normal’ ? For some swimmers this may...

Snorkel For Drills?

by Coach Mat | 10 Aug, 2013

Here is a question I am often asked in workshops: “Can I use a snorkel when doing drills?” The short answer is “Yes.” The obvious advantage in using a snorkel while doing drills is that it allows the swimmer to concentrate on the drill without...

Breathe Easy 2

by Coach Mat | 2 Aug, 2013

There are several details to making the breath (in freestyle stroke) feel relaxed and easy. Among the several here is one that, coincidentally, several recent students have noted as making the biggest breakthrough: Turn to breathe sooner. Now, this assumes that you...

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...