Specific Skills | Mediterra Swim & Run

Smooth The Jerk

by Coach Mat | 23 Feb, 2013

I want to share a few observations from my cool water swimming experiment this winter. You might appreciate some of this for your own swim training journey… If you’ve been following me this winter you know I have set out to swim in the Mediterranean Sea on...

Training Pace Perception

by Coach Mat | 7 Jan, 2013

It may or may not be surprising to you to learn that holding consistent Pace is one of the most important skills for any swimmer desiring to race or accomplish a particular distance goal for the best possible outcome. This applies to 50 meters sprints to 1500 meters,...

Private Virtual Competition

by Coach Mat | 29 Dec, 2012

This is how a virtual competition (with Sun Yang or any swimmer in the world you choose!) might work: Pace is a simple calculation of Stroke Length (SL) x Tempo. We will use SL because it is a universal measurement – it doesn’t matter what length pool you...

Best Head Position?

by Coach Mat | 27 Dec, 2012

When I do childrens lessons I keep a 20m section of rope in my swim gadget basket. I tie a small loop in one end. Then I give that loop to a swimmer, have them get out in the pool to the end of the rope. I stand on deck ready to reel the rope in. They will lay flat on...

A Better Push-Off

by Coach Mat | 23 Dec, 2012

Experimenting with head position during push-off from the pool wall is a great exercise, as it will build the feel for which position is truly the most hydrodynamic. In pool training I have a regular habit of marking the 6m mark (just past the flags), either by noting...

C U With My Hands

by Coach Mat | 1 Dec, 2012

What does swimming and swim coaching have to do with a pomegranate? My family and I are fortunate to have a few pomegranate trees in our yard. Deep red and deeply sweet like this one appears to be. They are a rewarding treat, but a seemingly chaotic bundle of juice...