by Coach Mat | 26 May, 2018 | Competitive/Performance Training, Energy Management, Speed, Speed and Pace, Streamline Skills, Swimming Physics, Triathlon Swimming
We most often think of water as a whole body or continuous substance. But really, from another viewpoint in physics, it is a soup of individual water molecules, or little electrical balls all jumbled, bumping and swirling together. And if you want to swim forward in...
by Coach Mat | 18 Nov, 2017 | About Coach Mat, Energy Management, Propulsion Skills, Speed, Speed and Pace, SPL, Stroke Length (SL), Streamline Skills
Here is something I explain to my swimmers when we’re building (or re-building) the freestyle stroke for the first time. This is meant to help students on each extreme: those who are too anxious to start moving faster, and those who are too reluctant to add more...
by Coach Mat | 11 Oct, 2014 | Competitive/Performance Training, Distance Training, Lessons From Elites, Sprint Training, Streamline Skills
Some weeks ago I had an email discussion with my TI Coach colleague Bernardo Blanco in Spain. We were discussing the asymmetry observed in certain elite swimmers, and whether we should imitate this asymmetry or practice a symmetrical stroke. Coach Bernardo was going...
by Coach Mat | 9 Mar, 2014 | Balance Skills, Focal Points, Increasing Ease, Neuromuscular Training, Pool Training, Self-Coaching, SPL, Stroke Length (SL), Streamline Skills, Tempo Trainer, Tempo, Stroke Rate (SR), Training Theory
First reference these previous two posts: Metrics 101: Stroke Length Metrics 101: Aim For Stroke Length Ease Let me explain a bit about the SPL (or Stroke Length) Development Process: Step 1. Reach SPL range. In the first stage you are developing the ability to reach...
by Coach Mat | 8 Nov, 2013 | Balance Skills, Drills For Skills, Dry-land Training, Muscle Tone & Control, Neuromuscular Training, Physiology, Running, Self-Coaching, Sinking, Streamline Skills, Stroke Analysis
Another problem area for the swimmer is in the hip and leg alignment. I will first re-state that the head is the anchor for alignment of all these other body parts. Work on the head first, then the lower back, hips and legs will be much, much easier to correct. So if...
by Coach Mat | 30 Oct, 2013 | Flexibility, Muscle Tone & Control, Neuromuscular Training, Proprioception, Self-Coaching, Streamline Skills, Stroke Analysis, Yoga
Recently, I’ve gotten a few requests for more input on core body strength and spine alignment so I will share some comments I have been giving students in my lessons… First of all, we are land mammals. We have all grown up learning to standing vertical...
