Motor Learning | Mediterra Swim & Run

Moving From Novice To Expert – Part 1

by Coach Mat | 29 Dec, 2018

It should be well understood that there is a process, and usually a long process we must follow in moving from a novice to an expert in the fundamental skills for an art or sport. There is a process or a path to follow, but there is not a single ‘recipe’...

Moving From Novice To Expert – Part 2

by Coach Mat | 29 Dec, 2018

Continued from Part 1… Stages Of Attention Control Not only is your neuromuscular (motor) control being trained, so is your attention, because the two are working together intimately in the development process. At first the attention is directed onto the part of...

Can You Increase Speed Without Increasing Power?

by Coach Mat | 22 Dec, 2018

Can you increase speed without increasing power? Yes, and no. Or rather, it depends. To explain why the answer could be yes and it could be no, let’s look at the speed equation: Stroke Length x Stroke Rate = Speed (Velocity) In terms of training in the pool,...

Guidelines For Using Swim Training Devices

by Coach Mat | 1 Dec, 2018

[Note: I am sharing this post, one among hundreds, from our Mediterra Dojo library.] Training devices are extremely popular among swimmers and triathletes – with new fads coming each year – and people are often looking to their coach to have an opinion on these....

One Stroke Technique For Everyone? Part 1

by Coach Mat | 6 Oct, 2018

Let me give you a short answer to the question in the title of this post: Yes, there is a technical ideal we are aiming for, for every standard-equipped human swimmer. And, yet we recognize that there is so much variety in bodies that some compromise is often...

The Tension Behind Relaxation

by Coach Mat | 28 Apr, 2018

A few days ago, on the Total Immersion blog, I published an essay on the necessary relationship between tension and relaxation in swimming. If you’ve been trying to be ‘more relaxed’ in your stroke, or trying to be ‘more powerful’ you may...