Gray Guy/Girls Tri--Masters Sprint/Olympic Mentor Group CLOSED (Page 37)

Obviously without seeing them swim I am speculating but I presume there are a number of things going on.

First, I imagine their stroke technique, while it may look nice above the surface, has some major flaws.  What we can't see is what's happening underwater.  The entry may look wonderful, but what does their catch look like?  If the first movement underwater is down or to the side, the stroke will be very inefficient.  You didn't mention where there entry or recovery was taking place.  Were they entering at near full extension and beginning the recovery at full extension?  Again, if they were not - and we are only talking about a couple inches here - their stroke would be very inefficient.  Obviously we don't know what there hand/arm position is underwater.  Combine poor catch with short entry, short recovery, and poor underwater positioning and you will have someone that may look like they are swimming well but will barely be moving through the water.

Next, you didn't mention anything about their kick.  I am one that does not advocate a strong kick as even the best swimmers get very little actual propulsion from their kick efforts (in freestyle).  That said however, a good kick is crucial to proper balance in the water and it supports proper technique.  In that sense, a good kick is critical to good stroke technique.  A poor kick on the other hand, can actually cause negative propulsion, can adversely effect stroke timing and have an overall detrimental impact on stroke technique.  End result being a slow, inefficient swimmer.

You indicated they were newbies and certainly swimming for an hour three times a week supports that observation.  Newbies don't have very much swim fitness and while they may be outstanding athletes outside of the pool, without a good swimming aerobic base, they will be slow.  Also, if they have little or no swim fitness, they are going to have little or no swim endurance.  As they fatigue, their stroke technique is going to break down and they will become even more inefficient - they will be slow and getting slower.

As newbies, they would not have developed a 'feel for the water.'  Having a feel for the water is difficult to define but unmistakable when a swimmer has it.  I suppose the best way to try and describe it is that swimming becomes second nature.  You don't have to think about it.  How about this, you become a fish.  I could spend an hour trying to describe 'feel for the water,' and probably be no closer to a definition then I am now.  I think the vast majority of triathletes, maybe 70% or more, don't have a true 'feel fo the water' so it is safe to say that the kids you saw didn't have it.

Finally, it takes hundreds of thousands of yards to truly get fast.  Pretty safe to assume the newbies you were observing have not put in anywhere near the requisite yardage to get fast.

Not sure if that answers your question or not.  Next time you get to see the kids swim, shoot some video on your phone, then I might be able to offer some better thoughts.

I know last year, they just rolled everything into archives and started all new groups.  Would be nice if they just let this one continue on uninteruppted.  Regardless, count me in, I have thoroughly enjoyed this mentor group and look forward to "next semester."

Guess that question got answered since ALL the mentor group threads got moved to the archives!