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Review of the Aberdeen Swim Smooth Clinic
7 & 8th October:
- Swimmers at the Aberdeen Clinic, eagerly
await jumping into the Knockburn Loch, estimated to be a chilly
11 degrees centigrade on the day! Brrrrrrr!!!!!!!!
 The
Aberdeen Swim Smooth Clinic was to be our first Clinic run in
"bonny Scotland" and we had enlisted the help of Fleet
Feet Triathlete's Head Coach, Doug Smith and our very own physiotherapist
Michelle Smith (who had flown in from Canada specifically for
the course) for the weekend Clinic.
Preparation for this Clinic was key, as we would
be using the excellent venue of the Knockburn Loch (shown above
and left as Michelle tests the water temperature on the Friday),
with the kind permission of "local legend" Bert McIntosh
for the Saturday Open Water session, and both the Kincorth Swimming
Pool and Kincorth Sports Centre for the Sunday Pool Clinic.
11 swimmers has registered for the course with
5 swimmers braving the chilly waters for the Saturday Open Water
session which featured tips and exercises for developing skills
in the open water such as sighting, drafting and turning...not
to mention the "plastic bag" trick as demonstrated below:
 
It was then onto the Kincorth Swimming
Pool and Sports Centre for Sunday's Pool Clinic which featured
a before and after video analysis review (above and below the
water), a full 2hr pool practical session featuring some of the
drills and techniques discussed in the classroom session and a
superb flexibility and core stability routine led by Michelle:
- Paul leads the morning's first theory session,
supported by Postman Pat and Fireman Sam at the Kincorth Sports
Centre's creche!
- The group goes through the afternoon's stretching
and flexibility session, overlooked by Pooh!
 
- Paul gives Sheila some individual advice
on her stroke, whilst Doug Smith (ex-international triathlete
and Head Coach of the Fleet Feet Triathlon Club) oversees some
of the group technique work.
- The group listens to Paul's advice on body
rotation post leg-kick correction.
 
- Alex shows us how to Swim Smooth, whilst
Steve works on the catch and pull through phase of the freestyle
stroke with Paul.
Swimmer's Reviews of the day:
An email from the club captain...
"A big hand to Doug Smith
for helping organise and run an excellent swim weekend with the
Swimsmooth team, at Knockburn loch last Saturday afternoon and
Kincorth baths yesterday. Paul Newsome (ex International triathlete
and Blind-date contestant!) was superb at providing individual
one to one coaching in addition to the generic group training,
with great core strength training/pilates and physiotherapy support
from Michelle.
It was brass monkeys at Knockburn
loch! But we all just managed to hang to our limbs long enough
to get some great tips on sighting, turning, drafting, fast swim
exits etc.
There was no hiding during the
pool video analysis which revealed any major and minor flaws alike!
But the training was very well structured in ensuring we all focussed
on just one or two aspects of our style to work on which would
significantly improve our efficiency/speed in the water. Most
of us saw those significant improvements just within the space
of the day, and we all came away well focussed and motivated on
the way forward with our training / racing.
For those who were unable to make
the course or for folk of all abilities just wishing to improve
their swimming, the very thorough and inspirational coaching DVD
produced by Paul Newsome is well worth buying, see the main site
www.swimsmooth.com
and a review
of the DVD."
Ian Brown,
via email.
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