Wetronome Swimming Sessions
As you learnt on Page 2, stroke rate is very individual to you. Everything should be done relative to your natural 'base-rate' - the rate at which you naturally turn your arms over currently. To find this base-rate, simply swim continuously at a steady pace and ask a friend or coach to count the number of strokes you take in one minute (or thirty seconds and double it). Each arm should be counted, not a cycle of both arms.
Swimming at Your Base-Rate
Enter this base-rate in to the Wetronome and swim between 1200 and 2000m. You might like to split this up in to 3x400m or 4x500m or something similar, with a short rest between each swim. As you swim, simply time your strokes to the beep. Personally I like to do this on my hand entry but you can use any part of your stroke if you prefer.
Swimming with the Wetronome at your base-rate sounds simplistic but it is actually very beneficial. Base-rate swimming is very 'cleansing' - it can clear your mind of swimming-clutter. All the small things you've been concentrating on with your stroke can clutter your mind, the result being you lose your sense of rhythm and timing. Use the Wetronome to get your timing back.
Novice swimmers often have very poor rhythm and timing. In my coaching sessions, simply using the Wetronome as a timing 'reference' is very beneficial for them. There are other ways to work on a swimmers rhythm and timing but in my extensive coaching experience the Wetronome is the easiest, most effective way to do this.
Increase Your Stroke Length
Look to lengthen your stroke if :
- You normally take a lot of strokes to swim a length.
- Your rotation is poor (you might have been told this by a coach)
- You feel like you are fighting or struggling with the water (or have been told this by a coach / friend).
- You want to work on your catch (it buys you a little more time in your stroke to focus on this).
Don't miss the simple chart on Page 2 - it will show you if you need to go longer with each stroke.
Use the following swim set to lengthen effectively:
- A set of 4x100m or 4x200m steady paced swims at 6 strokes per minute slower than your base-rate
- Use this "extra time" in your stroke to focus on lengthening through the abdomen, rotating from the hips and improving your catch and feel for the water. You could think about each of these for one 100/200m in turn and then try and combine all three on the 4th swim.
- Repeat at 4 SPM slower than base-rate
- Repeat at 2 SPM slower than base-rate
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Finish with a set at your base-rate to compare your technique |
As you increase your stroke rate back towards your natural rate, try and keep the feeling of a longer smoother stroke. You can see if you manage this by counting your strokes per length. If you maintain the length of your stroke, the strokes per length won't increase.
Find the Balance Between Stroke Rate and Length
As I explained on Page 2, there is an optimum balance between Stroke Rate and Stroke Length for you.
This is a great little session to see how well you can maintain your stroke whilst slowly raising your stroke rate until your stroke starts to fall apart.
- Start at 4 strokes per minute slower than your base-rate
- Swim 50m at a time, increasing the stroke rate by 2 every 50m
- See how fast you can stroke before your strokes per length takes a big step up. |
Losing 2 or even 3 strokes per 50m often gives the best speed if it allows you to take up your stroke rate significantly. You will know when you have gone too high because you will feel like you are fighting the water and the physical effort will take a big step up. You can also monitor your position on our Stroke Rate Chart on Page 2. When you have gone too far, reduce the stroke rate back down by 2 to 3 SPM and use this new stroke-rate for your faster sets in your swimming.
You can use our easy calculator to play around with the numbers. See how much time you could gain by trading off 1-2 strokes per length for a faster stroke rate:
As you are nearing the race season, you can repeat the above session over longer distances than 50m. For example you could increase stroke rate over tempo paced 400m reps. That would help you find the fastest stroke rate for a 1500m Olympic Distance swim leg. Or 1000m reps for your Ironman swim. And, yes, many people do race with their Wetronomes for a perfect swim leg!
Order a Wetronome Here.
Paul Newsome, Head Coach, Swim Smooth
(See me swim with my Wetronome) :
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