Are you lacking rhythm and timing in your freestyle stroke? Have you worked to develop the length of your stroke, but have now plateaued with your performance? Do you fight the water, never really attaining a good firm hold of the water? If so, the Wetronome is for you...whats more its dead simple to use!
Watch the video clip (right) to find out how this great little tool works:
This tool becomes invaluable when
teaching or learning the importance of turning a long, smooth stroke into a long, FAST stroke allowing the user to become much more aware of rhythmical efficiency. Its similar to how the gears on a bicycle work:
The Wetronome has three primary purposes for
swimmers:
By evaluating your own stroke rate or that
of a training partner and counting how many strokes you or they
take in 60 seconds, this value can be entered into the Wetronome
and the user will then use the Wetronome to maintain a steady
comfortable pace over the course of a long distance set. As seen in the first video clip, some interesting things about your stroke can be discovered when using the Wetronome in this manner.
In order to work on body roll and improve
your catch and feel for the water, a swimmer would typically
enter a value 2 to 5bpm LOWER than normal to give them time
in the stroke to work on the roll, extension and catch in an
unhurried manner. Watch Ian as he does just this:
Many people find themselves at that stage in their swimming where they have found some good improvements through working on lengthening the stroke, but then plateau off with further performance. This is simply due o the introduction of deadspots or pauses in your timing and rhythm. The Wetronome helps to eliminate these by a slightly increased stroke rate. Also, for speed work and specific open water work,
the user would enter a value 5 to 20bpm HIGHER than normal in
order to work on elevating stroke rate whilst maintaining stroke
length over a set interval or distance, thus generating more
power. The single biggest difference between good pool swimming
and good open water swimming lies in addressing
your stroke rate:
The Wetronome is also a superb tool for cycling,
running and even other sports like rowing where a rhythmical
turn-over is of paramount importance. As a triathlete, you could
use the Wetronome on your bike to maintain a smooth cadence of
95rpm (revolutions per minute) over an undulating terrain, which
would teach you the importance of gear changing in the process;
or you could use it for your running efficiency to improve your
economy over longer distances by working to a stride
rate in the region of 88 to 92spm (strides per minute). Many
triathletes during competition will jump off their bikes and immediately
try to stretch out, lengthening their stride way in advance of
what is maintainable and economical and as a result their stride
rate will typically drop off by as much as 25spm. The Wetronome
can be used during brick sessions in training, so that when you
jump off the bike and run for a set interval (1 to 3km), you focus
more on leg speed turn-over than stride length.
The Wetronome is set with a simple tap of the
'magic' wand, and with a totally sealed body and patent pending
energy saving battery, the Wetronome is guaranteed to keep you
working out for a long, long time - it even turns itself off
after 60 minutes and goes to sleep until next time, remembering
what setting you last inputted when you wake it up again. Genius!
Click here
for an free article on how stroke rate training can positively
improve your swim performance for triathlon!
*All prices include first-class postage to wherever
you are in the world!
Special Combo Deal - Swim Smooth DVD box
set and Wetronome:
The
SwimSmooth DVD even features a section on how to use the Wetronome
and by following the Wetronome's 3 uses above, you are sure to
be Swimming Smooth in no time!
Your Perfect Training Pair can be bought together
as a super saver combo which will save you $$$$s, by following
the link below:
*All prices include first-class postage to wherever
you are in the world!
Frequently Asked Questions
about the Wetronome:
What
is a Wetronome?The
Wetronome is a small (33mm x 55mm) completely waterproof electronic
device. It is worn under a baseball cap, swimcap or attached to
swim goggles during training sessions, providing an audible beep
to teach swimmers and other athletes rhythm in their stroke. This
rhythm can be recalled on race day or to just reach your most
efficient pace.
How do I set up the stroke rate?The Wetronome has no buttons
or display, two places where chlorine from the pool or other moisture
(rain, sweat) can erode and ruin electronics. Instead, the wearer
waves a simple magnet at the Wetronome to set the rate.
How do I replace the battery? You
don't. The Wetronome provides years of operation through a patented
low-power design. In fact, we [Wetronome]
designed it for at least one hour use every day for 3-5 years.
That is a lot of beeps/dollar!
Can I use it for other sports? Although
the Wetronome was originally developed for swimmers, the Wetronome
is a superb product for any sport requiring a rhythmical, cyclical
action, e.g. cycling, running and rowing.
How do you turn the beeping thing off? The
Wetronome will turn itself off after one hour of operation, or
you can simply hold the wand in front of the Wetronome for about
four seconds to initiate the hibernation mode.
Can
the Wetronome inadvertently be turned on? Yes,
although by attaching the wand to your sports bag, or basically
5cm away from the device, it will be fine. The wand can be worn
on a lanyard and makes an attractive pendant!
Do I have to set the rate with each
use?No,
the Wetronome will remember the last setting between uses. When
you wake it up, it will start by sounding and flashing the LED
with the last used rate.
Does the Wetronome come in other colours? Currently
the Wetronome is only made in yellow, easy to see underwater,
even though it does float. We [Wetronome]
may consider a red or orange model in the future.
Where can I buy the Wetronome?You
can buy online through this
site, or check out Wetronome's
website for a list of distributors and vendors in your
area.
Can
I buy Jerome, the cute Wetro-gnome?
Would you like to rephrase that?!
Is it safe to buy Wetronomes online?Yes it is! We protect your credit
card details by using a secure payment gateway that is approved
by our bank. Just go to our purchase
pages.
Will wearing the Wetronome under my
goggles cause them to leak? Our preferred solution is under
the Wetronome swimcap, but you can also try wearing the Wetronome
further back, such as behind your ear.
Can I hear the beep in a noisy environment?
We have tuned the volume, duration,
and frequency of the prompt to be suited to the ambient conditions
at a public pool. Our many trials spanning a number of months
took into consideration the ability to hear the beep without driving
the wearer crazy. It is audible when used for running and
held in the runners hand in all but the heaviest of traffic-congested
streets.
Is the Wetronome Durable?Aside
from the totally sealed nature of the Wetronome casing, the Wetronome
is also incredibly durable. Just look at what happened when Paul
mistakenly left his demo Wetronome in his short's pocket and then
put them to wash at 95° for 90 minutes followed by tumble-drying
on HIGH for another 90 minutes. Despite being slightly warped
from the intense heat, the Wetronome survived and is still working
today!
Anymore information? For
more information on the Wetronome, please click on the Wetronome
logo below and you'll be directed to their informative website.
Thankyou!