The guys over at SwimSmooth have done it again. After introducing us to the Wetronome (tech gadget to help you with your stroke rate) and Mr. Smooth (an application to show you how swimming is done from all angle at at all speeds), SwimSmooth has now produced SwimTypes.com.
SwimSmooth’s swim coaches came up with a new angle on how to teach swimming. The fundamental idea is that we are all build differently, which makes us swim in varied ways and therefore we require a customized swimming class instruction to effectively improve our swimming stroke. I am sure that most of you were in the situation where during your swim class you were asked to perform certain drill which you just could not muster and did not understand why the drill was important. It could have just been the case that your body just could not do it, because it wasn’t build for it. Now, don’t take me wrong, I don’t mean you never can do it, I am just stating that perhaps some other less complicated, more targeted drills for your swimming style are more appropriate.
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| Hover the image to learn more about SwimTypes |
You can choose from 6 different types:
1) Arnie or Arnette
Assuming this is an anlogy to the infamous Arnold Schwarzenegger, you can just imagine what that looks like 
. You are probably an american football player, judo wrestler or weight lifter. Basically, you got too much muscle , so swimming which requires long, lean muscle mass and a lot of flexibility is quite difficult for you. In other words, your Arnie or Arnette body is not buoyant enough in the water, so you have to work extra hard to stay afloat. To help you with this, you need to work on your body position.
2) Bambino
If you are a small person with a light build and you are having problems with breathing and propulsion through water, you could fall into the Bambino category. In other words, you need to build up more strength in your upper and core body and improve the catch in the first part of your stroke during your swim class. So, next time you are in the pool stroking away wondering why you are not moving forward and your arms are slicing through water like butter, remember that maybe you are a Bambino.
3) Kicktastic
Well, the title says it all, you just kick too damn much . Kicking is a bread and butter of very fast sprint swimming, but constant fast kick does not belong to longer distance or practice swimming unless instructed to do so or during fast sets. Kicking is very exhausting, due to its use of your largest muscles in your body. Your legs should more or less be just floating inline behind your body with a kick rhythm which helps you turn to breath (for longer swimming, probably only 2 beat kick). If you look at this underwater video of Grant Hackett it shows you how he does not kick all the time, even though in his case, he still kicks quite a bit. You can, however, see the rhythm he has. So, if you are a Kicktastic, relax and try not to kick that much. Use your arms instead and focus on strengthening your core body in a gym for example.
4) Overglider
Again, very good descriptive name for this swim type of a swimmer. Overgliders tend to do just that, overglide their stroke. They do it to that extent that it actually creates a dead spot in their stroke. Don’t despair though, there are things you can work on during your swim classes to get you out of this group and swimming smooth. As always, catching the water earlier is better, but in your case, you should also increase your stroke rate slightly. How about giving the Wetronome a go, it could just help keep you on stroking away at the right speed, thus eliminating the over glide effect, so you can graduate from being an Overglider to being Smooth.
5) Swinger
No, don’t worry, we are not going to tell you that you swing too much. That is fully between you and your sex partner . The Swinger swim type means that you swing your arms around your body to swim, instead of rolling your hips to help you move your arms. In other words, you spend too much time on your belly while swimming and you should spend more time rolling from one hip to another. Also, this type of swimming could have pretty severe medical repercussions for your shoulders, so, next time you are doing your laps, keep your head down and only roll your hips. Here are very helpful couple of pieces of swim equipment to get you started on rolling your hips during your swim classes. Say no to being a Swinger and become Smooth.
6) Smooth
If you made it this far and you consider yourself to swim smooth, congratulations. You will enjoy swimming much more if it appears as if it is effortless. For some inspiration check out Alexander Popov’s video. There is always, however, something to work on, be it stronger core body, better catch, better kick and so on. Being Smooth means you do well, but don’t fall asleep behind the wheel. There is no such thing as a perfect stroke, but more on that next time.
So, after you have discovered the different swim types (Arnie/Arnette, Bambino, Kicktastic, Overglider, Swinger and Smooth) which one are YOU?
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