Front Pike Pull Down
Sorry this blog post took longer than I thought it would. I am continually searching for new ways to bring you the best content possible and make this blog a quality resource for everyone. Anyways, now to some synchro.
One thing that really bothers me is when swimmers are inaccurate at basic positions. Especially the ones they have been doing for a long time. And you can bet it bothers the judges too.
I want you to watch the video below. Afterwards, I will go over how we improved the swimmers accuracy in less than five minutes and what still needs to be more consistent.
How we fixed it:
1. I told the swimmer we were going to spend the next 20 minutes working on the part. She told me she was going to fix it much quicker. This may seem inconsequential, but often swimmers resist making the changes they need to.
2. We used the video. What I did was I videoed her and she needed to tell me whether or not she was in an accurate pike before I would show her the video. This is important because she needs to know where that line is. She needs to be thinking about how it feels to be in a “pike”. If she does not know then she will not be able to consistently find the line. You telling the swimmer they are off the line will not be as effective as helping them learn it.
I had a swimmer who could not feel a vertical line to save her life. When asked if she was vertical she would guess. We spent a full hour one day with her doing verticals at her ankles. Her job was to come up and tell me if she was vertical. If she guessed correctly I would say “good, now do it again” if she guessed wrong I would say “no, now do it again”. After that session she never had a line problem again. The session was actually positive and we laugh about it to this day.
What needs more consistency?
The swimmer now knows where the pike position is, but the transition to the the paddle scull throws the accuracy off. I know the judges frown upon over piking, yet most people over pike especially into a transition like a porpoise lift. What looks better is if the swimmer can hit the pike in the barrel scull, transition into the paddle scull and maintain the position then over pike if she needs as the legs are moving and not a moment sooner. Ultimately, you are aiming to keep the swimmer on the line.
#synchronizedswimmers need to be aware that when they move the arms from one scull to the next, the body remains still sometimes.
— OnlineSynchroCoach (@vpdkeenan) April 3, 2014
I really enjoyed putting this blog together, especially the video. I downloaded a new program and I had fun putting all the pieces together. I am kind of nerdy that way. I love playing in dart fish, garageband, my blog, . . .
Post on my Facebook page what you thought. Would you like more videos like that? What skills would you like to see?
Yours in synchro,
Vanessa Keenan