What Do You Think Of Mr Smooth?

[Bjoern Staben]

Have no idead how to fix it.

Mit dem ganzen Fachjargon muss man das wahrscheinlich eh händisch machen. Was für Leute mit Langeweile...

[Adam Young]

Btw, is it possible to switch on the multi-quote option? That would be quite helpful. Cheers.

Sorry Bjoern, what's the multi-quote option?

We know the translations aren't that hot... But you can always do the "submit better translation" thing if you wish to make it better.

[Nat the rat aka nuts]

Adam,
Bjoern and I discussed this in german. He actually said you need a bit time to do it and need to get some of the swim specific words and lingo...Let's see, maybe Bjoern and I get into it...

LOL

Nat

[Bjoern Staben]

Btw, is it possible to switch on the multi-quote option? That would be quite helpful. Cheers.

Sorry Bjoern, what's the multi-quote option?

We know the translations aren't that hot... But you can always do the "submit better translation" thing if you wish to make it better.

That would be an multi-quote option: To be able to quote different (yours and Nats) posts. I'm quite sure the website-thingy (Joomla?) is able to.

'The translation aren't that hot...' Nice expression, I like the anglo-saxon way to put things.

Sorry, Adam, don't take it that serious. Was just fun to read that online translation. No offence at all. Forgive me my sometimes straight forwardness, I'm German...

Adam,
Bjoern and I discussed this in german. He actually said you need a bit time to do it and need to get some of the swim specific words and lingo...

I'll have a look how to do it the easiest way. Might take me a couple of days...

Edith tried to do a quick fix while lunchbreaking and sent Google an appropriate translation. We'll see what they make out of it.

[Bernie]

Hi! I think MrSmooth is an amazing and great visual tool. I would like to know the theory behind and discuss his hand-entry. I'm overall confused about his movementpattern from frame ~10 up to 48 (focusing on his left arm).

My intuition tells me that he does it kind of flat. Reaching a bit too far and laying his arm on top of the water , instead of spearing into the water just a half hand-lenght earlier and maybe also closer to the center-line with a slightly more bent elbow. Wouldn't he get effortless help to rotate and give more power to finish the ongoing stroke from a spearing entry? I would expect to see more splash from his forearm in reality the way he's doing it now, causing less grip in the water. The sequence 15-35 looks like hard work to keep the arm up high. Creating tension instead of micro-rest.

I'm curious on your thoughts. Keep up the good work and spirit!

[Adam Young]

Thanks Bjoern and Nat - any help would be great but please don't do any more than you want to do.

Hi Bernie,

Thanks for those points - at faster swimming efforts I tend to agree with you, he could spear in a touch better! At a steady pace it will be more like he's doing there (don't forget Mr Smooth swims pretty fast even at steady effort because of his nice stroke ). I don't think he's entering wide though, it's not a shot you get very accurately with video of a great swimmer but when you do that's the right width for hand entry - then hand then comes closer to the centre line as the swimmer continues to rotate and so the shoulder line becomes narrower.

Thanks again and enjoy your swimming!

Cheers,

Adam

[NMC]

Mr Smooth is great! The online tips I received after downloading are also useful but I can't see how to pause him. Is there a way of doing that? eg so that I can see the frame it's suggested I look at.

[Adam Young]

Mr Smooth is great! The online tips I received after downloading are also useful but I can't see how to pause him. Is there a way of doing that? eg so that I can see the frame it's suggested I look at.

Hi NMC, just click on the play/pause button in the middle of the dial in the bottom right .Hopefully that will do the trick for you!

[NMC]

Thanks, Adam! In case anybody else has this problem, the reason I didn't see how to do this without your help is that when I clicked on the "play" icon, I left the cursor where I had clicked, and the "play" icon doesn't change until you move it away and then it changes to a "pause/stop" icon. Perhaps the software people could amend that in some future edition so that the icon changes to reflect your click whether you've moved the cursor away or not.

[NMC]

Now that I can pause MS, I have noticed something that despite many lessons from various coaches, no-one has ever spoken of before, namely that his wrist is uncocked almost immediately after his front hand enters the water eg as seen in perfect side view frame 349 with his left hand.

My questions are:
1. Is this an important hand action compared to just pulling straight down and back with the hand always held as a straight extension of the forearm (ie the position it's in when the hand enters the water)? If so, why? More power? Less chance of injury?

2. Is this hand position less important to a beginner like me, where I need to be concentrating on other more basic things?

[Adam Young]

Now that I can pause MS, I have noticed something that despite many lessons from various coaches, no-one has ever spoken of before, namely that his wrist is uncocked almost immediately after his front hand enters the water eg as seen in perfect side view frame 349 with his left hand.

My questions are:
1. Is this an important hand action compared to just pulling straight down and back with the hand always held as a straight extension of the forearm (ie the position it's in when the hand enters the water)? If so, why? More power? Less chance of injury?

2. Is this hand position less important to a beginner like me, where I need to be concentrating on other more basic things?

Hi Neil,

Well spotted! The cocked wrist catch is something we very much teach to all swimmers from intermediate upwards. It's not essential to do it but it really helps emphasise the correct catch action and help keep your elbow high. Many swimmers do the opposite and drop their wrists during their extension forwards before the catch, this 'puts the brakes on' and really harms the catch.

Even relative beginner swimmers benefit from emphasising this position - it's not hard to do at all once you get in the habit, try it the next time you swim.

You can read a bit more about it here: http://www.swimsmooth.com/aboutmrsmoothcatch.html

Cheers, Adam

[NMC]

Thanks, Adam. You guys really have some interesting ideas and stuff on your web site. Keep up the good work!

[ChrisA]

Of course I agree with much of the theory they are into eg front quadrant stroke structure is so important - but not the misinterpreted exaggeration that causes this pausing/slowing - it destroys forward momentum and ruins the ability to apply constant power...

I've just found Mr Smooth and can hardly believe I can access so much "good oil" information and graphics for free! I can even play some of my own videos alongside Mr Smooth and "freeze frame" both to see how REALLY bad I am.
My immediate question is - what visualisation and/or rhythm can I use to develop my front quadrant stroke? (I've seen the conveyor visualisation but I have also seen the warning about creating a "windmill" stroke (precisely my problem - or should I say ONE of my problems!)).

I can see I'll be spending hours with Mr Smooth and all the information on this site.
Thanks!
Chris

[Adam Young]

Hi Chris,

Glad you're enjoying the site and finding Mr Smooth useful!

How to solve the opposite problem and move from a rotary or "windmill" stroke towards front quadrant? That's a good question:

The first thing to remember is that timing changes are hard to co-ordinate so give yourself time and be patient. It'll probably click one day when you least expect it.

A good method to employ is to use some fins and start with a kicking on your side drill, with your bottom arm out in front of you, top arm and hand resting by your side. With fins on you should be able to happily kick along on your side for as long as you want. Kick along in this position for at least 4-5 seconds, then when you are ready perform a single stroke and swap onto the other side and then continue kicking along on that other side. Now as you have a rotary stroke I can almost guarantee that the lead hand will drop away as soon as your top arm starts moving - that lead hand moves early to give you rotary timing. So, as you are kicking on your side compose yourself and think, right, I'm going to do a stroke now, move my top arm over and I'm going to keep that lead hand out there a touch longer before moving it. Then do the stroke and see if you can get it right - you should feel more catch up in your stroke - although ideally not fully catching up.In the short term it's no problem if you do fully catch-up at the front whilst you get used to this.

Once you feel like you can do a single stroke like this reliably without rotary timing, try doing 3 strokes. So kick on your side, 3 strokes and then kick along again. This is harder and your timing will probably slip back to rotary. No problem, keep practising and see if you can get it.

The next step is continuous freestyle for a whole lap, still with fins. When you've got this, move to without fins.

This whole process can often take many sessions to master. Stick with it and be patient. The overall sensation when you move from rotary to front quadrant is one of extending forwards on each side in turn. You spend a little longer on each side than with rotary timing. Some swimmers say this feels a bit like ice skating, skating from one side to the other.

Let us know how you go!

Adam

[ChrisA]

..... The overall sensation when you move from rotary to front quadrant is one of extending forwards on each side in turn. You spend a little longer on each side than with rotary timing. Some swimmers say this feels a bit like ice skating, skating from one side to the other.
Let us know how you go!

Hi Adam
Thanks.
I tried the ice skating "visualisation" in an open water swim today and it felt good (I did do a little ice skating for a few seasons about 40 years ago!).
I'm not a great fan of drills so I will persist with visualising and see how I go.
Next time I'm at a pool I'll be able to check on progress...
Cheers
Chris

[likawil]

Fantabulous indeed!! I've made 2 others sign up for him...and the eye-candy factor is not at all distracting

So far:
Have been trying to bilateral roll, i feel like im cheating when i do it - smooth indeed.
Iv flattened my hand for the water entry putting effort into not crossing over.
Mindful of the deadspot and making myself aware to remove it. More exhausting, but i'm getting up the pool quicker which means the pain is over sooner
All whilst trying the biggest loser challenge...

And best of all - the filter on the work computer lets me into your site endlessly...a most wonderful way to lose a few hours overnight.

Im just trying to build up the courage to buy a wetronome - im not sure i want to be told when to stroke by an inanimate object - swimming is about the quiet of it all & i can feel like i control what im doing [i want to go this slow, no really i do]. Wetronome might take that away from me and make me work as hard as i probably should

[Adam Young]

Mindful of the deadspot and making myself aware to remove it. More exhausting, but i'm getting up the pool quicker which means the pain is over sooner

It does feel tricky at first doesn't it? The key is to remove the deadspot but keep the rest of the stroke timing the same. The tendency is to go faster through the section of the stroke with the deadspot in it but also go faster through the rest of the stroke too - that will definitely make it feel a lot harder! Because you don't decelerate in the gliiiide you don't have to pull so hard on the next stroke to re-accelerate yourself. So if anything you can actually back the effort off a little. Does that make sense?

Im just trying to build up the courage to buy a wetronome - im not sure i want to be told when to stroke by an inanimate object - swimming is about the quiet of it all & i can feel like i control what im doing [i want to go this slow, no really i do]. Wetronome might take that away from me and make me work as hard as i probably should

A lot of people have that fear that it'll force them to work harder but it's normally not the case! Often it makes it easier because it helps with improved pacing. During a swim or set 99% of swimmers start too fast and then slow down. A wetronome, in either stroke rate or lap interval mode, stops that from happening. Better pacing makes things easier for the same pace...

Cheers!

Adam

[BillVick]

Love the concept but it continually crashes on my system. I run other Adobe Air apps with no problem but Mr. Smooth crashes after about 20 - 25 seconds or at anytime I change the view and it then crashes in 5 or 6 seconds.

Great job and a super tool but it's not working for me.

I'm on an iMac, Snow Leopard OS, tons of memory and disk space available. I'm running the most current version of Adobe Air.

[Silk]

I think Mr Smooth is good for visualisation.

I appreciate that you folks have chosen to incorporate a six beat kick and a front quadrant style (FQS) of swimming in Mr Smooth. I know this is going to bloat up Mr Smooth (and I don't mean he becomes fatter or anything) but what about options for:

1. Rotary stroke: Which is what most sprinters I believe still do or what most FQS-ers out there revert to when sprinting.

2. Two beat kick: This seems like the most popular thing around nowadays for distance swimmers. I guess most of us can still see the dominant kicks within the six beat kick and figure out accordingly how to do a two beat kick but still... While we are at it, how about a two beat cross over kick too?

3. Miss Smooth: It gets boring looking at Mr Smooth. If you need help, I can suggest the swimwear/clothing/model. Nuff said.

That said, a great visualisation tool. If only I can figure out how to install it on my computer at work.

[ChrisA]

Love the concept but it continually crashes on my system. I run other Adobe Air apps with no problem but Mr. Smooth crashes after about 20 - 25 seconds or at anytime I change the view and it then crashes in 5 or 6 seconds.

Great job and a super tool but it's not working for me.

I'm on an iMac, Snow Leopard OS, tons of memory and disk space available. I'm running the most current version of Adobe Air.

Hi Bill
I'm running the same system as you and I don't have any problems.
Happy to work through it if you'd like to send me a direct contact.
Cheers
Chris