{"id":68668,"date":"2018-05-10T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2018-05-10T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.arenaswim.com\/uncategorized-en_us\/head-game-getting-swimmers-think\/"},"modified":"2018-05-10T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2018-05-10T00:00:00","slug":"head-game-getting-swimmers-think","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.arenaswim.com\/us\/uncategorized-en_us\/head-game-getting-swimmers-think\/","title":{"rendered":"The Head Game: Getting swimmers to think"},"content":{"rendered":"

For many swimmers, practice is just about putting in the yards. But for University of Virginia Head Coach Todd DeSorbo<\/a>, there is much more to it than that. His coaching philosophy revolves around getting his swimmers to think – to concentrate solely on their movement through the water. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI like getting them to think about every stroke in practice,\u201d says DeSorbo, \u201cso they don\u2019t have to think about it at a meet.\u201d \u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To help his swimmers focus on their technique, DeSorbo utilizes multiple training tools, including arena\u2019s Flex Paddles<\/a> and Powerfin Pro<\/a>. \u00a0DeSorbo\u2019s workouts consist of drills that help his swimmers get their maximum distance per stroke.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLength equals speed,\u201d he explains. \u201cI get them to think about making their arms and body as long as possible.\u201d The Flex Paddles add an extra challenge during these body-lengthening drills. DeSorbo says the mesh fabric takes away the feel of the water across the hand. While wearing these bendable paddles, swimmers must work extra hard to create enough force during their catch to propel themselves through the water. <\/span><\/p>\n

The head coach commonly pairs the Flex Paddles with a drill he calls \u201cPower Catch-Up.\u201d He says the drill is similar to the traditional Catch-Up drill, but instead of your hands touching out in front of you, your arms are in the \u201c11 position\u201d (with your hands shoulder width apart). That way, DeSorbo says, your arm is in the correct position to start your next stroke catch. Flex Paddles are also used during one-arm drills, stroke limit drills and parachute drills. <\/span><\/p>\n

DeSorbo applies the same technique during kicking sets. His swimmers use the Powerfin Pro to improve their underwater dolphin kick. The short, inclined blade of the fin allows for the kick to be quick and continuous, but also efficient. \u00a0He tells his swimmers to focus on each kick as one in and of itself. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThink of every stroke or dolphin kick is a one rep max bench press,\u201d says Coach DeSorbo. \u201cThe power and force production is the same as in the weight room.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

To do this, DeSorbo limits the number of kicks his swimmers can take each length, forcing them to get the most out of each kick. The goal with the fins is getting the athletes to swim at a pace they normally wouldn\u2019t be able to go. Once the swimmer is accustomed to that feeling of speed, the hope is they can swim faster than they thought possible without fins. \u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To learn more about the Flex Paddle, the Powerfin Pro, or arena\u2019s full line of competitive swimming training tools, techniques and equipment, visit arenawaterinstinct.com<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For many swimmers, practice is just about putting in the yards. But for University of Virginia Head Coach Todd DeSorbo, there is much more to it than that. His coaching …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1390,"featured_media":28048,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[10190,3258],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nThe Head Game: Getting swimmers to think - The arena swimming blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.arenaswim.com\/us\/uncategorized-en_us\/head-game-getting-swimmers-think\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Head Game: Getting swimmers to think - The arena swimming blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"For many swimmers, practice is just about putting in the yards. But for University of Virginia Head Coach Todd DeSorbo, there is much more to it than that. 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