Polar Opposite Types of Swimmers: Where Do You Fit?
In the sport of swimming, we practice every stroke and use every piece of equipment throughout our training week no matter what our primary events are, or gear preferences may be. Obviously, we are much better at some strokes and events than others, and we favor specific gear, too. Often, swimmers who are better at certain events tend to struggle in similar events as one another. Read on to see some of the polar opposites in swimming.
Kicker or Puller
Many swimmers favor kicking over pulling or pulling over kicking. Some athletes are lower body oriented, while others are primarily upper body swimmers. It’s not often that you see the same swimmer leading the lane for a kick set AND a pull set.
Long-Axis Swimmer or Short-Axis Swimmer
Free and back? Or fly and breast? Freestyle and backstroke are considered long-axis strokes because they are powered by your rotation. On the other hand, butterfly and breaststroke are considered short-axis strokes because they are powered by your hips and chest which propel you forward with every stroke.
Breaststroker or Backstroker
Not only is it unusual to find a swimmer who specializes in long-axis swimming strokes and short-axis swimming strokes, but it is extremely rare to find somebody who’s primary and secondary strokes are breaststroke and backstroke or vice versa. There is something about a breaststroker who can’t quite figure out how to swim fast on their back, and a backstroker who hasn’t mastered the technique of the whip kick yet. If you are one of the few swimmers who can do both pretty well, then lucky you.
Kick With a Board or on Your Back
Some swimmers swear they kick faster on a board, while others are confident they are quicker on their back. We’ve all had teammates who throw a fit when the set says they HAVE to use a board. Does it really make that big of a difference?
Short Course or Long Course
A lot of younger swimmers tend to prefer short course because, well it’s shorter. As you get older, you might start to notice your strengths and weaknesses while swimming in both SCY and LCM. For example, those who usually have strong walls and underwaters typically like short course better since they encounter more walls during their races. On the other hand, some distance swimmers might like long course better because they can get into more of a groove when racing since the pool is longer and there are less walls to interrupt their continuous swimming.
Sprinter or Distance Swimmer
Sprinters usually don’t have the endurance like distance swimmers do, and distance swimmers typically don’t have the fast twitch muscles like sprinters do. Sprinters have a hard time maintaining their speed for longer races and high yardage sets. Distance swimmers struggle to get up and go fast for short races and sprint sets. Mid-distance swimmers are the happy medium as they fall right in the center of these two categories.
Like Underwaters or Hate Them
Many swimmers like to use their underwaters to their advantage when racing. Some athletes have a really strong dolphin kick, allowing them to move quickly under the water and sometimes even pass their opponents who may have already broken the surface. Other swimmers find it difficult to hold their breath and stay under the water for long. For some, underwaters might even cause stress and anxiety due to the feeling of holding their breath.
I hope you enjoyed reading about the polar opposite types of swimmers! Which swimmer are you? Comment down below!
