Another strength of my performance are my freestyle tumble turns, I know this because I have had video analysis. It shows that I carryout a fast somersault and a twist, this is because I have a strong leg action which flips me around, also I always practise tumble turns every training session and never miss any out. My overall efficiency is good showing that this skill has been learnt well and it is a fluent. After every tumble turn I glide and streamline off the wall. The video footage shows my body position is tight and straight, every muscle is pulling in towards the centre, trying to make my body longer and thinner. This is a different strength to my performance. Also it indicates that my legs are adducted with my toes are pointed. My arms are extended, pointing to the direction of travel, my bicep muscles are behind my ears. My fingertips are stretching and reaching as far forward as possible, this follows a technical model.
A) Strategies/Tactics Strengths:
Starts and turns
I know this tactic is a strength in my performance because, when I dive into the water I can determine how long I spend gliding in a streamline position under water. I know this is a good strategy because my coach informs me I have a good streamlined position. The same technique can be used for turns you can gain a lot more length streamlining under water when pushing off the wall than swimming. Also I have a fast approach (acceleration) into wall, the speed into wall effect the speed out of the wall. This is an important tactic in a race. I know this is a strength of mine because I have had video analysis of my starts and turns and I see that my turns are consistent and fluent.
Negative split through middle distance swims
A negative split is when you swim a race e.g. 400m and you swim the second 200m faster than the first 200m so your building up. This is an important tactic to have in a race because your body will know when to increase the pace and then go on to win. I know that this is a strength in my performance because I have had myself timed in a 400m race doing a negative split, so I have swum the second 200m faster than the first. This shows it is a good tactic of mine.
Sprint finish
When you are swimming a middle distance race e.g. 200m and you are able to have some power left to sprint the last length or ½ length. This is a good tactic to have because you are able to keep your last bit of energy left at the end of the race, this can promote you to win. I know that this tactic is a strength in my performance because I have had video footage showing that in various races, I have used a sprint finish and gone on to win the race.
A) Components of Fitness Strengths:
The component muscular endurance is a strength in my performance because, it is proven that in fitness testing my level is excellent. Muscular endurance is important because it involves stamina, where the heart and lungs supply the working muscles for an extended period of time. This shows I have a high lung capacity. Swimming is a cardiovascular sport, where your arms and legs are moving, at the same time it co-ordinates with your breathing. My video footage proves that I can sustain hard training sessions involving incessant swimming where I co-ordinate my breathing well. This involves when swimming continuously through long distances such as 400m, 800m.
In these swims your muscles are able to sustain maximum effort through out the race, this is an essential part to swimming. It is proven in swimming races I can maintain my highest effort because I have excellent muscular endurance.
Also I know that the fitness component flexibility plays an exceptional part in my performance, because it is proven that in fitness testing my flexibility is above excellent. In swimming suppleness benefits the swimmer of having a good range of movement at the joints especially at the shoulders and hips. My coach informs me I have flexible shoulders because I extend and stretch into every stoke. This allows me to reach further into my strokes and enhancing a more efficient performance. Other benefits of having supple muscles include reducing the chance of injury.
Body composition is the technical term used to describe the different components that, when taken together, make up a persons body size/ weight. The body composition of an elite swimmer description has usually got wide shoulders, long legs, small waist and overall a lot of muscle and very little amount of fat. I know that this component of fitness is a strength in my performance because I have seen I picture of my physique and it matches the description of a swimmer. I have also calculated my body mass index (BMI) and it shows I am at a normal weight for my height.
Agility is the ability to perform a series of explosive power movements in rapid succession in opposing directions. It is also the ability to move quickly whilst maintaining control and balance. In swimming I perform agility by doing fast tumble turns in and out of the wall, whilst changing direction. Agility is a combination of speed and power, but the movement also needs to be fluent.
I know that the fitness component agility is an important strength in my performance because I have had video analysis of my freestyle tumble turns. It shows that I change direction fast and carry out a quick, swift tumble turns.
Another fitness component that is a strength in my performance is co-ordination. Co-ordination is all about how well my body parts can work together at the same time e.g. hand eye co-ordination. Co-ordination is important in individual sports such as swimming. My video analysis shows I co-ordinate my arms and legs together and move through the water as smoothly and efficiently as I can. Swimming, can improve co-ordination because you must move your legs and your arms together, this is core muscle movement. When I swim I have no choice but to be breath control-oriented which translates my swimming strokes directly to greater efficiency. I know this is a strength in my performance because I have had video footage, and it shows that my swimming strokes are very co-ordinated and fluent, this improves my performance.
B) Skill Weaknesses:
Back crawl is different to most strokes because you cannot see where you are going. I know that the skill backstroke is a weakness of my performance because my coach informs me that I have a weak leg kick action. If your leg kick is weak it can make your body position fall slightly diagonally into the water. He tells me I need to bend my knees more and flex my ankles when kicking. My arm action provides most of the power, as my arms make circling actions as they move in and out of the water. Overall the arm action is good but I need to reach and stretch more into every stroke. Also I drop my head forwards into the water and don’t hold it back enough. This can make my body position sink, therefore I need to lift my hips up and make sure my head is looking up instead of down, consequently the overall efficiency would be improved.
Also as a part of my backstroke technique, my backstroke tumble turns are a weakness in my performance. I know this because I have had video analysis and it shows that sometimes I do to many arm pulls into the turn on my front, where as your only supposed to do one. Therefore my arm action is too soon, and I need to do less front arm pulls. In the somersault part of the tumble turn, the overall rotation is not fast enough, because my body position isn’t in a tight enough tuck shape. I need to kick harder with my legs so that I rotate and flip faster. When I glide off the wall in a streamline position my butterfly leg action is weak, therefore I don’t get enough distance underwater and sometimes I don’t even reach the flags. The overall efficiency of the tumble turn is slow and not fluent.
B) Strategy/Tactic Weaknesses:
Building up through out a 800m/ Long-distance race. When I swim long distance races I find it hard to increase my pace through out the race therefore a maintain the same speed. I know this tactic is a weakness in my performance because I know am more of a sprint/middle distance swimmer, and also I prefer to take part in these events.
B) Components of Fitness Weaknesses:
The component of fitness speed is a weakness in my performance because it is proven that in fitness testing I have scored only average. In swimming speed is the ability to exert maximum muscular contraction instantly in an explosive burst of movements, example a sprint start of the diving blocks. You need speed more when your swimming sprint races example 50m ,100m races. There is a significant degree of technique when trying to build up speed. It’s all about a mix of breathing, arm and feet movements, but you must have good muscle force behind before you can increase your speed. There is the fact that some people are just born with an ability to go faster than others. Whilst you can train faster you might never be as fast as your training partner, as they may have a different muscle composition that they’ve inherited. This will in itself help them go faster. So speed is most important in sprint races and starts.
Another weakness in my performance is the fitness component, reaction time. Reaction time is being able to respond quickly to a stimulus. It important in many sports though it can be measured. Simple reaction time is the time taken between a stimulus and movement e.g., sprint start off a diving block. For example at the start of a swimming race the official signals a gun or a type of noise that indicates you to start the race, you have to respond quickly to this. Therefore reaction time is essential at the start of a race. I know that reaction time is a weakness in my performance because it is proven that in fitness testing a have scored below average. So when I combine my reaction time in swimming to the start of a race, I am slower at reacting to the starters gun. Therefore this is something I need to improve on.
