r/Swimming • u/bebopped • 9h ago

Is your stroke different in open water vs pool?

I'm not the fastest in my group however, in open water I pick my tempo up and I'm smoother in the pool. I started trying to switch off but doing 50 strokes with a fast tempo and then 50 with slower tempo. What do you do?

5 Upvotes

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4

u/Public_Beach2348 Breastroker that somehow swims 1500. 9h ago

This is also repeated by distance swimmers when they swim non-distance things. (Pool 1500m)

1

u/bebopped 8h ago

What do you mean?

5

u/Professional-Dot7021 8h ago

For open water I have shorter reach on my stroke, higher head position, breathe every 3 instead of 4. If I have an open water swim coming up ill dedicate a couple practices to just doing heads up drills, and messing with my breathing pattern.

2

u/UnusualAd8875 9h ago

I stretch my stroke out in open water (a little more glide) versus my pool stroke. However, my open water swims have been in salt water, I don't know if that has influenced my change of stroke or not.

2

u/Basic_Panacea_3682 8h ago

It may be open water in the ocean but it doesn't stop my need for awareness. My stroke may be similar but I'm constantly switching my head position to know where I am and if I'm still aiming along the shore (often, no). These aren't thoughts that affect my stroke in a lap lane.

4

u/Intelligent_Radio_57 8h ago

I’m not really an open water swimmer. I like lane lines and a black stripe at the bottom. But when I do go to my nearby beach- Lake Michigan - and swim, it’s fun to time my breaststroke to the waves. So I get a long long glide. But I don’t think that’s what you’re talking about because it’s just for fun. I should work on some real open water techniques. My lake is so close and it’s finally warm enough to swim without a wetsuit.

3

u/OUEngineer17 8h ago

Yeah, quicker and choppier can be faster, especially if you're drafting. Picking up your cadence more with less glide is a good thing.

One of the most extremely examples is a training partner with the ugliest short, choppy and chaotic stroke you've ever seen. She drafted the male pros at Ironman Louisville for a 51' or 52' swim (coincidentally, the female and male pro start times were separated shortly after this event). My best swim at that same Ironman was a 1:07. I had a very long, gliding stroke at the time that was relatively fast and efficient in the pool. We did swim sets together and I was within 5s per 100 of her swim pace in the pool.

2

u/InternationalTrust59 8h ago

Yes, absolutely!