Courtesy of Athlee, a SwimSwam accomplice
“I do know much more about swimming now after watching extra underwater movies this previous 12 months than I’ve in my total profession.” David Marsh, Olympic Coach.
This was simply one of many attention-grabbing views in our interview with world-renowned David Marsh. Marsh is a world-class coach at the moment at Cal Bears, the place he focuses on swim method. Regardless of having coached greater than 50 Olympians, he’s nonetheless humble about his studying path. Or, as he places it, “We’re simply such infective fish”
What You Can’t See from the Deck
Over the previous 12 months, Marsh has dived a lot deeper into underwater video evaluation, realizing how a lot of swimming’s true story lies beneath the floor. As Marsh places it, “Most technical enhancements—about 80%—are found by way of underwater viewing.” This revelation has remodeled his perspective, permitting him to uncover nuances in method that had as soon as eluded him.
“Understanding what brings propulsion is so vital,” Marsh mentioned, stressing that underwater suggestions permits coaches to see particulars they may by no means decide up on in any other case. With a reside view from underwater, Marsh now shortly will get insights into essential views just like the swimmer’s rotation, physique place, and catch.
“I take a look at their physique, the primary a part of the physique and what it’s doing. Numerous instances, errors are made with the top place after which the hip place. If the kick method is just not synched up with the move of the stroke, it’s clearly an issue.”
Stay underwater view within the Athlee app. Picture by way of Athlee
Marsh emphasizes the significance of mastering the preliminary grip on the water on the entrance of the stroke and transitioning it easily all through. He calls this course of “dropping the anchor” — a vital method that requires steady refinement to generate highly effective propulsion.
By observing underwater, coaches and swimmers can significantly better perceive how one can keep this agency maintain, make the stroke as environment friendly as attainable, and make quick focused changes. He stresses that such particulars “are not possible to see from above the water, however underwater video makes them crystal clear.”
For Marsh, that is additionally one of many areas of teaching he enjoys essentially the most. “That is the realm of the game that I most likely love essentially the most, determining how one can be extra environment friendly and how one can handle the connection with the water,” mentioned Marsh. This aligns properly with Marsh’s perception that coaches ought to persistently educate themselves and enhance their technical understanding by way of “coaching your eyes to see what is great swimming.”
“I believe we within the sport of swimming are very lucky that we’re not pure within the water. To me, there’s a lot upside to that. We’re such inefficient fish as human beings. For us to get just a bit bit higher, being fish-like can have enormous outcomes.”
However what does this imply in actual coaching? Marsh breaks down how he makes use of underwater video nearly each day now.
Right this moment, with Berkeley’s Athlee cameras, underwater video suggestions is totally built-in into Marsh’s each day routine with swimmers. The straightforward setup implies that he can simply “pop it into the water” to look at swimmers as they prepare. This enables him to right away overview their method by watching replays on the spot on his iPad or iPhone.
Marsh explains that somewhat than recording every little thing, he usually simply watches in real-time. As an example, he usually watches a full 50-meter lap, replaying your complete swim in 10-second intervals. This permits him to zoom in on vital moments, offering targeted suggestions that swimmers can immediately apply.
And this can be a key level for Marsh.
As an alternative of overwhelming them with suggestions, the swimmers ought to solely be given “a single focus level,” akin to refining their kick or adjusting their catch. By doing so, Marsh ensures swimmers aren’t overwhelmed by too many adjustments without delay, permitting them to make focused enhancements.
A swimmer examines his method on a replay, with Marsh guiding the evaluation. Picture by way of Athlee
A technique Marsh maximizes the advantages of video suggestions is by encouraging peer studying, which is already constructed into the tradition at Berkeley. He usually gathers swimmers to overview one another’s movies, after which he pinpoints areas by which one excels, guiding others to duplicate these enhancements. This collaborative method helps athletes not solely perceive their method higher but additionally be taught from their teammates’ strengths.
Throughout his time at Berkeley, Marsh displays on how underwater video suggestions has allowed him to raise his teaching influence. By turning observations into real-time suggestions, he could make quick enhancements in his athletes’ efficiency. “The Athlee digicam has actually allowed me to have extra influence this 12 months as a result of I’ve been capable of take that info shortly and switch it into one thing of worth,” Marsh explains.
Having an influence is, in spite of everything, what teaching is all about.
The defining second for an Olympian
Marsh rounds out the dialog by reflecting on the commonality amongst all of the Olympians he has coached and met: “I’ve by no means had an Olympic swimmer who couldn’t level to a specific day or a season the place a coach helped them change their mindset and set them on a limitless path.”
Typically, that second occurs earlier in a swimmer’s profession than you would possibly count on. “They nearly all the time had a coach at a vital time, often between the ages 11 to 14. In that window, you’ll be able to actually set their thoughts on hearth for the long run.”
Marsh’s method, constructed on a long time of expertise and a thirst for continuous studying, can remind us that progress is crucial for everybody within the sport—swimmers and coaches alike. The influence a coach can have on the proper second is essential in shaping an athlete’s limitless potential, and guiding them in the direction of success.
The Athlee digicam may be positioned anyplace alongside the pool deck, permitting coaches to seize particular angles for detailed underwater evaluation. Picture by way of Athlee
If you need extra details about how you can also get the lacking 80%, Athlee might help. Please go to www.athlee.com and guide a fast on-line demo.
Be aware: David Marsh’s participation on this interview is totally impartial, and he isn’t compensated by or affiliated with Athlee. The David Marsh interview was carried out by Jeff Grace.
