Why am I better at long course swimming?

Question

Just yesterday I swam a long course meter time trial in the 200m freestyle. I did a 2:09 and converted that is a 1:51 in yards (I did this pushing off the wall). My previous fastest time in yards was 1:52.9 and when I was swimming the 200m time trial I wasn't even going all out. To add on to this I've only been swimming about 1000-1500 yards a day! What characteristics make swimmers better in long course.

I just turned 15

I just turned

Answer 1

i think it's because your turns are not yet smooth.  and even if your turns ARE smooth, when you push off the wall, maybe you're pushing off at a wrong angle or your streamline isn't right.  there can also be the possibility that your breakout isn't smooth and when you take a stroke, you're stopping all the momentum you got from pushing off the wall already and have to start all over with your speed.  in long course, since there are less turns, you dont have to start your momentum all over again.  it saves you time.  maybe that's why you're faster in long course.

Answer 2

It could be that you are better at just swimming, not at turns.

Answer 3

im right there with ya! I always swim faster in long course pools (once its converted). I think its because I can just concentrate on swimming instead of my flip turn and worrying about taking a breath before/after my turn. I'm especially good at 50's because I can just sprint all out once I dive in and get going. That's just what happens with me but it may be different for you...idk. But nice job with those 200 times! My 200 free time in short course yards is a 2:04 and im 13. My 200 IM is a 2:24

Answer 4

There are a couple of reasons swimmers are better LC swimmers than SC.  The first is the turn, if you are not very good at turns, having to do half of them helps your race.  The second is stroke efficiency.  In LC swimming the better your efficiency the longer you can go faster.  SC doesn't let you do a whole lot of swimming especially if you do a lot of underwater kicking.

Answer 5

maybe your turns suck =P

Answer 6

IDK maybe you have more endurance and strength and long course pools help you with that that happened with me and my friend she's faster than me in a short corse pool and when we swam in a long corse pool for the first time I beat her by a minimum of 2 seconds in everything even a 50!!!

Answer 7

it could be the way you train, your endurance, or maybe you have a slow flip turn.

Answer 8

Well, one of my friends is ok at short course, but amazing at long course because his turns are terrible, even our coach says so.

so the reason you might be faster at long course is because either you have great endurance, or your turns are not as good