How Do You Use a Stopwatch for Swimming?
A swim coach uses a stopwatch to measure a swimmer’s time during training and competition, making it an essential piece of accessory in his kit. One critical skill in coaching is being able to accurately measure the times of multiple swimmers using one or two stopwatches.
Today, we will go over some essential stopwatch functions to help improve your training. In this way, you can also track your time precisely and ensure competent use of the device during a competition.
Stopwatch Functions for Swimming
Stopwatches for swimming come in different varieties. Some have multiple functions, while others have just the basics. Although most are generally easy to use, reading the manual is advised before getting started. Mastery of crucial functions during training can help you record time most accurately and efficiently.
If you are looking to simply record training times and splits, a basic stopwatch will suffice. However, it could make recording multiple competition splits difficult and time-consuming. It could also increase the likelihood of inaccurate recording, which could set you back from your swimming objectives.
A decent swimming stopwatch should cover more than training-specific needs. This means it has to have a multi-line display—an uncommon feature in a basic stopwatch. It also needs to possess the following key features that not only help record training times with ease and accuracy but also provide critical performance-based information.
Recall Button
This feature displays the two types of split functions: cumulative and lap. What makes this a critical function of a swimming stopwatch is that it helps coaches record times and feedback quickly and easily. The swimmer can then use this information to improve on their next performances.
Lap Split
Lap split is a function found in all makes and models of stopwatches. It is the most basic function, dealing with the individual time recording of laps as the basis for reviewing overall swimming pace.
Cumulative Split
Cumulative split records the total elapsed time of a swim, which is also useful for analyzing a swimmer’s overall pacing.
Stroke Rate Calculator
This is a function that calculates how many strokes a swimmer makes per minute. It is crucial for determining a swimmer’s speed.
Large Lap Memory
The number of splits and other crucial swimming details a stopwatch retrieves and stores all boils down to its memory. In most cases, stopwatches with larger memories are of better quality.
How To Use a Stopwatch
Stopwatch use might differ, depending on the situation. For instance, training scenarios could require using functions that provide swimming information down to the tiniest detail. This might be different from competition use, which mainly involves the more straightforward stopwatch functions.
Stopwatch Use for Training
Using a stopwatch during training involves more than just recording a swimmer’s progress; it’s also about finding out his or her lane discipline. The device should be used to provide information on proper repeat times and training sets as well as rest times between repeats and sets.
Especially during training, a stopwatch should be used to measure the following aspects that require more precise measurements:
- Start time
- Turns
- Stroke rates for the different swim styles
- Test sets
Stopwatch Use for Recording Multiple Swimmers
When multiple swimmers use a lane, two stopwatches are usually required for a more efficient and accurate time-recording process. Ideally, you will also want to bring along a pen and a piece of paper for jotting down various information.
Of course, that’s the easy part. The difficult task is when you have to record multiple swimmers in different lanes. Usually, the same items for recording are required, except you have to consider the following scenarios:
- Swimming different sets
- Swimming similar sets
- Swimming similar sets using the same time
- Swimming different sets using the same time
- Using the pace clock function
- Assistance is necessary
Stopwatch Use for Competition
When recording an individual swimming during a race, it isn’t just the race time you have to consider. While that will surely be at the forefront of your mind, that is more the timekeeper’s job than the coach’s.
Stopwatches are far more important for recording length or lap splits and stroke rates during competition.
Nevertheless, a coach might want to use their stopwatches to focus on swimming aspects that meet their unique training methods. They could want to get into the nitty-gritty of objectives that better align with their swimming goals. Still, start and turn times will usually be part of the general analysis sheet.
How Important Is a Stopwatch for Swimming?
If you’re looking to get serious with swimming, learning how to use a stopwatch is critical. It not only lets you record swim times accurately, but it also provides information on other aspects of swimming crucial to your improvement. Ideally, you want to pick a model that does more than just the basics so that you will know the objectives that influence your overall time and pacing.
