The Bottom Line
The only negative I can come up with is that it uses only one swimmer's technique as an example, and not all coaches would agree that the swimmer has the "best" freestyle technique; some would argue that it is, others would say that some other swimmer would be a better model.
Regardless, if your technique needs improving, swimming the way shown by Mr Smooth would be a great idea!
Pros
- Free, no cost application for PC or Mac
- See technique from a variety of angles
- See at a variety of speeds
Cons
- Mr Smooth's swimming technique is not the only good freestyle technique
- Must be downloaded and installed on your computer, not an on-line application - might be a plus!
- You must register to download, registration subscribes you to the Swim Smooth blog -might be a plus!
Description
- Stand-alone swimming application for PC, Mac, iPhone, or iPod
- Animated freestsyle swimmer helps visualize what good freestyle swimming looks like from several angles
- Easy to use controls to switch viewing angles and to change swimming stroke rate (swimmer's speed)
- Swimmer is large enough to see detail of swimming technique: hand entry/exit, head/body position, body rotation, and kick
Guide Review - Swim Smooth Tool to See Freestyle Swimming Technique - Mr Smooth
You register to start the download process, check your e-mail, then download. It's a simple process to install the application. A few clicks, a few minutes, and you are watching Mr Smooth swim freestyle. The "price" for the free version is registering for the Swim Smooth blog.
The tool allows you to see freestyle from head-on, side, top, behind, and from several other angles. You can speed up or slow down the swimmer based on stroke rate or strokes per minute. The animation is clear, easy to see, and you can "hide" the water, removing a potential distraction for some viewers.
Another feature of Mr Smooth is a set of "ten important things" about freestyle swimming, from breathing to head position to the catch to timing. This list explains some of the key elements of good freestyle technique. The application also has information on stroke rate and its uses, and also three presentations on freestyle; one for beginner, one for intermediate, and one for advanced swimmers.
The Mr Smooth Application comes in a Free and a Pro version. The Pro version is intended for coaches to use to show their swimmers, or for those that want additional features. Besides all the features of the Mr Smooth Free, the Pro version includes a forward/reverse jog wheel, has the ability to show the swimmer from multiple angles at the same time, and it allows frames to be exported.
The Mr Smooth Application from Swim Smooth is a winner - and its free. I suggest taking it out for a test swim on your computer.