Polish Training Video!!

A big THANKS to "anonymous" for sending me a DVD of the entire Polish Training Video and a copy of the Werner Gunther training video. Both of these classics have provided me with some ideas and a big shot of enthusiasm for general physical preparation of young athletes--and remind me how important it is for the elite athlete.

Talk about getting back to basics.

You don't always need fancy training equipment to be successful. You need a creative, thoughtful coach to plan, set goals and then lead you through the work to reach those goals.

BUT, on the subject of fancy equipment (well, a laptop and a digital video camera)--namely use of video feedback with the elite lifter--I was excited to see the Polish teams using the technology they had available to provide immediate visual feedback of bar trajectory, velocity and acceleration--back in the 70's! It is very easy now to get this data for our athletes with Dartfish. You don't have to have a V-scope ($10,000) or a PEAK system. Slowly, but surely, some of my weightlifting friends are using video to help them make the changes they need to make with their athletes. And hopefully I will get the opportunity to help USA Weightlifting really bring this technology to the athletes at the OTC and NMU, as well as spur the development of better coaching education materials (print, web, classroom) and resources for athletes and coaches at all levels.

Am I overly optimistic? Maybe. I'll continue to squeak and maybe the powers-that-be will finally get it.



Comments

Anonymous said…
The OTCs already have dartfish
10:29 AM
Tracy Fober said…
Various NGBs at the various US Olympic training centers have and use Dartfish. Other NGBs do not.

Some of the NGBs are using and invest in the best technology available. Others are still in the Dark Ages--for a number of reasons. Just because a sport is at an OTC doesn't mean that sport owns or knows how to use any technology effectively.

The COS OTC Sports Sciences Division (under the direction of Dr. Bill Sands) does have and use Dartfish. But that doesn't mean every coach and athlete at the COS OTC actually has access to or uses Dartfish.

USA Weightlifting, in Colorado Springs, does not own or use Dartfish in daily training or, as a rule, to review competition lifts. USAW does have a system in the gym that combines force plate and a tensionometer to measure variables, but it takes specialists to run it and it often times is not working. Cameras have been installed in the USAW gym, but I do not believe there is any use of them at this time, with or without any video analysis software.
10:59 AM
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