——-Press Release From POLAR ——————
The wait is over – swimming metrics is now available in the Pool swimming profile in Polar V800! You can add the pool swimming profile to your sports list in Flow.
Swimming metrics lets you analyze each swimming session and monitor your performance in the long run. When using the Pool swimming profile V800 measures your time, distance and speed, counts strokes per minute, gives you a SWOLF score and identifies your swimming style during your session. You’ll also get heart rate information and accurate calorie consumption if you wear a H7 heart rate sensor. Afterwards you can analyze each part of the session based on your swimming style and view duration of rest periods in Flow. Swimming metrics works at its best with adult swimmers whose technique is at a sufficient level.
With swimming metrics you can, for instance, find out your SWOLF score and see how you’re progressing. SWOLF is an indirect measure of swimming efficiency, and it’s derived from the terms swimming and golf. SWOLF data takes into account the time and the number of strokes it takes for you to swim a pool length. For instance, if it takes you 30 seconds and 10 strokes to swim the length of a pool it equals a SWOLF score of 40. Just as in Golf, the lower the score the better. Your SWOLF goal is highly individual, and you shouldn’t compare your SWOLF score to other people’s scores. It’s rather a personal tool that can help you improve and fine-tune your technique, and find an optimal efficiency for different styles.
Stroke rate can be used for analyzing and improving your swimming technique because it gives you valuable information about your rhythm and timing. A low stroke rate means that you’re turning your arms over slowly with a long time between strokes. A high stroke rate indicates that your stroke technique is a little inconsistent and needs lengthening. For example, 40 Strokes per minute (SPM) is a slow stroke rate and 80 SPM is a high stroke rate.
Pace and distance in the pool swimming profile is based on your pool length. Your V800 recognizes when you turn at the end of the pool and calculates your speed and distance based on the length of the pool. The algorithm used in V800 is optimized for standard pool lengths of 25 m and 50 m.
V800 also recognizes your swimming style, and calculates style specific metrics as well as totals for your whole session. Styles recognized by V800 are Freestyle, Backstroke, Breaststroke, Butterfly and Other. Rest periods are identified as Other. In the first stage swimming metrics is optimized for freestyle swimming, and improvements to other styles will be made in future releases. Different swimmers may have subtleties in their technique that can lead to V800 not recognizing their swimming style. If you have to dodge other swimmers or if your swimming is interrupted by something, the metrics from your session can be affected.
Swimming metrics for outdoor swimming is in development and is targeted for March 2015. Future releases will also include new supported functions such as swimming drills – stay tuned!
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