Understanding the pace clock

It is essential to use the pace clock if you want to progress in swimming. 
The pace clock will allow you to:

• Be autonomous at controlling the times yourself
• Control your effort, paces and intervals
• Gain experience compared to your goals

It is essential to use the pace clock if you want to progress in swimming. 

The pace clock will allow you to:

• Be autonomous at controlling the times yourself
• Control your effort, paces and intervals
• Gain experience compared to your goals

Controlling pace, i.e. the ability to swim at a certain speed for a certain distance or time, takes a longer time to master. It is a matter of swimming repeat distances on a fixed time to see if you can “make the interval“, i.e. hit the target time, consistently and repeatedly.

How to use the pace clock

The most common way to start a swim set is when the hand reaches 60 (“on the top”)

1^st:   Learn to time yourself

Knowing your speed is the first step. The easiest way to get your time is to leave on “the top”, when the hand gets to the 60 (or sometimes 00). After you’ve swum the distance that you want to time, glance back up at the clock. This will help you determine what your time is.

For example, if the hand was at 40 when you touched the wall, that means you swam the length in 40 seconds. 

It gets more complicated if you leave the wall at a different time.

For example, if you left the wall on the 10 and touched the wall on the 55, then you’ll have to do some simple math to figure out your time.

E.g. 55 – 10 = 45 This means you swam the length in 45 seconds.

2nd: Use the clock for your swimming sets and intervals

Another instance where you’d use a pace clock is if you’re using intervals in practice.

For example, 10 x 50 m/yd Freestyle on 1’00 means swimming each 50 m/yd starting every one minute. You start when the first 50 m/yd is on 60 (or 00) and when the following 50 m/yd are on 60 (or 00) again.

Here are some practical examples of using the clock:

Swimming 100 on 2’00: 

If you start the first length on 60 (or 00), then you start each subsequent 100 m. on 60 (or 00).

Swimming 100 on 2’05:

You start of the first 100 on 60, the second when the hand is on 05, the third 100 on 10, etc.

Swimming 100 on 1’55:

You start your first 100 on 60, the second 100 on 55, the next 100 on 50, etc.

Descending send-off intervals

This means that your send-off interval decreases during the set.

Example: 4 x 100 on 2’00 / 1’55 / 1’50 / 1’45

In this example, the first 100 is swum on a 2 minutes send-off interval, the second 100 on a 1 minute and 55 seconds (1’55) send-off interval, the third 100 on 1 and 50 seconds (1’50) send-off interval and the fourth 100 on 1 minute and 45 seconds (1’45) send-off interval.

See the details below:

1^st 100:  Start the first 100 when the hand is on 60 (or 00),

2^nd 100: Start the 2^nd 100 when the hand is on 60 (or 00) as the first 100 as on 2’00 send-off

3^rd 100:  Start the 3^rd 100 when the hand is on 55. Subtract 5 as the second 100 is on 1’55 (2’00 – 1’55 = 5”)

4^th 100:  Start the 4^th 100 when the hand is on 45. Subtract 10 as the third 100 is on 1’50 (2’00 – 1’50 = 10”)

If there was a fifth 100, you would then start it when the hand is on 30 (as on 1’45 send-off)

There are different ways to do this set:

Option 1:   Descending send-off intervals and descending times

In this option, you swim each 100 five seconds faster than the previous ones so you get the same amount of rest each time.

Example:

1^st 100 on 2’00 send-off interval at 1’50 pace  =  you get 10 seconds rest

2^nd 100 on 1’55 send-off interval at 1’45 pace  =  you still get 10 seconds rest

3^rd 100 on 1’50 send-off interval at 1’40 pace  =  you still get 10 seconds rest

4^th 100 on 1’45 send-off interval at 1’35 pace  =  you still get 10 seconds rest if you were continuing the set.

Option 2:   Descending send-off intervals with a fixed pace

From the above example, you swim each 100 with a fixed pace, e.g., 1’40 (1 minute and 40 seconds) and get progressively less rest throughout the set.

Example:

1^st 100 on 2’00 send-off interval at 1’40 pace  =  you get 20 seconds rest

2^nd 100 on 1’55 send-off interval at 1’40 pace  =  you get 15 seconds rest

3^rd 100 on 1’50 send-off interval at 1’40 pace  =  you get 10 seconds rest

4^th 100 on 1’45 send-off interval at 1’40 pace  =  you get 5 seconds rest if you were continuing the set.

Find out more about how to use the pace clock for your swim sets and send-off intervals: