The STR Advantage

Our unique combination of advanced technology for technique analysis and instruction produces indisputable evidence for incomparable progress.

Once a swimmer has mastered some of the more advanced competitive swimming skills, more detailed feedback is required, and using advanced technology becomes critical. Although this most often applies to teenagers, the mastery of basic skills can be achieved in as little as two years of competitive participation -- even by swimmers younger than 10 years old. At this point, it is no longer possible to accurately evaluate technique through observation, or even with the help of video. As technique refinements become more precise, a quantitative analysis is necessary to determine the effectiveness of any changes. 

Indisputable Evidence

Subtle adjustments in technique, such as a change in the angle of the hand path, require a quantitative analysis of hand force to precisely determine where force is lost or where time is wasted. Similarly, even small body position adjustments can have an overall significant impact and must be evaluated using the best overall quantitative assessment of swimming technique, the coefficient of active drag. For swimmers qualifying for championship meets (regardless of age), quantitative feedback is essential for continued progress. Aquanex+Video captures synchronized underwater video and hand force data for indisputable evidence to reinforce positive technique elements and identify factors that limit performance.

Swimmers already competing at the international level are sometimes reluctant to change their technique. (A reluctance shared by coaches who are concerned about any negative impact.) However, our analyses of countless international caliber swimmers shows that even world record holders can improve their technique to go faster. Aquanex+Video very clearly shows how a relatively minor adjustment in technique can make a fairly substantial increase in force and a resulting improvement in performance.

Undeniable Results

Over the last two decades, STR technology has been successfully used with many individuals, teams, and swimming associations from a number of countries. As you might expect, the benefits of our approach have been well documented, in part because each of the technologies used provides concrete data and measurable results. For example, after a single one-week STR clinic focused on technique, participants demonstrated a significant improvement in both technique (as measured by the active drag coefficient) and performance (as measured by swimming velocity). The magnitude of the improvement was similar to the difference previously found between faster and slower swimmers and indicated that repeated treatments could rapidly turn “slower” swimmers into “faster” ones. 

Our ongoing research has uncovered critical biomechanical factors that limit performance of even the world’s fastest swimmers. Wasted motion, force losses, and bilateral imbalances affect every swimmer’s ability to go faster. Aquanex+Video testing clearly identifies these limiting factors and makes it possible for coaches and swimmers to understand the changes necessary to go faster.

Unparalleled Expertise

STR is a US-based corporation dedicated to improving swimming performance through research and the application of that research to swimming. The company is located in Florida but works with competitive athletes at all levels on an international scale. Since incorporating in 1987, STR has established itself as the leading authority on the biomechanics of swimming.

STR founder and president, Dr. Rod Havriluk, is internationally recognized for his work on swimming technique and is a frequent national and international speaker. He is a reviewer for top scientific journals, such as the Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport and Perceptual and Motor Skills. He has worked with individuals, teams, companies and associations in the USA (including the US Olympic Training Center in Colorado and the USA Triathlon National Training Center in Florida). He has also provided services in other countries including Aruba, Bahrain, Brazil, Cayman Islands, Curacao, Ecuador, Lebanon, Puerto Rico, Trinidad, and Saudi Arabia. Dr. Havriluk has devoted his professional career to helping swimmers both improve performance and avoid (or recover from) injury.

Unequivocal Integration

Dr. Havriluk has analyzed thousands of swimmers. He has written and lectured extensively on how to identify the limiting factors in a swimmer’s technique. He can explain and demonstrate clearly how the swimmers can make technique changes using cues (specific information about the orientations of the body parts). He has successfully integrated skill learning strategies with biomechanical principles to expedite the learning process - resulting in the development of a software package (MONA).

Dr. Havriluk has presented his research at numerous international conferences and published in many sport science journals. He is one of the few swimming experts who has applied his research findings for coaches and published articles in swimming magazines. He has been invited to make presentations to coaching groups in the Caribbean, the Middle East, and North and South America. He regularly collaborates on research projects with other biomechanists and participates actively in dialogue with sport scientists in other areas on related topics - such as other members of the advisory board of the Counsilman Center for the Science of Swimming, including director Dr. Joel Stager (Indiana University), Dr. Jan Prins (University of Hawaii), and Dr. Ted Becker (Head Trainer of the 1984 US Olympic Swim Team).

Incomparable Progress

While favorable research results support the integrated approach to the implementation of our advanced technology for analysis and instruction, the performance of our individual clients is ultimately what is most important. In that respect, our track record is extremely impressive. We regularly get client feedback about performance improvements, often after the completion of a SpeedWeek, but sometimes after only one or two private sessions. We frequently hear that our information "makes sense." That's not really a surprise: it makes sense because it's all based on science.