Duck Glossary
Age groups
In Masters competitions we are divided into age groups that go in 5 year increments. You race in an event based on your age as of December 31st of the current year. The age groups go as follows: 18 – 24; 25 – 29; 30 – 34; 35 – 39; 40 – 44, and so on.

Backstroke (Back)
Also known as Back Crawl. One of the 4 competitive racing styles – basically any swimming on your back. Most commonly resembles freestyle on your back, rolling side to side with each stroke. Various rules apply when racing.

Bilateral Breathing
Breathing on both sides – so in Freestyle you would be breathing every third stroke.

Breaststroke (Breast)
One of the 4 competitive racing styles – basically swimming like a frog on your stomach. Various rules apply when racing, and coaches will have LOTS to say about the ‘timing’ of your stroke (how the kick relates to the pull, and the breathing, etc.)!

Butterfly (Fly)
One of the 4 competitive racing styles – is done on your stomach, both arms coming around out of the water at the same time, and the legs are doing a Dolphin kick.

Cap
Usually made of silicone or latex, this is the protective ‘hat’ that you wear while swimming. Note: the logo usually goes on the side of the head, with the seam running from front to back of the head. Some exceptions apply.

Circle pattern swimming
Within the lane, all of the swimmers all swim in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction.

Deck entries
Deck entries refers to the ability of the coach to enter you into an event on the day of the event. Usually you will have to be registered in advance of the meet/event.

Descending interval
An interval that gets shorter each time you repeat it. For example: if you start on an interval of 2:00 and you are to descend by 5 seconds each repeat, you do your second rep on 1:55, and the third on 1:50, etc. Also see "Interval".

Distance
Various distances are available to race in, in all 4 competitive strokes. They are all in 25 meter increments, when swum in a 25 meter pool, and all in 50 meter increments when swum in a 50 meter pool.

Diving blocks
These are the funny looking things at the end of the pool that you climb up onto in order to dive into the water from higher up.

Drafting
Drafting is a technique where swimmers align in a close group in order to reduce the overall effect of drag or fluid resistance. Drafting can significantly reduce the average energy expenditure required to maintain a certain speed.

Drill
A drill is an exercise that isolates a certain part of the stroke and requires you to focus on or emphasize specific parts of the stroke.

Dryland
Dryland refers simply to training and stretching done on dry land.

Event
Refers to a specific race comprised of a pre determined stroke of a specific length. For example an event at a race may be the 200m Freestyle, where each swimmer racing in that event is required to swim 200 meters of Freestyle.

“Feel” for the water
When a coach says this they are wanting you to feel the pressure of the water on the palm of your hand, and focus on what it – you got it – feels like.

FINA
Fédération Internationale de Natation. This is the international sport governing body for all water events (Swimming, Diving, Water Polo, Synchro, etc.)

Fins
Refers to the use of special swimming flippers during a practice set.

Flags
The flags are used during Backstroke to visually aid the swimmer in knowing how close to the wall they are (or aren’t).

Freestyle (Free)
Also known as Front Crawl or Over Arm. One of the 4 competitive racing styles – basically swimming on your stomach with your arms rotating forwards with an out-of-water recovery and under-water pull. Flutter kick is used during this stroke. Various rules apply when racing.

Goggles
Eye protection worn during swimming that prevent water from going in your eyes and make it easier for you to see.

Heat
No, this does not refer to the temperature or heat (or lack thereof!) of the pool water. In any race there may be more than one wave of people racing due to a large number of entrants in that event. The heat refers to the wave that you are in.

Hypoxic
Hypoxic breathing sets are done in swimming practices: you are asked to take less breaths/air in than you normally would. This creates a distinct lack of oxygen and forces your body to work harder to exchange the Carbon Dioxide through your blood. It feels about as good as it sounds.

IM
Individual Medley. This refers to an event or set where all four competitive strokes are swum in a specific order. Usually this order is: Butterfly, Backstroke, Breaststroke, Freestyle. However, in a relay, the order is slightly different: Backstroke, Breaststroke, Butterfly, Freestyle.

Interval
An interval is the duration between two points in time – more specifically, the two points in time when you are to begin swimming, repeated a specific number of times. For example, if you are to swim 3 x 100 meters on an interval of 2 minutes, you would begin the second 200 meters exactly 2 minutes after you started the first 100 meter swim, and the third 100 exactly 2 minutes after you started the second 100 meter swim.

Kickboard
Floatation device used in kicking (lay on stomach, stretch arms out in front on top of the kickboard - it will hold you up). In this instance, size doesn't matter: some prefer big, others prefer small...they basically all provide the same function.

Kicking
The leg movements of a swimmer. Flutter kick is used in Freestyle and Backstroke; Whip kick is used in Breaststroke; and Dolphin kick is used in the Butterfly stroke.

Lap
The distance of one complete cycle: from starting point (down the pool and back) to starting point (so 2 lengths). This is a term that is not commonly used, and if it is, it's not cool. Don't use it.

Lap counter
A friend or fellow duck who will be so kind as to count your lengths during a race and let you know when you are almost done!

LCM
Long Course Meters refers to a 50 meter pool.

Length
This is definitely the way to let people know that you know what you're talking about...A length refers to the distance from one end of the pool to the other. In our pools, this is usually 25 meters.

MSC
Masters Swimming Canada is the national sport governing body in Canada.

MSO
Masters Swimming Ontario is the provincial sport governing body in Ontario.

Negative Split
Refers to swimming the second half of a distance faster than the first half. For example, if you are swimming 200 meters, you would try to swim the second 100 meters faster than the first 100 meters of the whole distance.

Officials
The certified, adult or youth volunteers who run a swim competition.

Pace clock
The clocks with highly visible numbers and second hands that are either at the ends of the pool or on the walls where the swimmers can read their times during swim practices. Our pace clocks have four different coloured arms – yup count 'em, four– for your colour pleasure. Pick one and stick with it for ease of use.

Paddles
Paddles are plastic devices that are worn on the swimmer's hands, and are used to strengthen the arms or focus on a specific part of the stroke.

Practice (or WORKOUT) vs. lesson
You, as a Master Duck, are attending Practices or Workouts – NOT lessons. Swimming lessons are for people who do not know how to swim. You are a swimmer, who may need improvement in various areas, but a swimmer none the less.

Psyche sheets
These are the sheets that detail which events each swimmer participating at a competition is registered in.

Pull
Refers to the movement of the swimmers arms during swimming. Varies depending on which stroke you are doing.

Pullbuoy(s)
A buoyant device used between the legs to keep the legs afloat while the swimmer focuses on the pull of the stroke. When swimming with pullbouys, kicking is not encouraged.

Relays
A swimming event in which 4 swimmers participate as a relay team - each swimmer swimming an equal distance of the race. There are two types of relays: 1.) Medley relay - One swimmer swims Backstroke, one swimmer swims Breaststroke, one swimmer swims Butterfly, one swimmer swims Freestyle, in that order. Medley relays are conducted over 200 meter and 400 meter distances. 2.) Freestyle relay - Each swimmer swims freestyle. Freestyle relays are conducted over 200 meter, 400 meter, and 800 meter distances.

Rep
The distance to be repeated within a set. For example, if the set is "10 x 100m", that translates into 10 repititions of 100 metres.

Rest
The amount of breathing time you have before you have to start swimming again!

Ropes
The long plastic dividers that separate the lanes in the pool.

SCM
Short Course Meters refers to a 25 meter pool.

Seeding
At a competition, swimmers are assigned heats and lanes according to their submitted or preliminary times. This process is what is refered to as seeding.

Set
The specific portion of workout that you are asked to do. A set may be made up of various types of swimming, kicking, pulling, drilling etc…

Split
The timed portion of an event, shorter than the total distance. For example, a swimmer’s first 50 meters time may be taken as the swimmer swims the 100 race.

Streamlining
The position of the swimmer coming off the wall – where you are as long and tight as you can be: arms stretched up above your head squeezing tight, long and tight core, and legs stretched out behind you. This position allows for the least amount of resistance when pushing off of the wall.

Stroke
There are 4 competitive strokes: Butterfly, Backstroke, Breaststroke, and Freestyle.

Suit
Bathing suit: the attire worn to swim in, usually made from nylon, polyester or lycra.

Taper
The rest phases in training for a swimmer in preparation for a Championship meet.

Timer
The person at the end of the pool who keeps track of (actually times) how long it takes you to swim your race. Timers have a stop-watch and some training or practice behind them.

Touch pad
The removable plate on the end of pools that is connected to an automatic timing system. A swimmer must properly touch the touchpad to register an official time in a race.

Tubing
Surgical tubing is often used as a training aid – usually with swimmers training at a high level of competition. May be used on land training or in the water. Do not attempt to use this without specific direction from your coach!

Warm Down/Cool Down
The part of the practice where you swim lazily (but not sloppily!) back and forth in an attempt to get your heart beating at a reasonable pace again – comes after a practice/workout.

Warm Up
This is the very first part of the practice, when you dive in and literally ‘warm up’ your muscles, lungs, heart, etc. by swimming a prescribed distance in a prescribed manner.