Computers put you in lanes based on your speed in the heat. If you are faster, you go into the middle, if you are slower, you go to the edge.

Some people seem to like the edge because while they are the slower ones in the heat, the faster kids make them go faster and the kids on the side yelling encouragement helps.

I actually prefer the middle because people can still cheer at the edge of the lanes, and I'm surrounded by two really fast people on each side to which I will push myself extra hard to beat

What about you guys?

I actually like to be on either side of the middle lane. That way I can be pushed by the fastest guy, and still keep my eyes out for an outside smoker.

I tend to like the middle lane best. If I can see people on both sides of me then I can see if I am in the lead or need to kick it into high gear. Not that my high gear is much higher, because during competitions I am already swimming as hard as I can.

i love the middle lane;
to be able to see if people are about to pass you so you know when to step up your game and you're surrounded by all the cheeering.

(Oct 23, 2009 7:31pm)XsmileeX Wrote:  i love the middle lane;
to be able to see if people are about to pass you so you know when to step up your game and you're surrounded by all the cheeering.

While the middle lane is great, I can hear and pay more attention to the cheering in the outside lanes.

I like lane 6 (in an 8 lane pool). Although you obviously have to be worried about an outside smoker always, and when it happens it's awesome, realistically, 90% (or more!) of race winners come from lanes 3-6. That's why I like being in lane 6, because then in a single view you can see the entire main field of competition. As rare as an outside smoker is, an outside smoker that blows everyone away is even rarer, so if you know that you are ahead of the favorites, you know you're at least even with the outside smoker. And I prefer to look left rather than right, so that's why I like to have the field on my left side.

I too prefer to be in the middle lane.
I really like your spirit to swim fast after looking at the beside swimmers.
I too have the same thinking like you only.

i like lane 4 or 5 when swimming backstroke at the UT pool (8 lanes)
i can watch other people's wakes to see how far ahead or behind (if it happens) I am
i also don't mind lane 2

Quite a few (if not most) of my kids like lane 5 or 2 in order to get a bit more competition and push a bit more. Personally, I thin kit's a bit more psychological than anything else.

it is
a senior on my team makes me race next to her in practice at backstroke because i am a little faster than her so she says it makes her go faster