My friend, photographer G. Steve Jordan, sends me periodic updates on his swimming. This one came in reply to my question about his stroke count.’
Though it feels to me like 10, the few times I’ve counted, it’s 18 to 19.

As you know, I don’t seem to have your capacity for patient attention to drills and detail. My goal each morning is to simply swim smoothly and relaxed while keeping in mind a few key concepts as I glide down the lane: extending my bodyline, patient catch, and, for me the biggest epiphany of all, the kick-hips-shoulder rotation that begins each stroke.

I’m embarrassed to say that I never really understood how all the pieces fit together until I saw the video of Shinji and realized that, like the swing of a golfer or ball player, the stroke starts from the feet and hips and goes up the torso.

One thing I still struggle to understand is how the recovery hand should "feel" and what the optimal hand/arm geometry of the recovery arm should be. I study Shinji and am amazed at how quickly his hand moves back to his hip. I find this confusing since I know the TI way is not to use that hand to push the water, but to rotate the body. Yet I don’t see how he moves his hand so quickly without pushing!

Other than that, I feel I am finally having extended stretches when the feeling is right and I understand why you warn folks that "TI swimming may be addictive!"

Steve
I think you’re swimming with exactly the right spirit and focus. I can suggest several forms of practice that will keep you improving continuously — by giving my various metrics of your improvement.
1) Use your imagination: Those impressions you get of Shinji’s stroke and the harmony and flow it embodies are valuable. Can you imagine how you might feel if your swimming looked like his? Strive to have your actual sensations progress toward those you imagine. And this clarification may help: While Shinji’s hand may appear to move quickly in the video, relative to a fixed point in the pool, it doesn’t move quickly at all. Watch the video closely, and notice: At the moment of weight shift, his body moves quite briskly past his hand.
2) Increase your distance. If your SPL is 18-19, how long can you maintain that without straining. Here’s a sample set to try: Swim 4 x 50 + 3 x 100 + 2 x 150 + 1 x 200, aiming to maintain a consistent SPL all the way.
3) Take fewer strokes. Use a Tempo Trainer for perhaps 1000 yds each week. I’ll suggest two ways to use it. First set the tempo so it feels slow – about 1.40 sec/stroke is about right. Match your hand entry to that tempo, and use the extra time it allows in each stroke to increase those sensations of fully extending your bodyline before each stroke, and starting each stroke with the slowest possible hand speed during the first part. I guarantee your SPL will decrease from the 18-19 range to possibly as low as 15, though this may take some time and patience.
4) Increase your speed. When you can consistently take about 15 SPL at a setting of 1.40, start incrementally increasing stroke frequency . . . 1.39, 1.38, etc. while striving to maintain the new lower SPL.
Have fun and let me know what you discover.