Practice Your Swimming Round Buoys

Swimming Round Buoys

Making swimming round buoys a smooth and efficient practice is an easy way to gain valuable seconds on your competition — alternatively, it’s an easy way to slow down your swim if done sloppily. Here are three turning methods used by the pros that are simple and can be utilised in your next race. Note that the term “inside arm” will apply to the arm closest to the buoy.

Single-Arm Surfing

The benefit is keeping an arm extended in front of your face to block the erratic kicking of other swimmers.

Step One: When you reach the buoy, lock your inside arm straight out in front of your head.

Step Two: Continue taking quick, short strokes with the opposite arm.

Step Three: Arc your body around the buoy, keeping your fingers pointing toward your destination.

Step Four: Maintain a strong kick to keep your body at the surface.

Step Five: Return to normal swimming when you have completely rounded the buoy.

Tuck Up Turn

The benefit is that swimming round buoys can be tighter and sharper, allowing you to kick away quickly. It also allows you to practice in pool

Step One: When you approach the buoy, lock your outside arm in front, so that your body is rotated, your chest facing the buoy.

Step Two: Tuck your knees up tight toward your chest, knees as close to the surface as possible.

Step Three: Push legs out in the opposite direction to where you want to go and kick hard.

Step Four: Return to normal swimming and accelerate away from the buoy.

Advanced Turn: The Corkscrew

A single corkscrew rotation will adjust your heading 90 degrees. Add a second rotation if there is a sharper turn on the course.

Step One: When your head passes the buoy, take a stroke with your inside arm.

Step Two: When your inside arm enters the water, roll inside shoulder down and go onto your back.

Step Three: Take one stroke of backstroke with your new inside arm.

Step Four: Roll toward the buoy onto your stomach and take a freestyle stroke with your inside arm.

Step Five: Resume swimming normally as you head toward the next buoy.

This should help your swimming round buoys go with less effort – and hopefully faster! If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to get in touch; either by email, facebook or leave a comment on here! Remember, you can always get your swimming reviewed in the endless pool with our video swim analysis packages.

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