When you watch an elite athlete at work—in triathlon, snow skiing or gymnastics—they all have one thing in common: their actions appear effortless and their motions are smooth and pretty. Every movement is choreographed, and no energy is wasted. Last month, in my...
How To Breathe Comfortably We’ve all been there: getting into our stride, enjoying our swim and feeling focused before – splutter, panic – it all goes pear-shaped. There’s nothing like a mouthful of water to put you off your stroke. Learning how to master your...
To swim faster or gain speed in the water is not rocket science. Your speed is the product of two simple factors that can be improved, either with better technique, less drag, and increased strength and endurance. Stroke Length Your stroke length is defined as the...
Front crawl is the stroke that all triathletes aim to master, but many Masters, swimmers, swim coaches and triathlon coaches support the idea of swimming the other main strokes too. Conversely many triathletes and triathlon coaches feel that you shouldn’t do...
Swim Smooth, Swim Consistent While there are many examples of great swimmers loping, or falling, into the water after a breath; for most of us normal swimmers, it’s a much better idea to maintain a direct and stable body position while swimming freestyle –...
Another popular drill for swimming good strong freestyle is Zip Up, also known as the fingertip drag drill. It’s an easy one to rush and blag your way through, but if you slow it down and take time (as with any drill!) it can be really beneficial and reinforce...
