Quick Dip: How Can One Small Change Improve My Swimming?

A short read for the car journey

Category: Technique | Read time: Under 2 minutes

Your coach might ask you to change something that seems small. Why spend time on how you take a breath when you want to swim faster?

In front crawl, lifting your head to breathe can let your hips and legs drop. This creates more resistance, making it harder to move through the water.

Turning your head to the side with your body’s rotation can help you breathe without lifting it so high. That can help your legs stay closer to the surface too.

A change to your breathing can improve more than your breathing.

You may not notice that you lift your head. Your coach can see things from poolside that are difficult to feel while swimming.

Once they have explained the change, try it during the lengths you have been given. If you are unsure what they mean, ask them to show you.

Work on that one detail. Trying to fix your hands, breathing and kick all at once can leave you unsure what to concentrate on.

A new movement may feel awkward at first. Tell your coach what feels different so they can check whether you are doing it correctly.

Keep practising beyond the first few strokes. Can you remember the correction on the last length too? When the set gets faster, practise using it at that speed.

Your time may not improve straight away. Learning to repeat the change throughout a swim takes practice.

Ask your coach: Can you watch a length and tell me whether I’m getting the change right?

Created by Basingstoke Bluefins Coaching Team