Quick Dip: Why Does Technique Matter If I Can Already Swim Fast?

A short read for the car journey

Category: Technique  | Read time: Under 2 minutes

Swimming fast is important, but speed does not come only from trying harder. How you move through the water matters too.

Good technique helps you move forwards while keeping unnecessary resistance low. Resistance, also called drag, is the water resisting your movement. For example, lifting your head too far to breathe in front crawl can let your hips and legs drop, making it harder to move through the water.

Your coach works on technique to help you hold a strong body position and bring your arms, legs and breathing together at the right time.

Good technique can help you swim more efficiently. Efficient swimming means getting more from your movements without wasting effort. This becomes especially useful during longer races or towards the end of a hard set.

Technique also needs to work at different speeds. A movement may feel easy when you are swimming slowly but become harder to hold when you increase the pace or become tired.

Being fast now does not mean that your technique is finished. All swimmers have skills they can improve and those skills may change as they grow.

A technical change can feel unusual at first. Give yourself time to understand it and practise it correctly rather than deciding that it does not work after a few lengths.

Working on technique is not about slowing your progress. It helps build the skills that can support your future speed.

Ask your coach: What is one part of my technique that could help me swim more efficiently?

Created by Basingstoke Bluefins Coaching Team