Swim to YOUR Strengths

Swim training is a collaborative process between a swimmer and his/her coach. The coach has certain training, experience and knowledge that can be used to maximize training programs for each swimmer. The coach, however, can not swim for the swimmer. A generalized approach to technique instruction is necessary for younger swimmers up to a point. Once this point is reached, however, it is up to the swimmer and coach to work together to identify which aspects of the individual swimmers technique is their strength and to build the stroke around that while correcting weaknesses in training.

There are some general ideas to keep in mind when analyzing strokes as a swimmer:

1. Streamlining is key (you want to create as little resistance as possible as you move through the water by staying as horizontal as possible; keeping your head, neck and spine in a straight line; and keeping a low profile while breathing so you don't interrupt the stroke)
2. Keep a firm anchor on the water with your hands/arms in order to maximize how far you move with each stroke (you want to constantly keep your hands and arms in a position that moves the body forward, not up or down or side to side. Swimmers use lots of different stroke variations but all good swimmers are effecient at maximizing the amount of distance they move through the water with each stroke)
3. Keep a steady, fast kick (a steady fast kick keeps the body horizontal and thus more streamlined and provides a steady base of propulsion to help get more distance with each stroke)

Outside of these general principles, make sure your basics are sound (starts and turns) and build your stroke around your strongest aspects.

As an example, if you are a muscular teen you may work on a deep pull with little s shaped movement to maximize your upper body musculature. If you are a petite female, you may want to really focus on a streamlined position using lots of sculling (the s shaped hand/arm movements to maximize the amount of water you move through with each stroke in a more efficient manner).

Freestyle

It is always possible to improve our freestyle technique. I believe this is important because the more comfortable we are with freestyle, the more comfortable we become with our other strokes as well. Today's tip for freestyle swimming:

Important key to freestyle: you spend most of your time on your edge or side, not on your belly! Imitate a sharp knife, on the edge of the blade, not a big soup spoon. Good freestyle, both swimming and drilling, requires you to rotate or roll your body along your "long-axis" or spine. You should also try to take breaths on alternate sides to help promote this good body roll. In these descriptions, if an arm is called the "front arm" it refers to the arm pointing to where you are headed. That side or edge of your body (shoulder to hip) is generally oriented towards the bottom of the pool, like the keel of a boat. The opposite edge (shoulder to hip) is aimed more "up" towards the ceiling (or the sky if you are lucky enough to swim outdoors) like a shark fin.