Swimming correctly is key to speed swimming. Swimming inefficiently can slow down swimmers’ progress and increase their risk of injury. This applies to swimmers of all ages, from beginners to masters and university athletes.
Good technique is an essential part of swimming. It is important to learn proper techniques early on, regardless of age. It’s not too late to learn proper form. Even bad habits can sometimes be changed.
Here are some tips to encourage good swimming techniques for everyone.
1. Learn the basics.
Each stroke has its own swimming coach singapore, so there won’t be one universal stroke that suits everyone. There are some elements that can be used to create a good technique for any stroke. These elements include:
- Good alignment of the body. Poor body position is a sign of poor technique.
- Catch. A strong catch can provide good propulsion and help maintain proper form for any stroke.
- Kicks As with the catch, swimmers can push themselves forward by using strong kicks. However, their lower bodies won’t sink too low in the water.
- Breaths To get the breath right, there should be no head movements or other unnecessary movements that could slow down their breathing or cause them to move out of alignment.
- Timing.
- Good strokes are achieved by timing the pulls, kicks, and breaths correctly.
For swimmers of all ages and abilities, drills are essential to improve and maintain good technique. You can incorporate drills into your workouts to improve specific strokes. You can pinpoint the problem area and use drills to improve it. You can use swimming equipment as a supplement to drill sets if necessary.
These changes can be applied to regular swimming slowly. Gradually increase speed and strength so that they don’t lose form once they begin to swim faster.
3. 3.Continually practice
It takes practice to perfect stroke techniques. It takes practice and repetition. While some swimmers may be able to learn faster than others and can adapt their strokes more quickly, it takes time before they become muscle memory and it is automatic every time they swim.
You can help them keep the skill they have learned, even after they are proficient in it.
Swimming drills that work
To make any swimming workout more effective, drills are a must-have. Implementing drills that improve swimmer performance is an important part of optimizing every practice. Not all drills are the same. Swimming may respond differently to a set of drills, so swimmers might see different results.
These questions will help you determine if your drills are effective in achieving the desired outcome for your swimmers.
1. Is it able to improve a particular component of swimming?
Drills are great because they allow swimmers to focus on one aspect of their stroke at a given time. They can practice certain movements without feeling tired or distracted by the repetitions.
Most swimmers need to practice and take time to master the movements you’re trying to improve with drills. If they are having trouble with the drill after repeating it several times, it is likely that it’s time for a new drill.
However, this doesn’t mean that the drill isn’t effective overall. Each swimmer learns differently and may need a different approach depending on how they swim.
2. 2. Are the improvements transferred into regular strokes?
Swimming drills only have real value if swimmers are able to carry their improvements into their regular strokes.
Different areas of swimming can be targeted by drills. While some drills are designed to improve specific metrics such as stroke rate, distance per stroke or push-off strength, others are focused on improving technique and skills.
It’s one thing to be able swimmers to perform well when they’re focusing on swimming. Is it possible to retain the lessons they have learned from drills if they bring everything back? Are they able to make the corrections? Has their swimming improved as you planned when the drills were implemented?
3. What happens when speed and efficiency are combined?
Your swimmers’ strokes have improved largely because of these drills. You start to notice the targeted improvements when they practice their new form in moderate sets. They now have to keep these improvements going even though they are swimming at speed.
Sometimes, swimmers will revert back to their old strokes when they try to swim faster. This doesn’t necessarily indicate that the drill is ineffective.
They may be able to swim faster if they have practiced the drill. However, if they are unable to do so when they add speed to their strokes, it is likely that they should either continue to practice the drill or use a modified version. The drill can be modified, augmented with equipment or made more difficult to aid swimmers’ progress.
Technique drills
Without drills and training sets, it is almost impossible to master stroke technique. Drills allow swimmers to concentrate on a specific movement and help them to ingrain it into muscle memory. You can find countless drills that are specific to your goals and have varying levels of difficulty depending on your swimmer’s abilities.
Here are some drills that can be used to improve your swimming technique.
Sculling
Sculling is an excellent drill to improve a swimmer’s sense of the water and maximize propulsion for any stroke. There are many variations depending on what area you’re working in. There are two types of sculling that are common:
Front scull- Perform face down, arms extended at the entrance position. Keep your elbows up and sweep the arms sideways in either an S or figure 8 motion. This will help you catch well.
Hip skull this can be done face down or on your back with arms at your side and hands by your hips. As the swimmer completes the stroke, this focuses on the thrust.
You should maintain good body posture in any variation of the drill.
Drill with single arm
Drills with one arm help develop good stroke technique and balance in the water. Focusing on just one arm at a given time allows swimmers to focus on improving their pull technique. They must also be able to balance and stroke using only one arm.
You could alternate sides after a certain number of strokes. You can alternate sides every 3-3, 3-2-1 or switch arms every lap.
Closed fist
Closed fist drills are great for developing a swimmer’s ability to pull from catch to finish. This drill removes the propulsion from the hands and forces the swimmer to use their elbows and forearms to pull. This increases their grip on the water and their efficiency so that they don’t slip through their pull.
Kick drills
For improving technique in every stroke, kick drills are essential. It strengthens the core and legs and improves body position and rotation. You can include kick sets such as vertical kicks, kicks in the back, kicks to side, kicks on the sides, kicks on the side kicks without aboard, and many more.
Drills are often used to improve technique. However, drills can also be used to improve specific areas of swimming. This post will explain why drills don’t improve technique.
Plan of Success in Practice
The swimming coach requires countless hours of writing and revising practice plans. Effective training plans are vital for swimmers in order to avoid injury, overcome plateaus and improve faster.
These are the basics of swimming practice plans that will ensure a successful season.
1. Every practice should have a clear objective, which must be based on a plan.
To build swimmers’ abilities and strengths throughout the season, training should be planned in advance. Plan ahead to ensure that swimmers get the right training and the right kind of training.
The structure of yearly and seasonal training plans is periodized so that swimmers can perform at their best in races. Periodization breaks down the training plan into mesocycles macrocycles and microcycles. Each training block will have its own focus, which eventually leads to swimmers performing at their best in the championship season.
This will make it more effective. Every practice should have a goal towards the goals of the training phase.
2. Each practice should have a warm-up – main set and cool-down.
Warm-ups are essential for any type of intense physical activity. It’s obvious that swimmers sometimes don’t show up on schedule or are pressed for time. It doesn’t matter what day it is, it’s worth taking a few minutes to warm up.
Warming up helps prevent injury and prepares muscles for high-intensity training. It also helps athletes feel more comfortable with their stroke so that they can maximize their main set. For example, warm-up drills can be added to help athletes prepare for the rest of their practice.
The practice’s main focus will be on the main set, which is also where the specific goals are. These targets could be achieved through the main set, regardless of whether it is speed, endurance, strength, or another goal.
The cooldown is finally here. The cooldown is often skipped by swimmers after the main set has been completed. It is important to cool down properly. This will bring their heart rate back up and help release any lactic acid buildup in the muscles. This will allow them to recover faster and prevent injury over the long term.
3. The practice should be varied throughout the year
Swimming is by nature repetitive. But, repetitive practices don’t have to be boring. Swimming can lose interest and become bored quickly if the swim set is too repetitive. Swimmers can improve their skills by incorporating the right type of workouts and enough variation between them.
This is why it is important to have a plan or a schedule for each season. Your team may have one or two major goals for the season. However, practices leading up to the championships should be focused on specific components and work on different training zones within the given timeframes. This means that you should vary the workouts from day to day, week after week, and month to month.
To achieve even better results, each athlete should have a workout that is tailored to their goals and abilities. Individual swimmers don’t need to do different workouts. Most times, minor set modifications suffice.
It’s important to pay attention to changes in training intensity and distance. Training is not always the same. As the season progresses, it’s important to make changes in the training load gradually so that athletes don’t push too hard or too fast. Swimming’s injury risk increases when the training load is changed too fast, which can have a negative impact on their ability to perform well and their overall health.
Maximizing Workouts
It is important to train. Swimmers spend hours in the water, often multiple times per week. It is difficult to find the time to do all of the work necessary to improve their swimming speed.
The thing that makes winning swim teams stand out is their ability to maximize efficiency in every practice. This ensures that every workout counts.
These 4 tips will help you get the most from your swim training sessions at every practice.
1. Plan for the long-term
It doesn’t matter if it’s an annual plan or a seasonal one, it’s best to plan your training before the season/year begins. Bring a workout that will bring you, your swimmers, and the team closer to your goals to every practice.
If you have a long-term plan for your training, it is easier to implement workouts that allow swimmers to build on their existing swimming abilities, rather than executing workouts that might cause injury or keep them from improving.
2. 2.Set training goals for your team and ask your swimmers to do the same.
Set micro-level training goals for each session. Keep your eyes on the details. You could set goals for your workouts, such as improving endurance, speed, technique, or helping swimmers achieve target times. It is important to set small daily goals that allow you to move towards longer-term goals.
Encourage swimmers to establish personal goals to be successful in their workouts. They will be more mindful of their swimming and learn to conquer difficult sets, and they will also be more accountable for their training.
3. Give constructive feedback
Swimming pros don’t always have the ability to see every detail of their swim. Although they can get a sense of their swim and make judgments based on their times – a coach’s feedback will be invaluable for improving their skills.
Give them guidance and explanations about the changes that they can make. Encourage open communication between you and your swimmers. Encourage your swimmers to ask questions and get more involved in training. They will be able to apply the insights gained to their future swimming sessions when they have a better understanding of how they perform.
4. Keep track of your progress
It is important to keep track of how your swimmers are doing. Are their times improving? You can look into their progress based on metrics such as DPS and stroke rate if you have more data.
Knowing how to adapt swim workouts to suit individual swimmers is a key part of getting the best out of them. To determine what works and what doesn’t for your swimmers, you will need to adjust your training plan.
Swim Practice Set Examples
Effective swim sets will ensure that every practice is geared towards achieving your swimmers’ goals. You’ll need to have a variety of sets depending on how many practices you have during a season. This will allow you to target different parts of the swim and keep your workouts from becoming monotonous.
These 4 swim sets can be added to your practice to help guide your team to a successful season.
1. Kick sets
Fast swimming requires good kicks. Kicks are essential for swimming fast. They not only improve propulsion but also help swimmers accelerate underwater off of walls or blocks.
Although powerful kicks provide speed from the beginning, swimmers often start to feel fatigued and the legs take over. Swimming pros should train their legs to be able to maintain strong, fast kicks over the entire race.
Kick sets are essential for swimmers in order to develop their kicking technique, power, and speed.
You can do these sets with or without fins or kickboards, and they could also be done vertically sprint, or distance. Important is to not neglect kicks and that swimmers do a lot of leg work.
2. Drill Sets
Drills can be a great addition to any swimmer’s training, from beginners to elite athletes. Drills can be used to improve technique or to develop metrics such as stroke rate or distance per stroke. Swimmers of all levels should practice drills if they want to swim faster.
Drill-based technique-focused workouts are common early in the season to help lay the foundation and create a strong foundation for strokes. This helps swimmers to be more efficient, stronger, and more resilient.
It’s a good idea for swimmers to practice drills during the middle of the season when they are at their peak performance and have perfected their technique. You can use drills as part of your warm-up to help you get a feel for your strokes before the main set. Or, they can be used for maintenance so that you don’t lose your technique throughout the season.
3. Sprint and long-distance sets
Each team has a number of distance swimmers and sprinters, who often do different workouts during practice.
Sprint sets are the focus of the training for the sprinters on the team. They run shorter distances at a higher intensity and train their fast-twitch muscle fibers so they can react faster. This will improve their speed and power straight off the blocks.
Distance swimmers must also put in the miles. They have to do longer sets with a lower intensity than sprinters to build endurance and maintain the pace for the whole distance.
Two of the most popular types of sets are suitable for both distance and sprint swimmers. However, there is variation between them depending on the specific goals of the practice: build sets and descending sets.
Descending sets require swimmers to finish each rep faster than their previous rep. It could also be an 8×200 descent 1 to 4, 5 – 8, for distance groups. In this case, they would swim each 200m faster up to the fourth rep and then start at a slower pace to descend to the eighth.
Swimmers are asked to improve their speed as they go. For example, in the sprinters’ 8×50, swimmers will begin slow and then speed up until they reach a faster finish in each 50. The distance swimmers would do the same thing with their 8×200. They would increase their speed as they completed each lap of 200.
4. Test sets
A key component of a successful training program is the test sets. These sets measure the swimmer’s progress over the course of the season and help determine if they are on track to achieve their goals.
There are many types of test sets, depending on the component of a swimming stroke you want to measure. It is important to identify a purpose for each test set and to use the results to improve your training.
You can use common types of tests throughout the season: anaerobic and lactate; technique, efficiency, strength, power, and technique.
A list of sets to keep you on the right track
Even though they may be focusing on one area at a time, swimmers need variety in their workouts. This list of swim practice sets will inspire you or help you implement them!
1. Sprint Sets
Josh Schneider’s favorite sprint this set was created by Mandy Commons, Cincinnati Bearcats swimming coach to improve the second half of a 100-race race.
Your Swim Book
6-8 rounds of:
- 2×50 all out @ 1 minute (1st 50 after a dive, 2nd 50 after push-off).
- Take 3 minutes. Between rounds, rest
- With 3 minutes, 3×50 total out of a dive. Between each 50, rest.
2. Distance sets
Broken SwimsThis is an endurance-based set with speed from Ironman coach Matt Dixon.This Ironman article.
Pre-set and warm up
- Every fourth lap, 10 minutes of non-freestyle
- 2×200 +2×175 +2×150 +2×125 +2×100 +2×100 +2×75 +2×50 +2×100 +2×100 +2×75 +2×50 +2×25, where even reps can be built
Main set
- 200 easy + 2×100 quick (intervals for fast sets should allow swimmers to rest for 3-5 seconds).
- 300 Easy + 3×100 Fast
- 400 Easy + 4×100 Fast
- 500 Easy + 5×100 Fast
3. IM Sets
The Kansas IM SetClark Campbell, University of Kansas coach, designed this set to aid swimmers in starting fast, maintaining speed in the middle, and getting to the finish. The original publication of this set:
Your Swim Book’s 33 Epic Swimming Exercises
4 rounds (1 stroke per turn)
- 4×25 @ 30 sec. 100 pace minus 1 Sec. With fins
- 15 secs rest + Remove fins
- 3×50 @ 1 minute, 200 pace
- 2×25 @ 25 Sec, 100 Pace
- 100 simple
4. Kick sets
High-Intensity Kick Set- This is a descending ladder set. Swim Set of the WeekThis is a product that helps swimmers maintain their speed through 100 and 200 races.
All good things
- 4×100 @ 1;50 (last 25 Fast) + 4×25 @ 45secs (all Out)
- 3×100 @ 1;50 (negative split), 4×25 @ 40sec, (all out).
- 2×100 @ 1;50 (last 75 fasts) + 4×25 @35sec (all out).
- 1×100 @ 1;50 (all Out) + 4×25 at 30sec (All Out)
Swimming sets for Lactate Production
Training in lactate production promotes sprint swimming. The anaerobic system produces intermediate energy sources for sprinting. The anaerobic process activates fast-twitch muscle fibers that are required for high intensity, explosive activities such as swim sprints and begins to reduce glycogen without oxygen. This not only provides immediate energy but also makes lactic acid.
The lactate production sets increase the rate at which anaerobic metabolism is increased, allowing the body to produce and release more energy rapidly. They increase the amount of CP in the muscle and ATP in the muscle. These energy sources provide sprinters with a quick boost of energy.
Lactate production sets are designed to make swimmers go faster. These sets improve swimmers’ ability to swim faster and harder, right from the beginning to the end of sprint distances.
Swimming sets for lactate production are typically shorter in distance at 25-50 yd/m. There are long rest intervals between each fast rep to allow enough time for lactic acid elimination.
Athletes can generally repeat sets as long they can maintain their times. They should stop performing the set if they feel fatigued or slow down. They may fall into acidosis which is a condition in which lactic acid is made at a faster rate than it is cleared.
This is counterproductive to the purpose and training in lactate production as acidosis slows down anaerobic metabolism. The training becomes lactate threshold if there is severe acidosis. While lactate threshold training can be essential for a seasonal plan, it trains a completely different energy system.
In his book Swimming Fastest, Ernest Maglischo gives great tips on how to build lactate production sets.
Here’s a summary:
- Set length: 300-600 yd/m. This can be done several times in one session
- Distance to rep: 25-50 yd/m
- Rest intervals: 1 – 3 minutes (25yd/m), and 3 – 5 mins (50%yd/m).
- Speed: Near maximum. Within 1 to 2 seconds of the best time (25yd/m), and within 2 to 3 seconds (50yd/m).
Training for Elite Swim Team
Swimming workouts are not always easy. Swimming workouts that are well designed can help swimmers improve their swimming skills, which will translate into improved performance. These swim team workouts were created by top coaches and are available to be used in your next practice.
1. 8. Lucky number
Matt Dixon, Ironman coach, created this endurance workout. This workout is for triathletes who are in their preseason. However, it can be used by any swimmer who is training for endurance. These sets combine speed and endurance to help build a strong foundation for the swimming season.
This is the workout:
- Get warm
- 10 minutes Easy
Preset:
- 16×50 descent every 4 (4×50 slow, 4×50 medium, 4×50 quick, 4×50 rapid, 4×50 speedy, 4×50 moderate,
- 4×50/fast, 4×50 slow) with 10 sec. Rest
Main set:
- 800 pull, moderate
- 8×100 decreasing intervals starting at 1-4 (@1;40, 135, 1:30. 1:30. 1:25, 1:40. 1:35. 1:30. 1:25, 1:40. 1:35.
- 1:30. 1:30. 1:30. 1:30. 1:30. 1:30. 1:25)
- 4×200 descend 1-4 (4th is the race pace).
- 8×50, odd reps quick @ 45 sec, even resps smooth @ 1 minute
- 16×25 @ 25 Sec (easy/build/fast/fast).
2. Coach Bob Bowman’s butterfly sets
Bob Bowman, Michael Phelps’ coach, created these 2 sets of butterfly sets. They are posted in this ebook about epic swimming workouts. These sets were created by Bob Bowman, Michael Phelp’s coach. They are meant to help him train for the 100 flies.
The first set is intended to improve speed and endurance while still maintaining technique in the second half of the 100.
30×50 @ 11:30, broken down into:
- 10 rounds of 3×50 (all-out swim, drill and kick)
- The second set will produce lactic acid. It will train swimmers to use it to help them adapt and perform better in the 100 meters.
Max 10×50
- 4×50 @ 1:20, @1:20, @12:30, @1 Minute, 50 Sec, 40 Sec, 30 Sec
This set will help you to get rid of lactic acid and train athletes how to better metabolize it.
- Freestyle 10×100, with a 20-second interval. Rest
These sets were designed for butterflies but can be modified for any stroke. Many swimmers find themselves struggling to maintain their speed after they have completed their 100m race. These sets are designed to improve swimmers’ ability to power through races from beginning to end.
3. Mesa Aquatic Club Kick Sets
Paul Smith from Mesa Aquatics Club posted these kick sets in Your Swim Book. For faster swimming, good kicks are essential. Mesa Aquatic Club regards kicks as the fifth stroke. They include at least one kick set in every practice. Here’s a MAC workout that is heavy on the kicks
Get warm
- 4×75 @10 second rest (25 drill. 25 swim. 25 kick no board w/snorkel.
- 8×50 @1 minute (odd reps build swimming, or reps fast underwater kicks up to 15m).
- 4 rounds of 4×25 @40 (4 rounds of 1-3 swim, 4 rounds 4 kick no fins).
Main set 1
- 4 rounds of 3×75 (375 kick @ 1:01, 75 non-free swimming @ 50 sec, Free swim)
- 30 seconds of rest
- 100 Kick for Time No Board
- 300 easy swim, or pull w/snorkel
Main set 2
- 4 rounds of 3×25 with fins and paddles @40, 30 sec, and 20 sec (3-5 dolphin kicks off walls).
- 30 seconds of rest
- 50 kick for time, fins and board optional
- 300 easy swim, or pull w/snorkel
- Kick with board, fins optional.
Swimming Swam
Swim Swam is a well-known swimming site. Swim Swam’s large selection of videos and articles makes it a great resource for anyone who wants to improve their swimming and keep up to date on all things swimming. Swim Swam’s website is useful for even seasoned coaches.
These are three ways Swim Swam can help you become a better coach.
1. Learn more about training articles
Swim Swam also publishes articles by guest contributors. You will find a variety of articles on swimming from different writers. This resource can be a great source of information for coaching and learning new techniques.
There are many articles that will help you improve your swimmers’ technique, speed, kicks, and race strategies. There are many drills, sets, and dryland exercises that you can use to improve your training. You can find so many more.
You’re sure to find an informative article on Swim Swam, whether you want to improve your practices, discover or learn more effective swimming techniques or support your athletes.
2. Stay up-to-date with the latest competition results
Swim Swam covers all major US meets, as well as international competitions. You will find a complete recap of the races as well as the results. Swim Swam occasionally posts articles that provide a deep analysis of races.
It is a great way for you to compare your performance with other competitors and get an idea of how the other teams are progressing throughout the season. Your own competitors’ results can be a benchmark. What is their performance compared to other athletes? What are the steps they can take to reach their goals? Swim Swam articles can provide some ideas.
3. Find out about the latest swimming technology available on the market
Swim Swam features the latest swimming technology that can help your team. To improve the quality of your training, you must be open to learning new technology and tools.
Technology can be used to enhance your training and give your swimmers an advantage. This will help you achieve better results and even win the season. There is so much swimming tech on the market, and not all technology is equal. Some add more value than others.
When choosing the technology you will use, it is important to research the best tools for your needs and the team. SwimSwam can be used to help you research the best technology for your team.