Mastering Swimming Technique

Swimming is a drill. And the best way to swim effortlessly is to continually work on technique. Coaches have always used drills to teach swimming mechanics, and today a lot of swimming coaches focus on body positioning with gliding and neutral-balance drills.

These methods teach swimmers to elongate their bodies by balancing, stretching, gliding and rolling. Balance is fundamental and should be maintained throughout the stroke. As the swimmer moves through the water each side of the body should mirror the other side respectively to achieve swimming symmetry.

Fundamental techniques differentiate better swimmers from those who sink and struggle along lap after lap. Better swimming is not achieved only with drills. No stroke should be taken without the swimmer being kinesthetically in tune with technique. That is, a swimmer executing better technique should have a sense of body position, weight or movement of the muscles, tendons, and joints. Parenthetically, the same can be said for cycling and running as well.
To be sure, body balance is necessary for optimal swimming. Good swimmer's hips are high in the water thereby, reducing drag over the legs and gently slipping through the water. Surely, balance and other drills effectively teach kinesthetic awareness (movement sensitivity) but not hand, arm and shoulder mechanics and execution. Drills alone do not help triathletes who otherwise have flawed mechanics. And with improved core mechanics drills like balance training only then benefit the swimmer.

Swimmers should try to maintain constant momentum (continual churning and motion of the hands) by entering earlier, arcing forward and downwards and exiting the water at the hip. This is a better open-water stroke as well since resistance from a chaotic water environment necessitates constant propulsion. And according to research at USA swimming, "...positive hand forces stop before the hand reaches the hip...and propulsive forces are negligible throughout the stroke..." Such evidence validates an early catch and early exit along with equal body rotation (symmetry) and a straighter pull-through.

In reality, the longer the forward arm and hand are held out front along the surface of the water the less continuous forward motion is preserved. When the hand stops moving body momentum (forward movement) slowly glides and declines. The hand and arm should never at any time during the stroke stop moving.
I've learned through coaching, reading, & experience that balance and many drills are not the only solutions for improved swimming. Hand, arm, shoulder and timing mechanics should also be included. Balance and swimming related drills together with the techniques described here perhaps, are a better way to achieve more efficient swimming. And surely balance plays a part, an important one, but not the most important.

Swimming is a DRILL -- 14 points to remember
1. Entry earlier with the middle or ring fingers in a continually moving forward and downward arc
2. Catch the water by positioning the hand gently onto the water
3. Never stop moving the hand during the stroke
4. Keep the shoulder high in the water at the beginning of the pull
5. Pull straight through with a high elbow (above the hand or forearm vertically pointing downwards)
6. Exit the water at the hip (palms down and facing backwards)
7. Recovery: Accelerate and speed this up a little
8. Keep a "fixed forward shoulder-line" -- Don't extend forward at the entry -- Don't let the shoulder slope forward
9. Rotate symmetrically side to side about 45 degrees
10. Swim forward: Yes, obvious, but that's the idea "forward"
11. Avoid unnecessary movement throughout the stroke
12. Breathing: Move the hand during each breath and inhale at the beginning of the pull
13. Bi-lateral breathe (take a breath every third stroke) during warm up and warm down
14. Maintain proper head position. The same as standing with tall posture with the head and neck balanced

*Article adapted from Triathlete Magazine. Author of article: Marc Evans