Simple tips to improve your swimming
Whether you are new to swimming or an every day trainer…technique plays a huge role in both your speed and enjoyment when in the pool…we have listed below a bunch of simple tips to improve your swimming.
Relax your arms outside of the water…
Often when trying to get faster or focus on swimming stroke…the outside becomes the key focus…but when you think about it, the “recovery” is done outside of the water (in the air). You want to think about this section as being important for hand placement….so we recommend a focus on relaxed arms, and rotate your shoulders / body for a high elbow and your hand should go into the water at a nice angle. Use your energy and power on the “pull” / underwater.
Pull your arm over a barrel and push to your hip…
Pulling your arm over a barrel might sound funny…but it is a great way to get your arm and elbow to stretch out and grab loads of water to push you forward…and once your hand goes over the barrel…push all of that water down to your hips before bringing your arm out of the water. The longer you push back…the greater return you are getting on your energy…
Don’t lift your head too far out of the water…
When going to breathe…it is easy to grasp for air with your whole face out of the water…this stops all momentum and dips your body down… When going to breathe, it is important to think about keeping your body nice and straight…So when you turn to take that oxygen, try and rotate your body (rather than lifting your head out), and only bring half to ¾ of your face out of the water. You will find the momentum creates a little bowel wave around your face…and a nice little air pocket.
So, there you go…just 3 simple things to think about and apply when in the pool which will 100% improve your swimming.
Even better, make sure to swim in a 50m Swimming pool like The Olympic to give yourself the distance to practice without turning over and over.
