Improving Swimming Speed


Building speed in swimming boils down to achieving optimal streamline and efficiency in the water. Whether you're a competitive swimmer aiming for the podium or a recreational swimmer looking to shave seconds off your time, here are six key strategies to help you swim faster:


 1. Building Your Kick


The kick is a crucial element of swimming that provides propulsion and maintains body position. To build a powerful and effective kick:


Practice Flutter Kicks: Use a kickboard and focus on fast, small kicks from the hips rather than the knees. This helps in developing the correct form and strength.

Incorporate Fins: Training with fins can increase ankle flexibility and build leg strength, making your kicks more powerful.

Kick drills: Include kick sets in your training routine, such as vertical kicking or sprint kick sets, to enhance both speed and endurance.


2. Creating a Better Pull


A strong pull maximizes your propulsion through the water. Improving your pull involves:


Technique Drills: Use drills like the catch-up drill or single-arm drill to focus on the pulling motion. Ensure you're catching the water early and maintaining a high elbow position.

Strength Training: Incorporate resistance training exercises, such as lat pulldowns, rows, and pull-ups, to build the upper body strength necessary for a powerful pull.

Paddles: Swim with paddles to increase resistance, helping you develop a stronger and more effective pull.


3. Become as Long as Possible



Streamlining your body reduces drag and helps you move more efficiently through the water. To achieve this:


Stretch Out: Focus on fully extending your arms and legs during each stroke. Think about reaching forward with each arm and pushing back with each leg kick.

Core Strength: Engage your core muscles to keep your body in a straight, streamlined position. Planks, leg raises, and stability ball exercises are excellent for building core strength.

Practice Streamline Position: Off the walls and during starts, maintain a tight streamline position by keeping your arms straight and squeezing your ears with your biceps.


4. Master Your Breathing


 

Efficient breathing ensures you maintain speed without disrupting your stroke. To master your breathing:


Bilateral Breathing: Practice breathing on both sides to balance your stroke and improve body position.

Timing: Focus on breathing during the rotation of your stroke without lifting your head too high. This reduces drag and keeps your momentum going.

Breath Control: Incorporate hypoxic training (swimming with fewer breaths) to build breath control and lung capacity.



5. Build Up Your Stroke Count


Increasing your stroke count per length can lead to a more efficient and faster swim. To build up your stroke count:


Count Strokes: During practice, count the number of strokes per length and aim to decrease this number by focusing on efficiency and distance per stroke.

Stroke Drills: Drills like fingertip drag, sculling, and fist drills help improve stroke mechanics and efficiency.

Pacing: Work on maintaining a consistent stroke count even as you increase your speed, ensuring you’re not sacrificing technique for speed.


6. Build Up Your Cardiovascular Endurance


Cardiovascular endurance is essential for maintaining speed over longer distances. To enhance your endurance:


Interval Training: Incorporate high-intensity interval training (HIIT) into your swim workouts. This involves alternating between short bursts of high-speed swimming and periods of rest or lower-intensity swimming.

Long-Distance Sets: Include longer swim sets in your routine to build endurance. For example, swimming continuous 800s or 1500s at a steady pace.

Cross-Training: Engage in other cardiovascular activities such as running, cycling, or rowing to improve overall cardiovascular fitness.


Improving your swimming speed is a multifaceted endeavor that requires focus on technique, strength, endurance, and efficiency. By building a powerful kick, creating a better pull, becoming as long as possible, mastering your breathing, increasing your stroke count, and enhancing your cardiovascular endurance, you can achieve faster swim times and greater overall performance. Remember, consistency is key—regular practice and dedication to these strategies will lead to significant improvements over time. Dive in, stay motivated, and watch your swimming speed soar!

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