Swimming Tips

Written by Charlotte Lee |

Recipe for Success

Adapted, with permission, from an article by Wayne Goldsmith
First published in 'Swimming' July 2003

Training may not make you taller, lengthen your arms or web your toes, but it can change you into an efficient, effective and energetic swimming machine. All you need is the secret formula. Here, exclusively for you, is the secret formula for turning yourself into a swimming machine:

Ingredients:

Great technique
Excellent skills
A positive attitude, especially in the tough times
A sensible balanced diet
A balanced approach to life with school, family, friends and swimming in the right mix
The determination to train hardand give it your best
The desire to be the best that you can be
The confidence to believe that anything is possible

Recipe:
Add all the ingredients and mix well together
Apply to your body and mind daily until you acheive your goals

Written by Charlotte Lee |

Arms

Adapted, with permission, from an article by Wayne Goldsmith
First published in 'Swimming' July 2003

While training won't make your arms longer, you can develop longer strokes by working on your flexibility and 'feel' of the water. Think 'reach long, pull strong'. Having longer arms doesn't always mean longer strokes - it is what you do with your arms that matters. For example:
A swimmer with an arm one metre long can apply pressure to the water for one metre if the swimmer has the ability to feel the water and pull on the water for the full metre. If the swimmer doesn't feel the water and hasn't learnt to pull the water throughout the stroke his long arms are no advantage. A swimmer with shorter arms but with superior feel and stroke technique can actually have longer strokes than the person with long arms! Think of this next time you are on the blocks next to some giant swimmer. Technique beats all!

Written by Charlotte Lee |

Legs

Adapted, with permission, from an article by Wayne Goldsmith
First published in 'Swimming' July 2003

Strong, powerful legs are at the core of fast swimming. Kick Sets, running, Bike riding and walking can all help to build leg strength and kicking power. A good tip in training for super legs is to always kick harder and faster in the last lap of all training efforts - drills, distance sets, sort sprints, kick sets - everything. By always kicking home fast your brain and your legs learn that this is the right way to swim well and when it comes to the las lap in your next race they will help you to kick your way to success.

Written by Charlotte Lee |

Hands

Adapted, with permission, from an article by Wayne Goldsmith
First published in 'Swimming' July 2003

Would you like to have hugh paddles instead of hands? Think of how fast you could move through the water!
Great swimmers actually do have big paddles. How? Some coaches believe that great swimmers learn to pull the water with their wrists and forearms. This has the effect of making their hands 'bigger' and more like paddles.
You can develop this bigger paddle by doing fist clenched drill swimming. Push off the wall with your fist tightly clenched. This removes most of your ability to feel the water with your hands and teaches your wrist and forearms to feel. Keep your fist cleched for 10 strokes then slowly open your hand, a fraction each stroke over the next 10 strokes, until it is fully opened. What did you notice? If you did the exercise properly, your forearms should be a lot warmer than usual.

Written by Charlotte Lee |

Endurance

Adapted, with permission, from an article by Wayne Goldsmith
First published in 'Swimming' July 2003

Heart
The best way to make your heart a ' super heart' is to do regular endurance training such as long slow swims, sets of 400s and 800s and to train long distances with rhythm and relaxation in practices. The fitter you get the stronger your heart gets and the more blood it can pump with each beat.

Blood
Endurance-type training also changes your blood. Your lungs breathe in air from the environment. Your blood then 'traps' the air on special molecules and transports the oxygen to your hard-working muscles. The fitter you are, the better your blood is at carrying the oxygen to your muscles. The more oxygen you can get to your muscles, the better you can swim! That's why we call endurance training aerobic (pronounced air-robic), because it helps your body to use the oxygen in the air more efficiently.