Why learning Swimming is So Hard – Three ways to Improve Your Swimming Regardless of your skill
Triathletes come from a variety of backgrounds, and swimming is often the most challenging discipline for many. While some swimmers move through the water smoothly and efficiently, others seem to struggle yet were determined to improve.
For those who are new to swimming, it can be a tough discipline to master. Even for experienced swimmers, swimming efficiently—using as little energy as possible—is crucial, especially in triathlons where conserving energy for the bike and run is essential.
The Importance of Swimming Efficiency
Swimming fast doesn’t necessarily mean swimming well. The key to swimming efficiently lies in reducing the energy you expend in the water, which directly impacts how much energy you’ll have left for the rest of your race. It’s not about who was a high school swim champion or who has the fastest sprint time—it’s about who can maintain a strong, efficient stroke throughout the entire swim leg, leaving enough in the tank for the bike and run.
Understanding Drag and Its Impact
Why are human swimmers so inefficient? The answer lies in understanding the types of drag that affect your swimming. There are three main types:
- Form Drag: Caused by non-streamlined body parts like your shoulders, legs, and arms. When these parts are out of alignment, they create resistance that slows you down. The good news is that form drag is the easiest to correct by improving your body alignment in the water.
- Wave Drag: This occurs when movements or strokes create waves and splashes, reducing your efficiency. If you hear a lot of noise or see water splashing around you, that’s wave drag in action.
- Friction Drag: This relates to the surface over which the water flows. Wearing baggy swimsuits or not streamlining your body creates more friction, increasing drag. Opt for swimwear designed for minimal resistance to improve your efficiency.
Think of aquatic mammals like dolphins or seals—they glide through the water with minimal effort because their bodies are perfectly streamlined for aquatic environments. By contrast, humans lose significant energy to drag, making efficiency even more critical.
Tailoring Your Swimming Goals to Your Ability
To improve your swimming, it’s important to set goals that match your current skill level. Here’s a general guide:
- Fundamental Swimming Goals – Improve Efficiency: Focus on maximizing streamlining, minimizing fatigue, imprinting correct neuromuscular programming, and creating a stroke that is sustainable over longer distances and faster tempos.
- Intermediate Swimming Goals – Develop Gears: Work on stroke counting at various speeds, learn to adjust your speed by varying your recovery rate, and practice choosing and executing a specific stroke count.
- Advanced Swimming Goals – Add Fluency to Your Gears: Practice changing pace with fixed stroke counts, create speed by combining longer strokes with faster tempos, and use a tempo trainer to improve your form across a range of speeds.
When Does Speed Come Into Play?
Speed is a natural concern for many swimmers, but it’s important to understand that fitness follows the skills you are working on. For novice swimmers, focusing on time-based goals without a solid foundation of technique can reinforce bad habits. Instead, focus on balance, streamlining, and relaxation. As your efficiency improves, so will your speed.
For more advanced swimmers who have developed a smooth, efficient stroke, incorporating speed work with a focus on form can help build fitness and speed. However, even the most advanced swimmers benefit from continually refining their technique.
Ultimately, speed is the outcome of focusing on form, efficiency, and skill during training. By making these your priorities, you’ll find that your times improve naturally as your stroke becomes more effective.