ZOOM SWIM

With the amount of fitness information available presently, we tend to compare unknowingly, eventually losing track of knowing our capabilities and what we can achieve as a swimmer. While we may look upon faster athletes as our goal and work on improvements, it is not wise to use other swimmers as our performance benchmark given that everyone is unique.

How do we improve on techniques

There are different ways to correct a technique; one of the methods I use to break down the stroke is by working on drills, depending on the stroke and what needs to be corrected. By using progression drills, we can use part-whole-part approach to teach our body foundations, without complicating the steps while allowing a quicker adaptation.

Remember, small steps can eventually lead to big changes.

Diving into it 

Exploring 4 P’s by Loren Landow’s concept of speed — posture, position, placement and pattern. While Landow used this analogy for speed development in sprint running, applying the idea to swimming is not a bad idea.

Posture

Set ourselves up for efficiency; better alignment, better rhythm, better timing, better connection. Swimming posture is no different than land posture. By assessing our body posture both on land and in water, it gives us an idea of where to work on. Eventually, with correct posture alignment, we are not only able to swim faster, but also prevent ourselves from getting unnecessary injury and breath effectively. 

We can begin by incorporating mindfulness and paying attention to our postures while carrying out daily activities. 

Position

Relative to posture, an engaged and streamlined body position in the water aids us to swim using the minimum amount of energy while reaping maximum results.

Good swimming is all about mastering efficiency through the water. As simple as it may sound, part of our training is to find natural buoyancy in the water. You will be amazed how some swimmers have difficulty mastering their balance and floating at the same time.

Give it a try, start from a mushroom float, transit to a starfish position, and into a streamline alignment. We don’t swim to float, we float to swim.

Placement

We aim to apply force in the right position and direction at the right time. Take Freestyle catch/pull as an example, we position our elbow to some degree to anchor the water as we pull and rotate. By dropping our elbow, we not only loosen the grip from the water, but we also lose the connection from the core that makes the stroke ineffective.

Depending on the stroke and what you are trying to work on, it is important to evaluate, feel, have a “good eye” to observe and fix what is necessary. There are several factors that we can analyze to have a better understanding, such as the depth of the stroke, angle, and timing. 

Take into account that every one of us has a different range of motion in our joints; some have better mobility while others have limited access.

Pattern 

With the repetitive movement nature of swimming, having an ineffective movement pattern may cause energy leak and poor transfer of propulsive force. An accumulation of inefficient strokes is like swimming against the tides, and this may cause injury over time. 

Depending on the stroke, we can develop patterns by using progression drills. Try breaking down the movement/stroke to better understand the mechanics. Take a swimmer swimming freestyle without rotation as an example, not only is there a disconnection on the stroke, but he/she is putting stress on the shoulders which may eventually lead to a shoulder injury. While there are a lot of drills available that can help fix the stroke, keep in mind that recognising the root of the cause will help to know the best drills to use. 

Start with simpler drills before progressing to more complex movement. Deliberate practice, consistency and attention to details are some of the key elements.

The 4 P’s is a great concept to incorporate for developing or correcting a stroke at any level. Bear in mind that there is no one-size-fits-all technique which will work for everyone. It is an on-going process when correcting technique — assess, adjust, adapt, and repeat.