Competitive swimmers are always striving to beat their records and get faster. Finishing with a better time is more than simply pushing through the pain. Becoming a great swimmer takes precision mechanics and mental focus. This can only be achieved through practice and self-confidence. Shave a few seconds off your time by following some of our advice. Here are three tips to help you swim faster!
1. Improve Technique
Swimming faster is all about decreasing the amount of drag in the water. Follow a few of these tips to improve your technique and beat your best times!
- Streamline your stroke because water is denser than air
- Wear a new swim cap or shave body hair
So in summary, doing one of these things can help a little. However, both are great ways to reduce drag and improve your stroke. These tips should be accompanied by practice with a swim coach. A professional will be able to suggest areas to work on later. In time, this will make you a better swimmer. Use our bent arm freestyle video as a learning tool!
2. Mind your Balance
Your body should always be horizontal on the top of the water from head to heel. This minimizes drag and the amount of water in your path. Aligning your body the right way will help you become an amazing swimmer. Here are some tricks to ensure you do!
- Raise the hips closer to the surface to go faster and reduce drag
- Lean on the lungs to counteract your hips sinking into the water
- Use the lungs as an internal flotation device
- Push using your upper back to shift your weight and bring your hips closer to the surface
Your body should be balanced even in the water. By not shifting your weight to one side, you reduce the amount of drag. Keep the body moving to continuously glide across the water and avoid water pushing you back!
3. Improve Propulsion
Kicking only makes up 10% of propulsion and arm strokes make up the rest. When swimming, your entire body needs to work together. Knowing how to push yourself forward is an important part of swimming and is explained below!
- Keep your feet level with your torso
- Try to keep your feet underwater when flutter kicking to reduce drag
- Improving your swim stroke will improve your form and ability to move forward
- Build upper body strength through weight training to get faster
Swimming is a speed sport. By understanding how to push back against the force of the water, you can improve your times fairly quickly. It allows you to perform better in competitions. Additionally, you can build strength out of the water. Try some of our warmups!
Always remember to practice, practice, practice! Like with any skill, this is the only way to improve on what you know. Our 9 Freestyle Drills are a good way to train. They are designed to help you focus on a particular part of your stroke. Then you can apply this to your regular swimming stroke.
