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The Bastion Swim: How to become a more efficient swimmer
How to become a more efficient swimmer
Swimming efficiently means that you minimize your resistance in the water (be streamlined) while maximizing your propulsion (develop an effective catch and pull phase). To develop your swimming you should identify those areas that need improvement and perform drills to correct and progress your stroke. A developing swimmer should swim, in my view, at least three times a week, if you want see your stroke improve. A competent swimmer that just wants to get around the Bastion swim course comfortably, could do this by swimming twice a week and following a good plan. Be aware though, that unless you are an excellent technical swimmer and aerobically well conditioned through other training, swimming just once a week really will not do.
Get some lessons. If you are a novice triathlete and a developing swimmer then getting some swim lessons as you start your training is a great idea. Start off on the right foot and don’t waste precious training time reinforcing bad technique. Best places to look for a swim teacher are local gyms and leisure centres or ask the advice of your local triathlon club.
Stroke analysis. To improve your swimming skill, there is nothing better than having your stroked videoed and assessed by a professional coach. As adults, we respond much better to seeing the areas that need improvement for ourselves rather than just being told. thetrilife.com offers Swim Stroke Clinics in our Endless Pool and will be offering a 10% discount for Bastion competitors. At least a third of each swim session should be fault correction drills or skill development drills. Drill, drill, drill – you get fit while you are drilling.
What drills to do?
Becoming a more efficient swimmer is all about becoming more balanced and streamlined in the water. Here are our top 3 swim drills for improving your body position:
Catch up (to develop balance – ‘no balance – no catch’ – athletes need to be aware of why they are doing the drill and be careful not to allow over-gliding to creep into their full stroke)
