How To Swim Without Getting Tired

Summary

This video offers practical tips to improve your freestyle swimming technique. The focus is on two key areas: reducing drag and increasing propulsion. The content covers proper body and head positioning, optimizing the catch and pull phase, efficient breathing techniques, effective freestyle kicking, and the importance of streamline positioning. Viewers are encouraged to focus on one or two areas of improvement per workout and to stay patient as they gradually improve. Additionally, the video introduces tools like swimming apps for personalized training, helping swimmers track progress and enhance performance.

Takeaways

• 😀 Focus on reducing drag and increasing propulsion to swim faster and more efficiently.
• 😀 Proper body and head positioning are crucial for minimizing drag. Keep your eyes down to maintain a neutral head position.
• 😀 Hand entry should be around 18 inches in front of the shoulder, entering the water with your middle and ring fingers first.
• 😀 Use your body's rotation to extend your stroke and increase distance per stroke.
• 😀 Maintain a high elbow during the pull phase to maximize efficiency and avoid shoulder strain.
• 😀 Keep a relaxed hand with a slight space between fingers during the pull to swim faster.
• 😀 For breathing, avoid lifting your head. Keep one eye in and one eye out of the water for better body position.
• 😀 Establish a consistent breathing pattern (e.g., every 2 or 3 strokes) to reduce fatigue and optimize oxygen supply.
• 😀 Your kick should come from your hips, with straight legs and pointed toes. Avoid excessive knee bending.
• 😀 Streamline position is key to reducing drag and achieving maximum speed through the water. Practice a tight body position with engaged core and legs.
• 😀 Consistent training and incremental improvements are essential for long-term swimming progress. Focus on one or two areas to improve each workout.

Q & A

Why is swimming about efficiency and not just getting from one end of the pool to the other?

Swimming is about efficiency because it helps reduce drag, allowing swimmers to move faster through the water with less effort. This enables them to swim longer distances without tiring as quickly.

How does water's density affect swimming performance?

Water is 800 times denser than air, meaning poor technique increases drag, making swimming more tiring and slower. Efficient technique minimizes drag and allows swimmers to move more effectively.

What are the two main factors that contribute to swimming faster?

The two main factors for swimming faster are decreasing drag and increasing propulsion. Decreasing drag helps minimize resistance, while increasing propulsion boosts the power behind each stroke and kick.

What is the correct body and head position for swimming efficiently?

To swim efficiently, keep your body high in the water with your hips close to the surface. Your head should be in a neutral position, with your eyes looking down, which helps maintain proper body alignment and reduces drag.

How should a swimmer enter the water with their hand during freestyle?

In freestyle, the hand should enter the water about 18 inches (half a meter) in front of the shoulder, with the middle and ring fingers entering first. This helps reduce drag and allows for smoother strokes.

What is the importance of maintaining a high elbow during the pull phase of freestyle?

Maintaining a high elbow during the pull phase, often referred to as early vertical form (EVF), turns the hand, wrist, and forearm into a larger paddle, which helps pull more water and generate more propulsion, increasing stroke efficiency.

What should swimmers focus on when breathing during freestyle?

Swimmers should avoid lifting their head too high when breathing. Instead, they should rotate just enough to keep one eye in the water and one eye above. This minimizes drag and keeps the body aligned. Exhaling through the nose helps maintain a steady rhythm.

How can swimmers improve their breathing technique?

Swimmers can improve breathing by practicing with a paddle on their head, forcing them to breathe properly without disrupting their form. Consistent breathing patterns, such as breathing every two, three, or four strokes, help maintain a steady oxygen supply and reduce fatigue.

What is the correct technique for a freestyle kick?

The freestyle kick should come from the hips, not the knees. Swimmers should aim for straight legs with pointed toes, and avoid excessive knee bending. A smaller, faster kick with a limited width (12 to 18 inches) is more efficient than a large, slow one.

Why is the streamline position important in swimming?

The streamline position minimizes drag by aligning the body in the most efficient way, with arms squeezed overhead and legs together. This reduces resistance and allows swimmers to move faster through the water, especially during push-offs and dolphin kicks.