Nerves or anxiety before a big race are normal. Even the best athletes in the world get anxious at times! The problem isn’t anxiety itself but rather how we experience it, respond to it, and the impairment that can follow. Athletes who struggle with managing anxiety may have a hard time functioning or performing during […]
Most swimmers spend countless hours improving their stroke technique. They work on their catch, kick, turns, body position, and Underwater Dolphin Kicks. While all of those skills matter, the fastest swimmers don’t improve because of pool time alone. They also become better athletes outside the water. That’s where dryland training comes in. A well-designed dryland […]
Most coaches have seen it. A swimmer with real talent suddenly tightens up on the blocks, replaying a bad split on a loop, going quiet on the deck in the hour before a big heat. It is easy to file these swimmers under “can’t handle pressure” or “mentally soft.” But often, what is happening is […]
The first time a seven-year-old finishes a 25-yard freestyle and gets a medal draped over their neck, the time on the scoreboard barely registers. The medal is the part they carry to the car, show their grandparents, and sleep with that night. If you are helping run a youth swim meet, choosing swim medals is […]
If you’ve watched an Olympic swimming final recently, you’ve probably noticed something interesting. The best swimmers aren’t always winning because they’re taking better strokes. More often than not, they’re gaining ground before they even begin swimming. That’s the power of underwater kicking drills. When practiced consistently, these drills help swimmers develop a faster Underwater Dolphin […]
What if I told you that one of the fastest ways to improve your swimming has nothing to do with getting stronger? Most swimmers spend countless hours trying to pull harder, kick faster, and build more power in the water. While generating force is certainly important, many swimmers overlook the thing that slows them down […]
Most swimmers think the turn itself is what makes them fast off the wall. It’s not. The REAL speed comes from the Push-Off. In fact, the Push-Off is one of the fastest moments in an entire swimming race. Elite swimmers can travel significantly faster underwater than they can on the surface — but only if […]
For many swimmers, the turn is a moment of relief — a brief pause before the next lap begins. But if you have ever watched elite competitors in the water, you will notice something striking: they attack the wall. They accelerate into it. And they come off faster than most swimmers are swimming mid-pool. That […]
Most swimmers don’t lose Individual Medley races because they’re not fit enough — they lose them because they keep making the same technical and strategic mistakes. The IM is brutally honest. It doesn’t care how fast your Freestyle is or how polished your Butterfly looks in warm-up. It exposes everything: your weakest stroke, your transitions, […]
Some swimmers seem fine on the surface but are quietly struggling in ways that are easy to overlook. For example, a swimmer who seems low energy, withdrawn, or less motivated may be labeled as lazy, uncommitted, or difficult. In reality, they may be dealing with something much deeper. Even at the highest levels of the […]
You think your Backstroke Kick is solid. Then you grab a kickboard, lie on your back, and reality sets in fast. Most swimmers treat kickboard workout sessions like a rest set — easy yards to fill space while their mind drifts somewhere else. That mindset is exactly why so many swimmers plateau. Used with real […]
What if your Butterfly didn’t feel exhausting — but controlled and connected? Most swimmers are told Butterfly is about power. Kick harder. Pull stronger. Move faster. But here’s what I see on deck all the time: swimmers aren’t lacking strength — they’re lacking feel for the water. And if you don’t feel the water during […]
