Coaches are always talking about motivation and some make lots of money doing motivation talks, motivation lectures, giving motivational speeches, writing motivational books, selling motivational videos, running motivational courses and generally being motivational!

Here’s the funny thing: motivation - there’s no such thing.

No one can motivate anyone to do anything.

Motivation must come from within: from the inside.

What is all this motivation stuff about? In one word – commitment. Everyone has a dream. To be happier. To be thinner. To be a better parent. To be a great leader. To be healthy. To win an Olympic Gold Medal.

What most of us lack is the commitment to make our dreams become reality. The dream is the key….And the dream is the motivation: it is our desire- our fire.

People enlist the services of a motivator to inspire them with new ideas and to give them some direction in life, their careers or their sport.

And many motivational speakers are great at presenting, telling stories of people who succeeded against the odds, people “just like you” who believed anything was possible and became successful, wealthy, a world record holder etc etc etc.

So typically, you walk away from a motivation speech or motivation workshop feeling great………..for about two days.

That’s because – you never needed to go to a motivation lecture or workshop in the first place!

Your dreams are your motivation- and you have plenty of them inside you. YOU know what YOU WANT – you know yourself better than anyone.

The only motivator you need to be listening to is yourself!

A coach’s role is to provide the guidance, the systems, the structures, the technical know how, the knowledge, the skills and the support to help clients, athletes and others to find the discipline and commitment to turn dreams into reality.

Trying to motivate someone else is like teaching a pig to sing: it will frustrate you and annoy the pig.

So, an important lesson to all coaches – do not motivate.

Encourgage people to dream then coach commitment.

Wayne Goldsmith

1. BK – SK – FK – SK (Kick Drill)

The trick to great fly kick is to learn to kick with strong, flowing, even power and rhythm in both directions.

Try this drill:
Push off in with your arms by your side. Kick six kicks on your back, rotate to your left side and kick six kicks on your side, then rotate over to your tummy and kick six kicks on your front and rotate over again to your right side for another six kicks.

The aim is to keep a strong, even, flowing kicking movement throughout the drill particularly the first and last kicks after and before you rotate to a new position.

2. Power On, Power Off Drill

Without doubt the single most important concept in FLY. When your arms are under the water it’s Power – feel, catch then pull with power and acceleration. But..as soon as your arms leave the water it’s POWER OFF – long, loping, relaxed, easy arms in recovery.

To practice, put on your fins. Push off in streamline. Do slow motion one arm fly with the resting arm by your side. As you complete the one arm fly say to yourself:

• Power On (on hand entry)

• Power Off (as your hand – little finger first) exits the water.

Get a flowing rhythm going: Power On – Power Off, Power On – Power Off, Power On – Power Off , Power On – Power Off ….you will be amazed how well this works!

3. O’Neil Strength Drill

Lots of variations of this drill but I like Susie O’Neil’s version best.

• 5 x 50 Fly on 1:30 as (25 kick on your back / 25 sprint) – short course pool.
• 1st 50. 25 Fly kick on your back carrying your water bottle with both hands and straight arms. The bottle should be pointed straight up to the sky and your arms at right angles to the water. Leave your bottle at the end of the pool and sprint 25 fly.
• 2nd 50. Same as the first 50 but this time carrying your pull buoy straight overhead – arms at right angles to the water surface.
• 3rd 50. Same as above but this time carrying your fins.
• 4th 50. Same as above but carrying your kickboard overhead – arms at right angles to the water surface.
• 5th 50. Dive sprint 25 fly. At the end where all your swim gear now is, load up your kick board with your water bottle, pull buoy and fins (lay them on top of the board as if it was a table), hold the fully loaded kickboard straight above your head – arms at right angles to the water surface and kick 25 fly on your back.

Do it again if you liked it!

This is a really fun drill and yet it actually helps build strength and kicking ability.

4. Best of All Fly Kick Drill

Dolphin kick with arms folded over your head!

5. Countbacks

Great fly swimming is about combining maximum distance per stroke (long strokes) and speed (fast strokes).

This drill is called countback.

3x (8 x 25 on 1:00). Easy 100 backstroke every 8.

1. Aim to swim 25 fly in 10-12 strokes. Hold 200 metre pace.
2. Do it again and aim to do it in one stroke less – hint: you can go up to 15 metres underwater!! Same pace.
3. Do it again and aim for one less stroke. Same pace.
4. Do it again and aim for one less stroke. Same pace.
5. Now hold the number of strokes you achieved in the 4th repeat and pick the pace up to 100 pace.
6. Repeat.
7. Repeat.
8. Now increase your speed to 50 metre pace but maintain the same stroke count.

The aim over time is to do the same drill but over long distances and with shorter rests, e.g. possible progression might be:

• 3 x (8 x 25 fly countback drill on 45)
• 3 x (8 x 25 fly countback drill on 40)
• 3 x (8 x 25 countback drill on 35)
• 3 x (8x 25 countback drill on 30)
• 2 x (8 x 50 countback drill on 1:30)
• 2 x (8 x 50 countback drill on 1:20)

To make it more challenging, as you improve try to breath every two or even three strokes.

6. Drill, Kick, Swim Combinations

The great swimming coach Einstein said training set designs are only limited by your imagination. Try these fly – kick – swim – drill – speed sets.

• 4 x (4 x 50) fly on 60 Each set of four as 1-2. Drill 25/Swim 25, 3. stroke count. 4. explode first 25 metres.
• 8 x 50 fly drill on 60 (25 fast and with power / 25 easy but long strokes).
• 5 x (2 x 50 fly on 60 as drill 30 / explode final 20 metres with no breathing last three strokes to the wall). Easy 100 free between each 2 x 50.
• 4 x (3 x 50 fly on 60 as 1. Drill 50, 2.Swim (stroke count), 3. 25 Moderate / 25 m Fast)

7. Long Flowing Fin Fly

One of the best ways to develop rhythm in fly is to do long reps with fins. Start with 100 metres. Then add 100 metres per week. Aim to be able to swim 800 – 1000 metres fly with fins easily and with flow and rhythm.

Swim only fast enough to maintain momentum and flow. Breathe every two or three if possible concentrating on a relaxed, neutral head position and the “power on / power off” mantra. Try to hit a consistent stroke count and even pace throughout the swim.

Wayne Goldsmith

Introduction

Competitive swimming is all about swimming fast, and speed, in conjunction with technique, forms the most precious element of a swimmer’s make-up. Coaches are, after all, dedicated to one task: preparing swimmers to swim their event as fast as possible.

While some swimmers possess a greater degree of natural speed than others, it is clear that a well planned training program should improve swimming speed and competitive performance of all swimmers.

This article examines three approaches to the development of speed in all swimmers and outlines their coaching and scientific rationale. We then introduce the concept of total condition training, which has the aim of maximising both speed and endurance. Several features of this model are discussed in detail and relevant suggestions on developing speed in swimmers are presented.

What is Swimming Speed?

In practice, the operational definition of speed varies from sport to sport and within in a sport, such as swimming, from event to event. In a generic sense, we can think of speed as the ability to swim a given distance in the shortest possible time.

Speed can be further divided into four components: as reaction time, acceleration, maximum speed and speed-endurance.

Reaction time in swimming is defined as the start time, which is time off the block from a full racing start to the 5m mark.

Acceleration is the ability to reach maximal speed in the shortest possible time – this is obviously a key factor in the 50m and 100m events.

Maximum speed is the peak swimming speed that a swimmer can reach (and often only sustain for a few meters).

Speed-endurance, or race-pace, is the speed that swimmers can hold over the required race distance. This speed is slower than maximal speed, but the differential between speed-endurance and maximal speed is smaller for the better swimmers.

Apart from the 50m event, it is possible that the swimmer with the highest maximum speed may not necessarily be the winner. Start times, turn times and finish times are often decisive factors and inspection of competitive evaluation reports from national and international meets will bear this out.

The skill and technical aspects of swimming are obviously critical and have been addressed in many articles in Australian Swim Coach (see articles by Bernie Wakefield, Ken Wood and Gennardi Tourestski).

This article will focus on the training considerations for the development of physiological capacities that underpin the various aspects of swimming speed.

Fitness and Technical Requirements of Swimming Events

In order to develop a good speed training program for individual swimmers, it is necessary to examine the fitness and technical requirements of the different events.

For the 50m event, it is obvious that reaction time, acceleration and maximum speed are all critical factors.

For the 100-200m events, all the different aspects of speed (reaction time, acceleration, maximum speed and speed endurance) are important.

For the middle-distance and distance events, reaction time, acceleration and maximum speed are less important, but a highly developed level of speed endurance is critical.

Once these factors are sorted out, the planning of speed training can begin. Initially, the aim is to plan a general training program that addresses the overall needs of the team or group. However, it is necessary to evaluate each swimmer individually to determine the strengths and weakness for each of the different components of speed.

In essence, there are three common approaches used for the development of speed in swimmers:

1. High-Volume and High-Intensity Training;
2. Specific Energy System Training;
   and
3. Total Condition Training.

1. High Volume and High Intensity Training (Broken Egg Coaching)

We refer to this approach as “broken egg coaching”, because it is much like throwing a dozen eggs against the wall, and seeing which one doesn’t break. The high-volume high-intensity approach has the following features:

• Give all swimmers as much volume and intensity training as they can handle (or can’t handle).
• Three weeks out from the meet reduce the volume and do a few sprints.
• Rest one week out by drastically reducing the volume and pray that the speed will come when the swimmers are rested.

This approach, sometimes seen in swim programs with a big feeder system, works on giving swimmers a great deal of non-specific work. If a coach adopts this approach, then they can be confident that the average fitness of their squad will be higher than the average fitness of most other squads, making them very competitive at most levels. Many coaches have been relatively successful using this coaching method.

It is generally accepted that a well-developed aerobic base is necessary for success in swimming at the highest level. Long term success is also dependent on developing a broad range of physiological, psychological and technical skills.

The high-volume and high intensity approach can often produce great age group results and is particularly effective when working with large teams. Coaches who have achieved success using this technique are understandably reluctant to change a tried and proven method.

In the long-term however, neglecting overall development in the effort to maximise training volume and intensity in the hope of short-term goals, is in our opinion, more likely to limit success at older age group and elite levels. Remember, “many meaningless miles means mass mediocrity”!

Pros

• Swimmers get very fit and are competitive at most levels of competition.
• Swimmers develop a large aerobic base.
• Easy to control large group of swimmers.

Cons

• Potentially an increased risk of illness and/or injury.
• Does not permit training to be tailored to individual needs.
• Swimmers may become overtrained and burned out.
• Performance can be limited at the top level owing to neglect of the full development of all energy systems and swimming abilities.

2. Specific Energy System Training

It is often heard that sprint swimmers do too much volume training, and many commentators cite the principle of specificity to justify their argument. The dynamics of the different energy systems and the principle of specificity suggest, at face value, that sprint swimmers should do less work than currently advocated by most coaches.

In some circles, it was and is fashionable to look for low-volume and high-intensity sprint training programs.

The model of specific energy system training is based on the following rationale:

First, most swimming events last around 2 minutes or less and consequently highly anaerobic in nature; and second, basic physiology and the principles of specificity suggest that swimmers need to perform training at race-specific speed in order to develop the appropriate energy system(s) required for that particular event.

On this basis, it is argued that sprint swimmers should do far less training at submaximal level and concentrate on the development of the alactic (ATP-PC) and lactic (anaerobic glycolysis) energy systems through sprint training.

Among other things, this system-specific approach overlooks the interactive effects of training all the energy system pathways concurrently. It is a fundamental principle of physiology that all energy systems contribute to the energy requirements of physical activity: the contribution of each of the three systems is dependent upon the intensity and duration of exercise.

It is an oversimplification to assume that short-explosive events are totally alactic or that middle and long-distance events are totally aerobic. Every swimming race requires a combination of all the energy systems.

The periodised nature of modern swimming training programs permits endurance, strength, speed, power and technical skills to be developed concurrently. Inspection of most coaches’ training programs would show that all these attributes are addressed to some extent during each week of training.

Pros

• Is consistent with the principle of specificity of training.
• Develops great speed over short distances.
• Has proved to be popular with swimmers.

Cons

• Limited aerobic development in spring swimmers may have negative consequences in lactate breakdown and removal.
• Increased risk of injury and swimmer ‘burnout’.
• May limit swimmer’s ability to finish off races.

Total Condition Training

A theme which has stood the test of time and is considered the most effective way to prepare all swimmers, including sprint swimmers, is a balanced and integrated training program that addresses all the aspects of conditioning.

A fully integrated training program normally follows a periodised format where endurance, speed, strength, power, and all the necessary skills and technique, are developed concurrently.

A periodised approach requires that certain aspects of fitness are emphasized at different stages of the training program, but an underlying feature is that all elements are maintained at an acceptable level.

The current format of the Australian and international calendars, where there are approximately 12-14 weeks between national championships and major international meet, is sufficient time to fully prepare all aspects for all swimmers; hence the title “Total Condition Training”.

Pros

• Facilitates concurrent development of endurance, speed, strength and skill.
• May lead to higher level performance in the longer term.
• Permits a more general preparation of swimmers for a full range of events.

Cons

• Long-term goals may be at the expense of short-term gains.
• Specialised and detailed program is more suited to smaller sized squads.

Features of Total Condition Training for Speed

To improve start time, which is the time from a dive start to the 5m mark, and can be sub-divided into reaction time and movement time.

Reaction time is the time from the firing of the starting gun to the first sign of movement.

Movement time is the actual duration of the start from the first sign of movement to the swimmer reading the 5m marker.

The start is an explosive movement and will be assisted by a conditioning program that develops strength and power in the lower body. Of course, starting is also a skill that needs to be learned and perfected through appropriate instruction and practice. It may be useful to set aside 10 minutes for group starting practice (and relay change overs) every week or two.

To improve acceleration, training sets incorporating a systematic increase in speed, up to maximal speed, should be undertaken.

In swimming parlance, the most common acceleration drill is the “build” set and its many variations. This work is undertaken normally over 50m or 100m and involves an increase in pace through each lap or 25m segment. The increments of the increase in speed will vary according to the individual swimmers event and specific requirements.

Some coaches also use “variable pace” drills where swimmers can accelerate and decelerate according to a set pattern. E.g., 8 x 50m on a 60 second cycle alternating 25m fast, 25m easy with 25m easy, 25m fast.

Another type of acceleration drill is a short descending set such as 8 x 50m D1-4 on 60 seconds, where the times are descended from moderate to fast in efforts 1-4 and again in 5-8.

Strength and power training is essential to fully develop the various components of speed.

This work may take the form of traditional strength training in the gym (free weights, machine weights or circuits) or more specialised forms such as plyometrics, jump training, swim bench, jump squats, power cleans or other strength and power related activities.

It is worthwhile to consult a strength and conditioning coach or gym instructor to discuss the strength and power training requirements for both age group and senior swimmers.

Similar to speed, there are different components of strength such as general strength, maximal strength, power and strength endurance. Power is the combination of speed (time) and strength (force) and therefore higher velocity drills must be considered; power will not be developed unless high speed intervals are used.

The most commonly used drills for power training are sets of 15-25m efforts at maximal effort from either a dive or push start eg. 10 x 50m as 20m fast – 30m recovery on a 1:15 cycle.

In the model of total conditioning, maximal speed is developed by a combination of endurance, speed and supplementary training activities.

Maximal speed can only be sustained for a short distance (duration) before deceleration is evident. Deceleration or slowing of swimming speed is most likely the result of biochemical and physiological processes such as depletion of the high energy compounds ATP (adenosine triphosphate) and creatine phosphate within contracting skeletal muscle.

The most effective means of developing speed is through a periodised program of high to maximal velocity short interval training. This type of work takes the form of sets like: (i) 10 x 25m FS maximal effort or (ii) 8 x 50m at 200m race pace with 100m recovery swimming, where the most important factor is the speed or pace of the repeats.

Maximal race speed will only be improved when swimmers are swimming at speeds very close to, equal to, or in excess of existing maximal speed. This can be achieved by use of speed assisted drills.

An important principle of the physiology of sprint training is that very high energy compounds in the muscle such as ATP and creatine phosphate (CP) are depleted rapidly during maximal effort work and take approximately 3 minutes to be fully restored.

Recent research at the University of Western Australia has shown that it may even take 4-6 minutes before normal levels of ATP and CP are restored. This means that longer interval sprint work which significantly depletes CP levels (e.g. maximal effort 50m and 100m intervals) for outright speed is most effective on cycle or turn around times of approximately 5 minutes.

In practice, this is achieved by having swimmers undertake some low to moderate-intensity aerobic recovery swimming during long and intensive sprint sessions. E.g., 8 x 50m maximal effort with 200m recovery on a 5 minute cycle.

Active recovery is preferable between efforts as the body will recover more quickly than with passive rest (e.g. sitting on the deck or supporting one self on a lane rope!).

Another important type of sprint training is the short rest spring set such as 4-8 x 50m FS maximal effort on a 35 seconds cycle. Gennardi Touretski refers to this type of set as an “activation” set. The aim is to activate or mobilise the physiological processes of the lactic acid energy system (anaerobic glycolysis).

This set is only done infrequently at key points in the training program – such as during the transition from aerobic to quality work, prior to a mid-season competition, and during a full length competitive taper.

The work is very arduous and should only be attempted when swimmers are in good shape. Not only does it play a role in stimulating some of the necessary physiological adaptations, it is of course, very specific training for 199-400m events.

A comment on lactate tolerance training. This term has been used in several of the classification of training systems developed for swimming and refers to high intensity interval work that is known to elicit high levels of blood lactate.

In one sense the term is misleading, because it may imply that the main aim of the exercise is to develop high levels of lactate in order to stimulate the development of physiological processes. Of course, the debilitating effects associated with an elevated level of muscle and blood lactate can impair training and competitive performance.

The critical aspect is to improve the swimming speed during this type of work. A common mistake is to focus too heavily on the effort. Swimming these type of sets with high heart rate and blood lactate levels at slow speeds is not a very effective method of training.

Experienced coaches will know the considerable limitations of doing repeat maximal effort 100’s eg. 6 – 8 x 100m maximal efforts on 8:00. There is, arguably, a place for such sets, but a more effective approach is to incorporate recovery swimming between each of the quality efforts. This way, you get better speed without the interference of high blood lactates.

Coaches should use speed-assisted drills throughout the training program. Examples of speed-assisted drills include the use of paddles and pull buoy, stretch cords and various pulley systems.

The Australian Institute of Sport has recently installed a motorised pulley in its 50m pool and this has proved to be very useful in introducing swimmers to higher level speeds.

For example, with senior male freestyle swimmers, the speed is set to 20-22 seconds, which is slightly in excess of race speed. The pulley system is also an effective means of checking the quality of streamlining of individual swimmers. Any deficiency in streamlining (excessive drag) becomes very noticeable when the speed of the pulley is set above normal race speed.

Summary

The development of speed-endurance is, as the name suggests, a combination of speed and endurance training. We have suggested that a highly developed background of endurance is essential to support the speed training necessary for an elite level sprint swimmer. This approach, of course, has to meet the requirements of individual swimmers, and what suits one swimmer may not suit another.

In brief terms, speed-endurance is developed through a periodised program of basic aerobic work (longer intervals at the level of sub-maximal aerobic and anaerobic threshold), general dry-land strength-endurance training in the gym, and specific high-intensity interval training (sets of high intensity 50-200m intervals).

The frequency of speed training is another common topic of conversation. Through experience, some coaches devote a number of specific sessions to speed each week, while others will incorporate a few sprints at the end of every workout.

However, there is no hard and fast rule. For a full and exhausting sprint workout it is suggested that at least 24-48 hours of recovery (i.e. low to moderate-intensity aerobic swimming) be undertaken before the next full sprint workout. This time is required for muscle glycogen stores, particularly in fast twitch muscle fibres, to be restored to normal levels.

This length of recovery should also permit regeneration of neuromuscular pathways that regular muscular contraction. Central nervous system or neuromuscular fatigue may limit the ability to swim fast even though muscles may be fully hydrated and refueled.

The importance of the technical aspects of sprint swimming is appreciated by every coach.

In addition to the subjective evaluation of the coach (the so-called coaching “eye”), it is good practice to utilise video camera technology to occasionally assess and correct the technical aspects of each swimmer’s stroke.

Some elite coaches may have access to more sophisticated biomechanical analysis of the different strokes at different speeds.

One approach to the development of speed is to improve the efficiency and economy of swimming throughout the full range of training and competitive speeds. While all coaches acknowledge the importance of improving efficiency and economy during submaximal swimming, it is also equally important in higher velocity sprint swimming. The best sprinters have efficient and economical techniques at the higher speeds in terms of both metabolic and mechanical factors.

Speed should be assessed regularly by timing 25 and 50m efforts in the swimmer’s main stroke. Coaches do this routinely and it is a good way of checking how an individual swimmer’s speed is responding to training.

To check reaction time, acceleration and maximal speed it is appropriate to use a dive start. To simply check acceleration and speed, a push start can be used. Coaches (and swimmers) should use the 25m and 50m split times from their best competitive effort as a reference point.

For speed-endurance, most coaches use either 100m and 200m race pace (and occasionally 400m race pace). In this work, the average pace held through a 100m or 200m, is used in 50m intervals e.g. 8 x 50m at 200m race pace (e.g. 32 seconds for a swimmer with 2:08 200m PB) with a 100m recovery swim between each effort.

Measuring the stroke rate and stroke count is a practical method of evaluating (in gross terms) the stroke mechanics of any given swim.

During competition, most 50m and 100m swimmers will reach stroke rates between 50 and 60 stroke cycles per minute. During low-to-moderate intensity aerobic swimming (which forms the majority of the weekly volume) stroke rates usually range between 25-40 strokes per minute.

It is essential, therefore, the ensure that high-intensity sprint work is completed with race specific stroke rates (50-60 strokes/min). If a swimmer is unable to “rate up” to the appropriate level, it may be prudent to hold the speed session over to another day when they are able to complete the workout as specified.

Wayne Goldsmith

Swimming successfully is as much about time management as it is about training hard. Fitting in training, schoolwork, rest and recovery and having some time to yourself is a difficult juggling act even for the most committed and dedicated athlete.

One of the toughest things to do when managing your week is to schedule time to do nothing. For most athletes doing nothing is just as demanding as doing the hard training in the pool and gym.

Rest, relaxation, recovery and restoration – Those times when your body is growing, adapting and developing are fundamental to swimming success. Allocate some time every week for recovery.

Most stress in life is caused by not doing things when you should have done them. The anguish and tension you feel behind the blocks is quite often the result of not preparing adequately in the weeks leading up to the race. The anxiety you feel on the way to an exam is sometimes the result of not doing the necessary study that you should have done before exam day.

Effective management of your time can not only improve your swimming (and your study) but it can help to minimise those nervous moments when you know you should have prepared better.

Proper Prior Preparation Prevents Poor Performance!

Some Hints for Time Management:

1. Prioritise, put first things first. Do those things you have to do first.
2. Use spare time to make life easier. Get an early start on a school project in your lunch breaks. Read your required school reading in the car on the way to training. Do sit ups and push-ups in the ad breaks when watching t.v. Stretch your neck and shoulders when sitting at school or in front of your computer.
3. Set goals for every week and design a plan to help you achieve them. At the end of the week, (the best time is Sunday afternoon or evening when you are rested) review the previous seven days and evaluate how you went. Plan to do one thing a little better every week.
4. Pick a time that you can put aside every week to plan for the next week.
5. If in doubt – do it now!

Step One: Design a simple weekly schedule. If using a computer it’s easy to do something like this in a word processing program, spreadsheet program or even a database program.

Some swimmers design their own weekly schedule, enlarge it to a full page size (A4) and stick it up on their wardrobe or bedroom door so it’s the first thing they see each morning.

Step Two: Fill in the things you have to do. For younger swimmers this usually means school. For senior swimmers it may mean work or University study commitments. Doing what you have to do when you have to do it means you have more time left for what you want to do.

Step Three:Write in training times and other swimming activities. Include gym and other dryland training as well as club night and competitions.

Step Four: Schedule rest and recovery times. As one Olympian once told me, “It wasn’t until I started scheduling rest periods that my times really started to improve.” Allow extra time for homework, school projects and study.

Step Five: Schedule time for doing the things you want to do, (spending time with family and friends, going to the movies, watching t.v. etc). Part of achieving long term success is maintaining a balance in your life. Scheduling time to enjoy life is just as important as training and racing well.

Wayne Goldsmith

In swimming, effective propulsive movements are slow to fast.

In Fly, you reach long, feel the water, catch then accelerate through the stroke to recovery. Same in back. Same in breast (arms and legs). Same in free.

It starts with an effective feel on entry and a strong catch then…..throughout the stroke it is acceleration that makes all the difference.

2. The relationship between hips and head is critical

There is a critical relationship between the hips and the head in swimming. Simply, when the head is up, the hips go down and if the hips are down three important things happen:

• Hips down means you kick down – instead of back.
• Hips down means your body is in an inefficient position
• Hips down means that your body is not streamlined

Be aware of this relationship and keep your head and hips in the right positions.

3. Soft Hands and Feel!

If someone gave you a rose and said, “feel this – it is so soft” – what would you do with your hands? Cup them tightly? Clench them into a fist? Force your fingers wide apart with lots of tension? Or……..would you relax your fingers and hands and wrist and gently feel the rose?

You can’t feel anything with tight, tense hands. To improve your feel of the water, relax and think soft hands.

4. Think tall, think long

There is no doubt that objects that are long, tall, thin and streamlined move better through water than things that aren’t!

Streamline off every turn. Streamline on entry at each dive and start. Streamlining off walls is important, but think tall and think long all the time!

Believe it or not, an awareness of being tall and long in the water is important. For example in breaststroke recovery, think tall and long as you stretch and reach forward – reach long…..then kick strong.

It is the combination of long and strong that produces the most efficient swimming movements.

This “tall” thinking and awareness really helps your body move and flow through the water.

5. The faster you want to go, the more relaxed you have to be

Watch a little kid running. Now tell him to run as fast as he can…what happens? He clenches his fists. He gets red in the face. He holds his breath. And he lasts about twenty yards!

The faster you want to go, the more relaxed you have to be.

Speed is about relaxation, not grunting, not fist clenching, not tightening up, not breath holding, relaxation.

If you want to go fast, focus on staying calm, relaxed and moving easily.

6. The Power Circle: Power On – Power Off

Swimming has two primary phases – the “propulsive” phase and the “recovery” phase. For many swimmers, the recovery phase is actually an extension of the propulsive phase in that they don’t actually recover. The recovery phase is a time to relax and allow muscles to switch off in preparation for the next propulsive pull. Learning to do this can make a big difference to a swimmer’s ability to maintain a strong powerful stroke throughout a race.

Think Power Circle: Power on / Power off. When the hands and arms are under the water and pulling it is power on. As the hands leave the water to recover, it is power off.

The ability to turn the power off and relax during recovery is an important skill for all swimmers to develop.

7. Finishes: Head Forward, Hips High, Full Kick, Full Stroke

Good finishes in all strokes have four common elements: Head, Hips, Kick, Stroke

Head: leaning forward towards the wall – as opposed to turning and looking at the opposition or the results.

Hips: high and in a strong position – to keep the body in a streamlined position and moving towards the wall.

Kick: still working and driving the body forward at the wall. In fly finishing with a strong down kick and in breast finishing with the feet accelerating all the way to a toes touch position.

Stroke: finishing in a long, strong, tall position at the end of recovery so that the body is streamlined and capable of reaching and stretching towards the finish.

Every finish in training is a race finish and should include these four elements.

8. Starts Key Words: Focused Thinking

There are many distractions at the start of a race – noise, crowd, media, other swimmers, etc. The world is not going to shut down for you. You need to “shut” the world down.

To do this, try the simple “key word” technique.

Find a word that means “start” to you, something like:

• Power
• Explode
• Drive
• Strong
• Relax

Take a long, deep breath and if you can, take 5 seconds to inhale fully. Then on the exhale, say your key word quietly to yourself, taking 5 seconds to exhale fully. Repeat this for about a minute, continuing to breath deeply and slowly (about 5-6 breaths per minute), focusing on the key word every exhale.

This does three things:
1. It gives you confidence and control over the pre race environment
2. The slow deep breathing keeps you relaxed
3. The focus word allows you to eliminate external distractions and focus on a good start.

9. Turns: Tight

Turns are an important part of swimming and invariably great swimmers are great turners.

Turns need to be tight.

• Heels up close to the buttocks.
• Legs tucked up and under the body.
• Arms in close and held near the centre of the body.

Being tight keeps the body in an efficient minimum resistance position but it also allows the swimmer to adopt the “coiled spring” position.

Muscles can contract with greater power after being stretched and put under tension. By pulling the limbs in close to centre of the body, the large, powerful muscles of the legs, shoulders and back are placed on stretch.

Then coming out of the turn, the body can open up with power and explosiveness and use this elastic energy to drive off the wall and get back into fast swimming!

10. Consistency is the Key

The key to it all is to take the first nine tips and practice them consistently – every session – every day – every week.

Consistency provides opportunity – opportunity provides the talented swimmer with the chance to achieve anything.

We are creatures of habit. What we do repeatedly and what becomes habit, is what we do instinctively in times of fatigue and pressure, i.e. racing. If you practice doing things consistently well in training and doing things well becomes your “habit” under the pressure and pain of racing you will always come out on top.

Wayne Goldsmith

In part two we look at three great swimming tests designed to help you measure your improvement in Speed, Speed-Endurance, and Endurance.

Why test?
Testing provides valuable information to you and your coach on your progress of the effectiveness of your training program. It helps to identify areas of your program that need to be changed and modified as you work towards achieving your swimming goals.

Who to test?
Anyone can be tested. Some people shy away from testing early in their swimming career because they are afraid the results may not be very good. Actually the best time to be tested is early in your career because this is the time when you are likely to make you biggest improvements and progress is really motivating!!

When to test?
Generally the best time to be tested is when you are rested. This allows the test to measure your improvement without the influence of fatigue.

Which test to do?
It depends on what you are trying to measure. Let’s look at three popular and widely used swimming tests.

1. Test for Speed

The test:
2 x 25 metres push start on 2:30

You will need:

• 25 metre pool
• Test recording sheet
• Stop watch
• A friend to help you record the information

Test protocol:

• Start in the water.
• Push off and swim 25 metres at maximum speed.
• A friend or team mate records time and stroke count (and stroke rate if available).

Analysis:

• Time
• Number of strokes per lap
• Average of the two 25s
• Difference between the two 25s

What you will learn:
This test is a good basic test of pure speed. Taking the dive out means you are assessing swimming speed rather than diving technique.

As you improve:

• The 25s will get faster (improved speed)
• You will be able to swim at maximum speed with fewer strokes (improved stroke efficiency / technique)
• There will be little or no difference between them (improved speed endurance)
• You will be able to swim faster with fewer (ideally no) breaths per 25 (improved skill and tactical ability)

Variations:
Count breaths – we know that the best freestyle and fly swimmers in the world can swim at maximum speed with only two or less breaths over a 50 metre sprint.

2. Test for Speed Endurance

The test:
6 x 50 metres push start on 2:00

You will need:

• 50 metre pool (if possible)
• Test recording sheet
• Stop watch
• A friend to help you record the information

Test protocol:

• Start in the water.
• Push off and swim 50 metres at maximum speed.
• A friend or team mate records time and stroke count (and stroke rate if available).

Analysis:

• Time
• Number of strokes per lap / stroke rate if available
• Average of the six 50s
• Difference between the fastest and slowest 50
• RPE (Rating of Perceived Exertion)

What you will learn:
The key to this test is to aim to swim at maximum speed right from the first 50. Then try to swim as fast as possible until you have completed all six. This is important because the test is trying to measure your “fatigue resistance” by looking at your ability to repeat maximum and near maximum speed swims.

As you improve:

• The 50s will get faster (improved speed)
• The average will get lower (improved speed endurance)
• The difference between the fastest and slowest will reduce (improved speed endurance and endurance)
• You will be able to maintain good technique and skills as you get tired (improved speed endurance, technique and endurance)

Variations:

• In fly try breathing every four or five strokes
• Experiment with underwater start distances (up to a maximum of 15 metres) to see what works for you.

3. Test for Endurance

The test:
7 x 200 Freestyle push start on 5 minutes

Aim to achieve a target pace of:
1st 200 – Personal Best Time Plus 35 Seconds
2nd 200 – Personal Best Time Plus 30 Seconds
3rd 200 – Personal Best Time Plus 25 Seconds
4th 200 – Personal Best Time Plus 20 Seconds
5th 200 – Personal Best Time Plus 15 Seconds
6th 200 – Personal Best Time Plus 10 Seconds
7th 200 – Personal Best Time Plus 5 Seconds

You will need:

• 50 metre pool (if possible)
• Test recording sheet
• Stop watch
• A friend to help you record the information

Test protocol:

• Start in the water.
• Push off and swim 200 metres at the target speed.
• A friend or team mate records time, splits and stroke count (and stroke rate if available), heart rate and other variables.

Analysis:

• Time
• Splits
• Stroke count on the final 50 every 200 repeat
• Heart rate at the end of each 200
• RPE (Rating of Perceived Exertion)

What you will learn:
This test is pretty much a universal test for endurance. It is called a Step Test because the speed increases in “steps” and you measure how the body is responding at each step.

As you improve:

• The target paces will get faster (improved endurance)
• Your heart rate will be lower at the same speed (improved endurance)

Variations:

If you need more time to achieve the target pace of each 200, try 7 x 200 on 6 minutes.

Regardless of the test you use, remember the three Golden Rules:

1. Consistency: Make sure you control the controllables – do repeat testing at the same time of day, the same day of the week and with as many of the same conditions in place as possible.
2. Common Sense: Do tests that make sense. Don’t use the 2 x 25 to test for endurance or the 7 x 200 to test for speed.
3. Record: Write down everything. If it can be measured it is probably important!!!

And remember: No one wins the gold medal by having the best test!

Testing is simply a guide to give you feedback on the progress of your training and where you are in relation to achieving a specific goal.

Wayne Goldsmith

1. Am I getting fitter?
2. Am I getting faster?
3. Is my technique improving?
4. Will I be able to race well at my next competition?

The best way to answer all these questions is, of course, by “racing”!

Competition results and meet performances give you valuable information on how your program is going and how much you are improving.

However, coaches and sports scientists often use testing to determine the answers to these questions in training.

The Golden Rules of Testing

There are Three Golden Rules in Testing:

1. Consistency
If you test on a Monday morning this time after having the weekend off you have to repeat the test on a Monday morning after having the weekend off next time. If you test in a long course pool this time – it’s long course next time. If you dive this time – you dive next time. Everything – equipment, pre test warm up etc needs to be standardized as much as possible.

2. Common Sense
The test you use needs to make sense. If testing for endurance – 2 x 25 metres is not the right test to use. If measuring speed, a one hour swim is not the right choice. Decide what you are testing, then select a test which makes sense.

3. Record everything

• Time of day / date
• Warm up used
• Dive start or push start
• Test set details (i.e. repeat distances, number of repeats, stroke, time cycle)
• Time
• Splits
• Stroke count (the number of strokes taken – usually expressed as strokes per lap)
• Heart rate if applicable
• RPE – Rating of Perceived Exertion (a subjective measure out of ten to indicate how hard you found the test.)

A basic test recording sheet may look something like this:

Like any test, it you want to do well, you have to study.

In this case study means you need to learn how to do the test.

This is especially the case in endurance testing when errors in pacing can lead to poor test results which are not really indicative of the subjects actual endurance ability.

A good way to overcome this problem is to include some shorter swimming in the warm up at the target speed of the first repeat to be included in the test.

For example:

If a swimmer was aiming to complete a test of 10 x 100 freestyle on two minutes where the target speed of the first 100 metres of the test was at 1:20 pace, you might include a set like 6 x 50 freestyle on 1 minute holding 40 seconds, i.e. half distance at the same pace, in the warm up.

This gets the swimmer prepared to perform the test as required rather than starting out too fast and being too fatigued to complete the rest of the test correctly.

Example:

John Smith has decided he needs to assess his swimming fitness mid season. He decides that the right test for him is 6 x 200 metres freestyle on 5 minutes.

In of this article, we will look at specific tests for speed, speed endurance, technique efficiency and endurance.

Wayne Goldsmith

And there’s one other magical and mysterious experience: peaking and tapering swimmers.

But what is peaking and tapering?

Peak: Prepare Each Athlete’s Kapacity (capacity) to perform at their best.

Taper: Training Activities that Provide Excellence after Rest.

Peaking is about training swimmers to swim at their best. Tapering is ensuring that the swimmer’s can produce their best on a specific day following a period of rest, recovery and regeneration.

Let’s try to unlock the magic and mystery of coaching swimmers to perform at their best when it matters most.

Peaking

In the famous book Alice in Wonderland, Alice comes across a road which splits and leads off in several different directions. She is faced with a choice of which path to take.

She sees the Cheshire Cat in a tree and asks the cat, “Which path should I take?”

The cat smiles and says, “That depends on where you want to go.”

Alice says, “I don’t know where I want to go.”

The Cheshire Cat replies, “then it doesn’t matter which path you take.”

Swimming can be a little like this. Many swimmers and coaches are working hard – stretching, doing dry-land training, gym, etc – without a clear goal and without a clear time-frame.

Remember a goal is a dream with a deadline.

At the beginning of the season, two critical questions need to be answered:

• What does the swimmer need to be able to do?
• When do they need to be able to do it?

Ask each swimmer in your team to complete this sentence:

I want to achieve …………………. On ……………………….. (date).

For example:

I want to achieve a time of 60 seconds for 100m freestyle on the 15th May 2010.

Your job as coach is to plan a program which gives each swimmer the opportunity to achieve their stated goal.

Having the swimmer state their goal makes planning the program easy!

Tapering

There a lot of tricks, tips, magic and miracles written about tapering but there are six key principles that actually work:

1. Decrease the volume of training in the taper period

The single biggest improvement in performance during the taper period is due to a significant decrease in training volume. During taper, as training volume decreases so too does residual fatigue – meaning the swimmer begins to feel light, fast, energetic and strong in the water.

Hint: Decrease training volume between 15-20% during each week of the taper.

2. Maintain the INTENSITY of training in the taper period

Many swimmers and coaches are afraid to work hard during taper. In fact taper is a great time to work hard as the decrease in volume means that swimmers can often achieve race speeds easily during taper.

Hint: Include a small amount of specific race pace work at every session during the taper. This should include race specific dives, starts, turns and finishes and breathing patterns – race speed plus race quality technique and skills!

3. Maintain the frequency of training in the taper period.

One of the biggest mistakes coaches make when designing a taper is to decrease training frequency, i.e. fewer sessions. The motive is a good one – they want to allow swimmers the chance to rest, recover, maybe sleep in and regenerate.

However, allow swimmers time to sleep in and this is what generally happens:

• They wake up at the same time anyway and can’t go back to sleep.
• They stay up later at night knowing they don’t have to get up early and end up having less sleep than usual.
• Their body sleep / wake rhythms become unsettled leaving them feeling flat, tied and lethargic
• Once they experience a week or two of not getting out of bed at 5 am, they start to like it and may not return to morning training
• All of the above

Hint: Have swimmers attend all morning workouts during the taper period. If you like, give them an afternoon off for some free time / social time with team mates.

4. Make the taper swimmer-specific.

Everyone responds differently to a taper. Even swimmers of the same gender, the same age and competing in the same events will respond differently to a taper.

Hint: Practice the taper at a minor competition several months before the major meet. Encourage each swimmer to keep a “taper diary” throughout the “trial” taper recording how they feel, how they slept, if they experienced muscle soreness, was their energy level high or low and other relevant information. Use this to base the major meet taper upon.

5. Don’t introduce anything new

Another common problem is the desperate need for coaches, swimmers and parents to make the taper more than it is and to start adding new things at the last minute. Commonly this means changes to diet (e.g. adding a new super high performance supplement) or equipment (e.g. new pair of the latest super fast goggles). Keep it normal! Don’t introduce anything new during the taper – keep the environment as normal and simple as possible.

Hint: Don’t introduce anything once the taper has commenced – that goes for nutrition, gym work, technique, skills and equipment.

6. Don’t over-coach

The most successful way to coach during taper is the same way you usually coach! Some coaches feel the need to overcoach, by giving too many instructions too late in the preparation and only confusing the issue. Keep it simple.

Swimmers will often feel confused and stressed during taper and the lead in to big meets. What they want from you as a coach is the three C’s; Calmness, Confidence and Certainty. The best coaches demonstrate the three C’s regardless of the level of competition.

The closer you get to competition decrease the number of instructions and coaching interventions and practice the three C’s.

As a general rule during the final week of taper, give the same number of instructions as there are days before the meet, ie with five days to go, coach a maximum of five specific areas, with three days to go, focus on only three areas and on the final day on just one thing.

For example:

Butterfly

• Five days to go: Work on kick, arm pull, hand speed, hip drive and rhythm
• Three days to go: Work on kick, hand speed, hip drive and rhythm
• Final training session: Think Rhythm

One final comment: It’s not the taper that makes the difference, it’s every session.

The key to successful performance is consistency in terms of quality coaching everyday in all things. No matter how well you plan, prepare and prescribe your taper does not make up for months of poor technique and skills in practices.

Successful swimming is not an accident, it is the result of a carefully planned program implemented with quality, passion, enthusiasm and consistency by talented coaches and swimmers.

Wayne Goldsmith

For example, an obstacle that a swimmer may face early in their career could be the challenge to swim fast enough to qualify to swim at their school, club or regional championships. Once that has been achieved the next goal might be to qualify for Regional championships.

The next target might be State Championships, then National Championships then finally their ultimate goal might be to swim internationally for the United States of America.

This ongoing process of setting, achieving and then resetting goals is fundamental to success in most areas of life.
At each step along the way, hurdles and obstacles need to be overcome by training and racing smarter, more frequently, faster, with better skills and with more commitment than ever before.

To make the breakthroughs and achieve the important goals, (and to take the next step at each level), swimmers need to think and train like swimmers who are already at the next level.

In other words to be successful at the next level, swimmers must act as if they are already there!

Look at a practical example. The six factors essential to swimming success are:

1. Swim with excellent technique
2. Swim with excellent skills
3. Swim with Fast strokes
4. Swim with Long strokes
5. Do all the above when tired
6. Do all the above when under pressure

These six factors can be used to progress training sets and training routines as swimmers aim for higher and higher goals.

A training set like 16 x 25m butterfly might be completed on a one minute cycle by a young swimmer training for his or her local competition. The importance would be placed on the stroke technique and skills elements rather than speed at this early stage. However, we know that as the swimmer develops and aims for higher, more challenging and more difficult goals, three things are crucial to good butterfly at senior levels:

• Swim great technique with maximum speed
• Swim great technique with minimum breaths
• Swim great technique with minimum strokes

When training for the next step, (eg Regional Championships) it could be expected that the swimmer would complete the 16 x 25 fly set with less rest and perhaps at a faster speed.

Targeting the next step, (eg State Age Championships), the swimmer would aim to maintain good speed with less rest and with a minimum breath count (perhaps breathing every two or three strokes).

At the next step, (eg National Age Championships), the swimmer would aim to hold good speed, with limited rest, with the minimum number of breaths and hold a stroke count of 8-10 strokes per 25.

Training sets need to progress in terms of faster speeds, shorter rest (or longer rest), breathing control, skill level and stroke efficiency as the swimmer progresses to the next level of excellence and takes the next step in their competitive career.

A key part of progressing to the next step is to think like a swimmer who is already there! This is a difficult concept to understand because it requires you to “know” what you “don’t know”.

This change in mind set and change to approach applies particularly to training. It comes with a change in the swimmer’s level of commitment to the program. It comes with a change in attitude to workouts. It comes with a change to the effort put into doing the little things right in training. It comes with a change in attention to detail with starts, turns, dives and finishes. It comes with a change in time management and a better approach to making priorities with your time, school, swimming and life.

To get to the next level, you must think like you are already there.

To compete like a State Level Swimmer, Regional Level swimmers need to train like a State Level swimmer, warm up like a State Level swimmer, eat and rest like a State Level Swimmer and so on.

This is where your coach can be the greatest help. It has been said that a coach’s main job is to convince the unwilling to do the unwanted to achieve the unknown.

Your coach knows what is expected and what is needed to be successful at the next level. Your training program is designed to help you break through barriers and obstacles and to help you understand what it is like to be a “next level” swimmer. The little challenges that your coach sets before you at training are designed to help you take the next step by demanding more of you than ever before and in the process teaching you to expect more of yourself than you ever thought possible.

The “I can, I will, I did” philosophy is an important part of taking any step forward. Believing you can, leads to the confidence to say “I will” which is only a short step away from “I did”. Confidence is the key element in all successful sporting achievements. Achieving success at each step along the way gives you the confidence and self belief to take the next step.

In many ways you are already “there” (at the next level) before you actually get the opportunity to prove it at a meet. The swim meet just confirms what you and your coach already know – that you have, by your thoughts and actions, taken the next step.

“The significant problems we face cannot be solved by the same level of thinking that created them.” (Einstein)

Wayne Goldsmith

On the surface, swimming seems like an individual sport: One swimmer, one lane. Everyone swims their own race using their own tactics and their own strategies.

But it is an individual sport wrapped inside a team environment.

You train in a team. You all dress in team gear. You work with the same coach. You all train at the same pool.

The old saying “there is no I in team” is wrong. Every team is made up a whole lot of “I”s, individuals determined to achieve their own unique goals. But, the opportunity to achieve your individual goals is enhanced by supporting the goals of other members of your team.

Here’s a few things you can do to create a real team environment.

1. Think Team. The first step in performing as a team is to think like one.

Think about the best professional sports teams you know – Football teams, basketball teams, baseball teams, soccer teams, what do they all do that is unique to team sports?

• They wear the same team clothing, they look like a team
• They support each other on the field or court
• They arrive together (usually a team bus) and walk in to the field or court together
• They praise the efforts of team mates
• They aspire to a set of common goals and behaviours
• They recognize the great performances of individuals within the team
• They provide back up and support for individuals who don’t perform well.

So you know what a team does, now let’s apply that to swimming.

2. Before your next meet, develop a Team Meet Strategy

Get the team together the week before your next meet.

At that meeting develop a strategy for how you can all work together at the meet and help each other achieve success for the team and every individual on the team.
Much of swimming successfully at a swim meet depends on attitude – yours and that of your opposition.

A well executed team meet strategy provides you with a focus to help you with your own attitude and perhaps just as importantly, the presence of a well organised, well prepared, well disciplined team really blows the mind of other swimmers and coaches.

For example:

• Aim to all arrive at the pool at the same time: Set up a meeting place outside the pool where everyone meets at an agreed time.
• Wear team gear: Everyone, swimmers, coaches, families, committee, everyone. Look like a team.
• Walk in to the pool area together: Everyone as one large group led by your team captains.
• Leave your swim gear all in the same place in a designated team area: your team “fortress”.
• Stretch as a team: Ideally practice the team stretching routine before race day and have the swimmers (not the coaches) lead the team stretching. Do this somewhere really public and conspicuous, somewhere the other teams will see you and become aware of how professional you are.
• Warm up as a team: Line up together in one line at the end of the warm up lane. One by one dive in until you create a single, continuous line of swimmers (all with the same caps and swim suits on).
• Team cheers: Develop some team cheers and use them at appropriate times. Some good cheering opportunities are:
  • As the team walks into the pool area
  • As swimmers’ names get announced before swimming
  • As soon as the starting gun goes
  • All the way through the race
  • After they finish
  • As the results get announced
  • As they come back to the team area

3. Find a way to help everyone

The easiest thing to do at a meet is to cheer for and support winners – the swimmers who are winning medals, achieving PB times and doing well. However, the real strength of a team is their capacity to help and support the swimmers who are having a bad day and not swimming well.

Not everyone can swim a PB time or win a medal at every meet, so plan to have a support system in place to provide strength and unity during the tough times.

For example, develop a “buddy” system between old swimmers and younger swimmers so that there are strong bonds within the team if things go wrong.

4. Set team goals and take pride in achieving them

For example:

Total number of medals won by the team

Number of relays won by the team

If you have thirty swimmers in the team, and each swimmer has four swims each, that’s 120 team swims.

Set some goals around these 120 team swims like:

• 80% personal best times = 96 swims
• 75% finals swims = 90 swims
• 100% of swimmers not breathing inside the flags on starts, turns and finishes = 120 swims

This can also apply to other swimming skills.

For example:

The team goal for the next swim meet is to be the best kicking team over the final 50 metres of every race, i.e. the kicking of everyone on your team is the best of any team.

You can do the same for other swimming skills:

• The best starting team
• The best turning team
• The best butterfly technique team (or back or breast or free)
• The best finishing team
• The team who took the fewest breaths in their final 15 metres of fly and free

By focusing on the mastering of skills under race conditions, everyone in the team can improve important aspects of their swimming. And – if you concentrate on technique, skills and working together to achieve team goals, chances are most of the swimmers in the team will also achieve their individual goals along the way.

So remember, team stands for:

Together Everyone Achieves Magnificence

Wayne Goldsmith