Improving Swim Efficiency: Stroke Rate And Stroke Count

Improving Swim Efficiency: Stroke Rate And Stroke Count

“Technique is the art of making effort look effortless.”

Second swim back after being a little under the weather, so today wasn’t the day to chase big sets or intensity. After a gentle 1,000m warm-up, I reached into my bag for the tempo trainer – time for something a bit more cerebral.

I’ve been doing a lot of stroke counting recently, and today continued that theme.

The main experiment:

4 x 25m at ascending stroke rates – 60, 62, 64… all the way up to 80 strokes per minute.

To hit the higher rates, I had to shorten the front end slightly and stop over-focusing on a long finish. At first, it felt messy – choppy even – and I was convinced my stroke count would shoot up.

Instead? 14 strokes per 25m.

Only one (maybe two) above my usual long, controlled rhythm. That was the first surprise.

Then came the 50s.

2 x 50m @ 80spm, 2 x 50m @ 78spm, gradually easing the stroke rate back down to 70.

Once I settled into the quicker front end – no dead spots, no pauses – the stroke began to feel easier.

But that’s the magic: stroke always feels better after over-revving.

What would normally feel like a challenging stroke rate suddenly feels completely manageable when it follows an even faster one. The contrast resets your perception – 74, 72, 70 all felt smooth, controlled, almost generous. A bit like running downhill before settling back into a steady pace: the legs turn over more freely.

And the key to the very small increase in stroke count? Protecting the catch. 

It felt a bit like a great water-polo drill: snapping into the catch quickly, high elbows, pulling straight back with purpose. That strong, connected feeling – like each stroke was taking me somewhere. 

I deliberately kept my legs disciplined too: a slow two-beat kick rather than letting them match the arm tempo.

But perhaps my favourite part of this final set was the contrast:

The flurry of quick strokes… and then the push-offs. The glide. The two easy butterfly kicks. The gentle exhale.

That moment of total silence, weightlessness, tranquillity, before the next burst of purpose. Fast–slow, effort–stillness, action–quiet.

By the end, it felt like I’d really stumbled upon something – rhythm, timing, and purpose all lining up.

A simple session, but a genuinely insightful one.

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Gratitude For Today

Grateful for the sessions that teach – and for the small discoveries that make swimming endlessly interesting.

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