“Swimming Feels Rushed and Frantic”

“My swimming feels rushed and a little bit frantic when I swim, compared to some others swimmers that I see.”

Another common issue I see when I meet swimmers for 1-1 sessions.

A lot of swimmers think that they need to move their arms and legs fast to swim fast. Not true.

Reach Forward

The rushed feeling is usually when a swimmer makes the stroke short and rushes through the water.

Let me explain.

When your hand enters the water, it should not start pulling back immediately. Instead, your hand should enter the water and then extend forward.

This does two things.

Stroke Length

It gives your stroke length – as you have extended your arm forward in the water. See image below.

Slows The Stroke Down

It stops the stroke being a fast, continuous cycle. It takes time to extend your arm forwards, so this naturally slows your stroke down a little. See the video below.

Stroke Timing

A lot of swimmers need support with their stroke timing. When we do it, and get it right, swimming feels relaxed and ‘easy’.

What do I mean?

When we extend our hand forwards, we are gliding slightly (see video above). And at the same time, our other arm is recovering over the top of the water.

If you can get the timing right, and your stroke looks like the one in the image above, your swim will feel smooth and efficient – and much less frantic!