For me, perhaps after breathing, improving your posture and body position in the water is the single biggest thing you can do to improve your swim.
Poor posture in the water creates a lot of drag, which swimmers then have to pull through the water. It’s why so many triathletes swim faster in a wetsuit or with a pullbuoy – they reduce the drag and hey presto … they are quicker.
I’ve written about how to improve body position before. Takes some focus but is very achievable.
What does good posture look like? You are swimming ‘on top’ of the water. Your head, bottom and heels are breaking the surface of the water. You are swimming tall and streamlined. Does this sound like you?
If it doesn’t – you need to focus on this area of your technique.
Get this right and watch your swim improve!