Swimming: Listen For The Whoosh

Over the last few weeks in our Technique Development Squad we’ve explored two simple ideas.

• Swimming relaxed.

• Swimming with rhythm.

They’re not revolutionary concepts, but in the pursuit of fitness, pace and getting the session done, they can easily be overlooked.

That’s one of the reasons I enjoy these 30-minute sessions so much. They give us permission to slow things down. To experiment. To explore. To notice what we’re feeling rather than worrying about the clock.

Instead of asking “How fast can I swim?” we ask different questions.

“How does this feel?”

“What happens if I relax my hand during the recovery?”

“What happens if I wait just a little longer before beginning the catch?”

“Can I feel my body rotation driving the stroke?”

It’s amazing how often those questions lead us towards faster swimming anyway.

“Whoosh”

Following the session, one of the nicest comments from a swimmer was:

“Feeling the rotation and whoosh of the stroke.”

That word stood out.

Whoosh.

Not power, or speed, or another technical term. 

Whoosh.

When everything is working together, swimming feels different. The recovering arm stays relaxed until it’s ready to catch the water. The leading arm waits just that fraction longer. Your body rotates, the catch connects, and suddenly the whole stroke flows from one side to the other. Instead of feeling like you’re pulling with your arms, it feels as though your whole body is moving past your hand.

There’s a rhythm to it.

Another swimmer summed it up perfectly:

“Felt good rhythm, and quite relaxed, good feel for water. The rotation was more coordinated than before.”

That’s exactly what we’re looking for.

Notice they didn’t say they were trying harder. They didn’t mention intensity. They didn’t mention swimming faster. They talked about how it felt.

You can’t always tell if you are swimming well. But you can often feel it. You can hear it.

A more relaxed stroke. A smoother rhythm. That gentle “whoosh” as your body moves through the water.

And if, for just a few lengths, you feel that effortless whoosh as your body glides from one stroke to the next…

Hold onto it.

Because that’s the feeling you’re looking for.

See you at the pool.

Bryan