Swimming: Use The Walls To Make You A Better Swimmer
In our Swim Squad session recently we were thinking about using the walls more effectively to improve our swimming.
Many of our Squad swimmers – and many other swimmers that I’ve observed – push off the wall and then get into their swim immediately. They will push off and start swimming within two metres.
Personally, I would like swimmers to use the walls more effectively.
What Do I Mean?
- A good, strong push off the wall.
- Arms stretched out in front, creating a great streamline position.
- Exhale gently whilst underwater.
- Do a few kicks to keep momentum.
Why?
- It is quicker. No matter how fast you swim, if you do it well the quickest part of every length will be the push and glide off the wall.
- It sets good body position at the start of every length. Long, tall, taut. This transfers into swimming during the rest of the length.
- You have a ‘moment’ of calm whilst travelling under water.
- You start each length moving quickly.
- You think about your exhale, controlling your breathing.
Beware
Beware of some of the things we corrected with swimmers during our Swim Squad session.
- High head position, looking forward. This creates drag and spoils the momentum. Instead, squeeze your ears between your arms / biceps and keep looking towards the bottom of the pool.
- Staying underwater too long and coming to a standstill. We only want to stay underwater whilst still moving well.
- Pushing off too shallow or too deep. The right depth is crucial to a good start to the length. If too deep, momentum is often lost and it takes a while to reach the surface. If too shallow, the swimmer is up and swimming before they can get into a streamline position and benefit from the push off.
- Starting the stroke whilst still underwater. This sometimes occurs when the push off is too deep. Be patient. Start your stroke when almost on the surface.
Quicker Swimming: A Recent Story
“I took a leaf out of your book”
A few times in my solo swims recently I have been sharing a lane with a pretty fast swimmer. During the third or fourth time we shared a lane, this swimmer tells me that he’s noticed that after each of my tumble turns I travel more than 5 metres off the wall, clearing the flags before I start swimming. He noticed that when he turns, he travels a couple of metres and is then into his stroke. That got him thinking and he started to wonder what difference a ‘better turn’ would have on his swim.
Well, he continued telling me, he tried my approach today. He made an effort on each of his tumble turns to push and streamline, making sure he was past the flags before he started swimming.
Firstly, he did this on his 1,000m continuous swim. Usually, he tells me, he would do this in 14.45. Today, 14.10. He took 35 seconds off his time just by better streamline off the walls!
“He took 35 seconds off his time just by better streamline off the walls!“
Secondly, he did two strong 200s. He did a 2.29 and a 2.28. So, moving fast. Again, he tells me, that’s the fastest he’s managed to swim 200s in a long, long time. The difference? Powerful push offs and great streamlining off every turn.
Next time you’re in the pool, follow this swimmers lead, “take a leaf out of my book” and make the most of those turns!
If this fast swimmer can knock chunks off his times doing this, think what you could achieve?
A Moment Of Calm: A Quick Story
In a recent swim session, my swimming wasn’t feeling great. Everything was a struggle. Heart rate spiked at the slightest intensity. Rhythm off too. Bit of a fight through the water.
Half way through the session, a switch was flicked. I pushed off the wall, felt the glide, did two easy butterfly kicks as I was slowing from the push, eventually breaking the surface of the water, into 14 smooth and relaxed swim strokes. I did the same on the next turn.
“Ooh that was nice!”
These push offs became the highlight of the next 1500m of my swim.
Splash, splash, splash, turn, silent glide, gentle exhale, two rhythmical kicks, up to the surface, splash, splash, splash, turn, silent glide, gentle exhale, two rhythmical kicks, up to the surface.
Suddenly my swim had rhythm, a focus, some pleasure.
This change in focus transformed the chaotic swim, with those near-silent seven metres underwater being the highlight of every length.
“I’m swimming events and races in open water, why bother?”
This is a question you’re probably asking. Well, for me, I would encourage you to do it because …
- Improves body position
- Helps control breathing
- Gives us another focus during our swim sessions
- It improves overall speed
The Session
I’ve included the session that we did during our Swim Squad session in full. You can do some or all of this session.
Warm Up
200m swim / 200m pull / 200m pullbuoy & paddles / 200m pull / 200m swim
Thinking about our stroke, staying relaxed, and feeling the difference when swim toys were applied – and then taken away. 30s rest between each 200m.
Technique Set – All About “The Underwaters”
Throughout the next set we were thinking about a good push off the wall, streamlined position with hands outstretched and ‘squeezing ears’, exhale gradually whilst underwater, and begin kicking when momentum slows a little.
8 x 25m at a steady pace – practicing the ‘underwater’ (15s rest)
8 x 50m at a steady pace – practicing the underwater on initial push off and at the turn. (20s rest)
8 x 50m starting off easy, then at half way starting to increase pace to swim fast into the wall and then out of the wall until the half way point of the length, when we resume our easy swimming to the finish. In other words, we are doing the turn and underwater phase quickly – whilst thinking about swimming fast. (20s rest)
Next Set
10 x 75m building pace (25m easy, 25m moderate, 25m strong) (30s rescovery between).
Despite swimming at different paces, we are still thinking about our turns and our underwater phase.
Cool Down
Some easy swimming to finish – but still thinking about setting each length up well with a good turn and push off the wall.
Next Steps
Once you’ve done this set, and you have begun thinking about good push offs and streamline off the wall, you can (and should) incorporate this thinking into every subsequent session!
Swimming: Use The Walls To Make You A Better Swimmer