Swimming: When Good Advice Isn’t Enough

On Monday, two swimmers came for completely separate 1-1 sessions.

They were different ages, different abilities and training for different goals. One was relatively new to swimming. The other had considerably more experience in the water.

They didn’t know each other, had never met, but they both said almost exactly the same thing to me.

They’d been watching swimming videos on Instagram and YouTube. The explanations made sense. The demonstrations were excellent. They could see what good swimming looked like. They just couldn’t make the changes that were being discussed in the videos.

I found that really interesting.

There is some fantastic swimming content available today. If my Instagram feed is anything to go by, coaches from all around the world are producing really precise videos, clear explanations and beautiful demonstrations of good technique. I often recommend videos to swimmers myself because they’re such a useful way of illustrating an idea.

The videos weren’t the problem. The challenge was translating those ideas into their stroke.

One of the swimmers made an insightful comment during the session. They realised we weren’t starting with a blank canvas. We weren’t designing a swim stroke from scratch. We were starting with the stroke they already had and developing it from there.

I thought that was such an important observation.

Every swimmer arrives with a different swim story. Different habits, different strengths, different weaknesses and different movement patterns. Some things are already working well. Others need attention. Some technical changes will make an immediate difference, while others simply aren’t the priority yet.

That is where coaching becomes different from information.

YouTube and Instagram are brilliant at showing us what good swimming looks like. They can explain concepts like body rotation, a patient lead arm, an effective catch or a strong finish through the stroke. They can inspire us to improve and help us understand why elite swimmers move the way they do.

But they can’t always tell us which of those ideas matters most for us.

Today, coincidentally, in both sessions we worked on reaching forwards to lengthen their stroke, feeling the pull and the body rotation working together, and accelerating the hand through the back of the stroke to improve propulsion. None of those ideas were new or revolutionary – and every one of them can be found in the excellent online videos.

The value of the session wasn’t learning something nobody else had ever said. The value was recognising that these were the right things for this swimmer to focus on today.

Before they left, I encouraged both swimmers to go back and watch some of those same videos again. I wanted them to see the videos again, because I suspected they would now see something different in them. Instead of trying to take in every technical point, they’d notice the movements we had worked on. They’d recognise the timing of the rotation. They’d see the extension at the front of the stroke. They’d notice how the hand accelerated towards the hip.

Now, all of that excellent content online becomes even more useful because it has context. It isn’t just showing what great swimming looks like. It’s reinforcing what they are working on.

Online videos inspire curiosity. Coaching provides direction.

Videos show what’s possible. Coaching helps decide what comes next.

So, keep watching the videos. Keep learning from the coaches who generously share their knowledge. Keep being curious about your swimming.

Just remember that progress doesn’t come from collecting more information. More often, it comes from understanding which piece of information matters most to you, right now.

Bryan