Keep a low stroke count Rotate hips Reduce intensity of your kick Keep your elbows high Glide with each stroke

These same tips do not all necessarily apply to Olympic level swimmers. These swimmers have reasons for doing things differently:

They may have a fast turnover rate and a high stroke count for sprinting Their hip rotation is not as pronounced- they don’t have as much of a need to “conserve energy” as a triathlete does The kick may be very intense and strong, especially for shorter events Most of Olympic swimmers have been practicing for many years, and some have perfected a stroke that is less than ideal for a non-swimmer doing a triathlon (i.e. Janet Evans is considered best female swimmer of all time, and had a unique straight-arm stroke that very few have been able to master)

So watch and admire these world class athletes, but be careful what you try to emulate and don’t feel bad that you’re not moving through water with same ease and grace they are!

3.Speed is Sacrificed because of a “Pause” While Breathing. A typical scenario is that you feel like you’re cruising along just fine and then you take a breath and it feels like you’ve just lost all your momentum. To remedy this, when you breathe, concentrate first on breathing to side (as in #1), then on having your mouth parallel to water, instead of over water. The latter will take a while to master, but once you do, it will take care of pause, and improve your speed overall.

4.Difficulty breathing while navigating in a race. You need to look up to see where you are going, and at same time grab a breath. How can you do both? Start with bilateral breathing (breathing on both sides every 3 strokes). This will help you to see about where you are without lifting your head up as much. When you need to lift your head up to sight, try not to look straight ahead- this will make your hips sink and throw you off balance. Instead, take a quick peek at your target, roll to side to breath, and bring your head right back down into position.

5.Sucking In Water While Taking a Breath. In practice, this will sometimes occur because of #1 and #2 above. In a race, waves may cause inhalation of water instead of air (bilateral breathing will help here as well). The drills to practice to improve balance and avoid this unpleasant occurrence are side kicking and shark fin drills, as well as one-arm drill. To perform one-arm drill, swim a full stroke with one arm while your other arm rests at your side. Breathe on opposite side of stroking arm. This is a difficult drill and takes some practice, but it will pay off! For more and to view this and other drills, see Full Package from Tri Swim Coach.