Swimming, whether for fitness or competition, is a challenging sport to master. Contrary to how simple the sport can look when Olympic and university swimmers take to the water, the technical skills required to propel the human body through water with real velocity demands a significant amount of technique, strength and endurance. To swim fast or farther requires dedicated, specific training similar to that used in running and cycling: intervals.
Speed Sets
Developing speed is a necessity for most competitive and amateur swimmers. Distance swimmers need speed for the start of a race, to separate themselves from slower competitors and to out-kick those close to him toward the finish. Swim sets, which are scripted training intervals within a workout focusing on a specific skill, such as speed, will help accomplish this. As an example, a swimmer might perform 50 yards by 20 repetitions with 15 seconds of rest. Generally, swim coaches use 25, 50, and 100 yard repeats to develop speed.
Developing a Flutter Kick
Every swimmer would like to develop a powerful, six-beat flutter kick that adds propulsive power to their swim. Some experts say that top university and Olympic swimmers generate only 15 percent to 20 percent of their total propulsion from their kick. Therefore, one must wonder why an amateur swimmer's kick that generates such a small overall percentage of total propulsion is so important to swim speed. A well-executed flutter kick reduces energy consumption, keeps hips and legs high in the water, reducing drag, and snaps body rotation, all of which increase a swimmer's hydrodynamics and speed potential.
Proper Breathing Technique
Swimmers must breathe correctly to be able to swim fast. Issues arise with technique negatively affecting hydrodynamics. One such example is lifting the head to breathe. This creates a wake at the crown of the swimmers head and submerges the hips and legs causing speed-killing drag. Another example is the hands crossing over the center of the swimmer's body. This creates an ineffective catch due to a dropped elbow. Learning to breathe bi-laterally reduces or eliminates these issues as it helps create a balanced stroke and efficient body rotation, both essential to swimming fast.
Drills for Swim Speed
Drills are an important part of learning to swim fast, as well as make continuous improvements. The swim stroke has too many elements for the athlete to monitor while swimming continuous laps, which is why few swimmers train this way. Therefore, drills help focus your attention on different elements of technique such as the catch, body rotation, or flutter kick. Drills make up a large portion of each swim set, either as part of the warm-up or during the main set.
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