Guide to Improving Swimming Techniques

Improving swimming techniques is vital to being a successful swimmer. Whether you're participating in fitness swimming or you're training for a triathlon, you may have a variety of reasons for wanting to become a better swimmer. Here are some tips to help you improve your swimming technique.

Visualization

Visualizing your path from start to finish can help your swimming technique by making sure that you stay on a straight path.

Improving Form

If you can get an experienced swimmer to watch you while you swim, that can help you to improve your swimming technique. An experienced swimmer or swim coach can watch your form as you swim and point out any movements you can cut out to make you faster. Ideally you will only be moving in a way that moves you forward, thus making you faster. If you don't know an experienced swimmer or you want to watch yourself, set up a video camera and film yourself swimming. Then review the tapes.

Work on Breathing

When you're breathing efficiently, you're not wasting time trying to get oxygen. Practice your breathing, recognizing that you should only be taking a breath every few strokes. Take too little and, well, you won't be able to breathe. But if you take more than you need, you can end up sacrificing form and even feeling dizzy.

Repetition

When you practice the same motion over and over again, you give yourself the opportunity to correct mistakes that you're making and perfect your technique. Repetition is one of the most important things you can do when improving your swimming technique.

Endurance Training

Swimming long distances is not only a good cardiovascular workout, it's a great way to perfect your swimming technique. It's easy to concentrate on your form when you're swimming short distances; it's much more difficult to maintain form when you've been swimming for awhile. Endurance training will also, as the name suggests, build your endurance. This means you'll be able to swim longer and stronger.