Improve your swim technique for triathlon!

Published by kellypuffer on

Mastering proper swimming technique is crucial to success in triathlons, and it is essential that as a beginner triathlete, you learn how to swim efficiently and effectively to ensure that you can finish the swim reserving enough energy to complete the rest of the triathlon race. We’ll quickly dive into why it’s so important and how you can improve your swim technique.

Then we’ll share our favourite resources we have found most useful and that we think might help other women beginner triathletes improve and accelerate their journey to reaching their triathlon swim goals.

Why Is Proper Swimming Technique Important in Triathlons?

Efficiency: Proper swimming technique allows you to swim more efficiently, using less energy and conserving your strength for the other two disciplines. By mastering proper technique, you will reduce drag and improve your body position in the water, which in turn results in swimming faster and with less effort.

Confidence: Improving swimming technique can also boost your confidence in the water, so you can feel comfortable and relaxed during the swim leg of the race.  It’s the first leg of the triathlon, so it’s helpful to feel relaxed and happy at the start of the race.  Feeling confident in the swim section will allow you to conserve energy and perform better throughout the rest of the triathlon.

Injury prevention: Poor swimming technique can lead to injuries, such as shoulder pain or neck strain, which can be debilitating and hinder your performance as a triathlete. By mastering proper technique, you can reduce the risk of injury and stay healthy throughout your triathlon training and racing.

How to Improve Swimming Technique in Triathlons

Improving swimming technique takes time and practice, so keep at it and stay patience. It’s consistency that will see you through to becoming a strong swimming. Here are some tips to help you on your way to improving your swimming technique:

  1. Get a coach or take swimming lessons: Working with a swimming coach can be one of the best ways to improve your technique. A coach can provide personalized feedback, helping you identify areas where you can improve and providing guidance on how to do it.
  2. Watch videos: We watch a lot of swimming technique videos on YouTube to learn about proper technique. Specifically look for videos that demonstrate correct body positioning, breathing, and stroke mechanics.
  3. Practice drills: This makes swimming fun! There are so many drills that you can do as a triathlete to improve your technique, such as kicking drills, breathing drills, and stroke drills. Incorporating these drills into your swim workouts can help you build muscle memory and improve your technique much faster than you would just swimming up and down the lane every swim session.
  4. Join a Masters swim team: Masters swim teams are groups of adult swimmers who train together under the guidance of a coach. Joining a team can provide a supportive environment, push you to swim faster and put more effort into your training. It also helps to improve your technique and help you stay motivated.
  5. Practice open water swimming: Open water swimming presents unique challenges compared to swimming in a pool, such as currents, waves, and sighting. Practicing open water swimming can help you become more comfortable and confident in these conditions and prepare you for race day. If you have an open water swim triathlon coming up soon, check out our blog on Open Water Swimming Tips for Triathlon! 

Our favourite Swimming Tips Resources

  1. My absolute favourite is Effortless Swimming, I have learnt a lot from their online videos, but you can also get a swim assessment for specific tips focused on your technique.
  2. My Swim Pro not only has some great videos but also an app and training plans to improve your swim technique.   
  3. Swim Smooth – Swim Smooth is a website that offers a wide range of resources for swimmers, including technique advice, training plans, and video analysis. They have a section specifically for triathletes that includes tips on open water swimming, sighting, and race preparation.
  4. Triathlete Magazine – Triathlete Magazine is a great resource for triathletes looking to improve their swimming technique. They offer articles and videos on technique, as well as training plans and advice from experts in the field.
  5. Global Triathlon Network – are not only super friendly and funny to watch but they really bring out the best in training and the idea of just having fun. They also provide great training tips and tricks not only for swimming but in the other disciplines too!
  6. Local swimming coaches – Working with a local swimming coach can be a great way to improve your technique. They can provide personalized feedback and instruction to help you improve your swimming efficiency and speed.

Hopefully you too will find these resources useful to improve your swimming technique and become a more confident and efficient swimmer! We are still learning every time we get in the pool and understand the importance of drill work to really start to see an improvement. 

In conclusion, mastering proper swimming technique is crucial to having an enjoyable and successful triathlon race. By improving your technique, you can swim more efficiently, boost your confidence, and reduce your risk of injury. To improve your technique, consider working with a coach, watching videos, practicing drills, joining a Masters swim team, and practicing open water swimming. With consistent practice and dedication, you can become a stronger and more efficient swimmer, setting yourself up for success in triathlons.

Learn to Swim like a Pro

 

Triathlon at its best is challenging, requiring endurance and skill in three different disciplines: swimming, cycling, and running. If swimming is the most challenging for you, do not worry. Many find the swim leg the most difficult, especially those who do not come from a swimming background. It’s completely normal. 

Mastering proper swimming technique is crucial to success in triathlons, and it is essential that as a beginner triathlete, you learn how to swim efficiently and effectively to ensure that you can finish the swim reserving enough energy to complete the rest of the triathlon race. We’ll quickly dive into why it’s so important and how you can improve your swim technique.

Then we’ll share our favourite resources we have found most useful and that we think might help other women beginner triathletes improve and accelerate their journey to reaching their triathlon swim goals.

Why Is Proper Swimming Technique Important in Triathlons?

Efficiency: Proper swimming technique allows you to swim more efficiently, using less energy and conserving your strength for the other two disciplines. By mastering proper technique, you will reduce drag and improve your body position in the water, which in turn results in swimming faster and with less effort.

Confidence: Improving swimming technique can also boost your confidence in the water, so you can feel comfortable and relaxed during the swim leg of the race.  It’s the first leg of the triathlon, so it’s helpful to feel relaxed and happy at the start of the race.  Feeling confident in the swim section will allow you to conserve energy and perform better throughout the rest of the triathlon.

Injury prevention: Poor swimming technique can lead to injuries, such as shoulder pain or neck strain, which can be debilitating and hinder your performance as a triathlete. By mastering proper technique, you can reduce the risk of injury and stay healthy throughout your triathlon training and racing.

How to Improve Swimming Technique in Triathlons

Improving swimming technique takes time and practice, so keep at it and stay patience. It’s consistency that will see you through to becoming a strong swimming. Here are some tips to help you on your way to improving your swimming technique:

  1. Get a coach or take swimming lessons: Working with a swimming coach can be one of the best ways to improve your technique. A coach can provide personalized feedback, helping you identify areas where you can improve and providing guidance on how to do it.
  2. Watch videos: We watch a lot of swimming technique videos on YouTube to learn about proper technique. Specifically look for videos that demonstrate correct body positioning, breathing, and stroke mechanics.
  3. Practice drills: This makes swimming fun! There are so many drills that you can do as a triathlete to improve your technique, such as kicking drills, breathing drills, and stroke drills. Incorporating these drills into your swim workouts can help you build muscle memory and improve your technique much faster than you would just swimming up and down the lane every swim session.
  4. Join a Masters swim team: Masters swim teams are groups of adult swimmers who train together under the guidance of a coach. Joining a team can provide a supportive environment, push you to swim faster and put more effort into your training. It also helps to improve your technique and help you stay motivated.
  5. Practice open water swimming: Open water swimming presents unique challenges compared to swimming in a pool, such as currents, waves, and sighting. Practicing open water swimming can help you become more comfortable and confident in these conditions and prepare you for race day. If you have an open water swim triathlon coming up soon, check out our blog on Open Water Swimming Tips for Triathlon! 

Our favourite Swimming Tips Resources

  1. My absolute favourite is Effortless Swimming, I have learnt a lot from their online videos, but you can also get a swim assessment for specific tips focused on your technique.
  2. My Swim Pro not only has some great videos but also an app and training plans to improve your swim technique.   
  3. Swim Smooth – Swim Smooth is a website that offers a wide range of resources for swimmers, including technique advice, training plans, and video analysis. They have a section specifically for triathletes that includes tips on open water swimming, sighting, and race preparation.
  4. Triathlete Magazine – Triathlete Magazine is a great resource for triathletes looking to improve their swimming technique. They offer articles and videos on technique, as well as training plans and advice from experts in the field.
  5. Global Triathlon Network – are not only super friendly and funny to watch but they really bring out the best in training and the idea of just having fun. They also provide great training tips and tricks not only for swimming but in the other disciplines too!
  6. Local swimming coaches – Working with a local swimming coach can be a great way to improve your technique. They can provide personalized feedback and instruction to help you improve your swimming efficiency and speed.

Hopefully you too will find these resources useful to improve your swimming technique and become a more confident and efficient swimmer! We are still learning every time we get in the pool and understand the importance of drill work to really start to see an improvement. 

In conclusion, mastering proper swimming technique is crucial to having an enjoyable and successful triathlon race. By improving your technique, you can swim more efficiently, boost your confidence, and reduce your risk of injury. To improve your technique, consider working with a coach, watching videos, practicing drills, joining a Masters swim team, and practicing open water swimming. With consistent practice and dedication, you can become a stronger and more efficient swimmer, setting yourself up for success in triathlons.

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