Craig Strong is currently the Competitive Aquatics Manger of the McGaw YMCA and a Level II Triathlon Coach. Prior Craig was the Assistant Swim and Dive Coach at Bucknell University in Lewisburg, PA.

Question for Coach Strong:
I dread the swim. How can I become a better swimmer?

Answer:
Float with Purpose

Why is swimming so difficult? Or, more precisely, why do so many people think that swimming is so difficult?

It is true that swimming is more technical than, say, the other components of triathlon. Few people can swim as well as they can run or ride a bike, and far fewer people can perform the basic mechanics of freestyle, much less the other strokes.

But most peoples’ troubles with swimming are pre-technical, although few realize this. Most people find swimming difficult because they cannot get beyond the feeling that they are struggling in the water. For them, getting up and down the pool a few times is extremely taxing and uncomfortable. In my experience, even those with good stamina who feel comfortable running and cycling at a reasonable pace still find swimming overly strenuous and exerting.

When I say that such difficulties are pre-technical, I mean that they stem from a problem more basic than faulty stroke mechanics. Most peoples’ difficulties in swimming begin with a poor sense of balance in the water. Your body must be balanced properly before we can begin to worry about things like the timing or placement of your arms, hands, and legs. Proper balance in the water is the most fundamental component of efficient swimming, and efficient swimming means faster and, more importantly, easier swimming. Think of balance as the foundation upon which to build a house: if the foundation is weak, the house will not be structurally sound.

To explain why balance is so important I’ll use an analogy. Picture an iceberg. A good 95% or more of the iceberg is below the surface of the water, which is to say that the iceberg is not streamlined; that is, it is not contoured so as to reduce resistance when moving through water. Now picture a kayak. A kayak is streamlined. The entire body of the kayak is in line with the bow or head, which means that the bow breaks through the water so that the rest of the vessel can follow without resistance. Anything that drops below the line extended from the bow, as in the case of the iceberg, must break the water on its own, which means resistance and hence increased effort. When your body is unbalanced in the water it’s more like the iceberg, with your bottom half sinking below the surface to create drag, which in turn makes you work harder. People often attribute sinking to their inability to float, but this is wrong. Anyone can float if only they are properly relaxed and balanced in the water.

The fastest way to improve your swimming is to work on your balance in the water, getting yourself to be more like that kayak. When you watch elite swimmers, one thing you’ll notice is that they keep their heads down and still, in line with their spine, and do not lift it at any stage, even when they inhale. They are striving to be like the kayak, getting their entire body into one plane with the head.

How do you become like the kayak? Use the following drill progression to learn to properly balance your body in the water. I recommend 3 to 5 sessions for full benefit.

Step 1: Ask for a kickboard at the local facility where you swim. Submerge the kickboard under your body lengthwise so that you are lying stomach down on the kickboard with it positioned between your chest and your hips. If you have trouble floating, move the kickboard further toward your hips. Your objective is to lie on your stomach in the water with your arms and legs spread out taking the position of an “X”. Lift your head up and push it down to see the effect it has on your body position and what it does to your lower half. Press down into your chest, keeping your eyes on the bottom of the pool and head in a neutral position and your spine in line. A thin layer of water will move over the back of your head if you are positioned correctly. Keep your arms and shoulders relaxed and even so that they feel like they are falling down to the bottom. See if you can get your hips to rise to the surface by keeping a firm plank (body at one level – no bend in the hips). Don’t try to lift your legs to the surface of the water. If you are pressing down into the water properly with your buoy – the chest area, so named because of the air in the lungs – the water will support you in your lower body, raising it to the surface. When you have to breathe, lift your head up either to the front or the side and notice what the shift in weight and pressure does to your body position in the water. While not breathing, search for your optimal head position noted above.

Step 2: If you are getting the hang of the position of an “X”, move to a more challenging position where you are displacing less water, the position of a “Y”. Keep your arms spread apart and relaxed but bring your legs together. You will have to readjust your body position by using your buoy, press down into the kickboard and feel your legs come up to the surface.

Step 3: When you are comfortable in the position of the “Y” move to a more streamline position with your legs together and arms together in front of your head. Readjust your body position now so that your hips rise to the surface again. In this final position your body should be immersed well into the water with your arms and legs relaxed in a straight line. You should use your chest to balance your body no longer struggling to keep yourself afloat.

Tip: When you first get in the pool, don’t rush to practice these drills, first work on getting acclimated to the water. Spend a few minutes each time before a swim workout on just floating and becoming more relaxed. Relaxation is an important component of floating and swimming well.

Once you’ve attained good balance in the water, we start to move forward! Look for my next article.