The Eight Laws of Swimming (Part 2: The Epic Conclusion)

This post is a continuation of the Eight Laws of Swimming; maxims I have updated and modified from talks one of my first coaches gave us at the beginning of each swim season.  If you missed the previous post, make sure you read the first four laws before reading this post.  For more in-depth thoughts and analysis on swimming, subscribe to my email list.  You’ll have access to additional swim related resources and get updates when new blog posts are published.

5.  Power is generated from the hips and torso.  Use your shoulders for your recovery and to generate additional arm speed.

What do baseball players, golfers, martial artists, and swimmers all have in common?  They all use their hips and torso to generate power to excel in their respective sports.  When a baseball player swings their bat, they are using the rotation of their hips and pelvis to drive the ball over the fence for a home run.  The force needed to drive a golf ball off its tee and send it flying towards the green is generated in the hips of the golfer.  Students of karate, kung fu, and taekwondo are often reminded to put their hips into kicks and punches to add power and reach.  The same is true for swimming; you should be generating most of your power from you hips.

Rotating your body after each stroke helps to produce hip-driven power.  This is one of the reasons why most coaches implore that their swimmers should swim from side to side, instead of flat in the water.  By engaging your hips into your stroke, you will be able to apply a greater amount of force to the water with each stroke.  Hip-driven swimming incorporates the larger upper body muscle groups into your stroke, which translates into more power in the water.  Some triathlete swimmers will only use their shoulders to power through the water.  Using only your shoulders may produce a faster stroke turnover rate and some power, but it will tire you out more quickly.  You’ll be the fast swimmer to the halfway point, but may be the last one to the finish line.  To help get a more powerful stroke, incorporate a dry land workout that focuses on strengthening your core.  Not only will it help you in the water, but will make you a stronger athlete out of the water as well!!  

6.  Use visual and mental imagery of yourself achieving and surpassing your goals!!

The night before big races, in college, I would get in bed 20 to 30 minutes earlier than normal to complete one final swim practice.  This practice wouldn’t take place in the water, but instead it would occur in my mind.  I would close my eyes and imagine myself at the pool.  I would go through all of my pre-race routines and when I was ready I’d step up to the block.  In my mind I’d hear the gun go off and feel the coldness of the water on my skin as I broke the surface after my dive.  During this “race,” I would time my breaths and execute each flip turn flawlessly.  On the final lap I would feel my lungs burning as I neared the finish until I drove forward with my last stroke and felt the joy of coming in first.  The next day, as I walked towards the block, I would feel a sense of calm knowing exactly how the race would go since I had swam it already the night before.

As a swimmer, you will spend countless hours perfecting the physical aspect of swimming.  It’s just as important to work on the mental part and using visualization will help you in your mind as well as help you in the water.  Going through the race in your mind will prepare you for the difficulties and challenges you may face during the race.  If you are nervous about the chaos of a mass start, visualize all of the arms and legs flailing around you and plan how to get around or through them.  If your unsure if you have the stamina to swim the entire race fast, imagine the feeling of muscle fatigue and see yourself swimming through it all the way to the end.  Practice your race over and over in your mind so that on the morning of the event, you will have the confidence of a triathlete who has already finished the race and has already succeeded!!

7.  Attack your race; don’t worry about your opponent.  You can only control what YOU do.

My swimmers are nervous before races for a variety of different reasons.  Some need to pumped up to get their adrenaline flowing.  Some need a little confidence and the reassurance that I believe they are capable of being great.  Others get too worried about the person they are swimming against and need to be refocused on their own race.  The talk I give the latter group of swimmers is generally always the same.  I tell that that I will always be happy with them, no matter the outcome of the race as long as they put everything they have into the race.  Win or lose, if they do the best they can on that particular day, then they are a winner to me.

This is one of the reasons that I think swimming is such a great sport; you are in control of your own destiny.  No matter how much you worry about the abilities of the people you swim against, you can only control what you do.  When you swim in a triathlon you will be in the water with hundreds of other athletes.  Other than trying not to get hit or kicked, ignore them completely.  Don’t worry if people are passing you; just think about your own race.  It’s natural to want to keep up with other swimmers, but if you’re new to triathlons your goal should be to swim your own pace.  Focus on your own race and control the only thing you can; yourself.

8.  Never look back.

In an open water swim, it is easy to be intimidated by the size of the lake, river, or ocean. Swimming a long distance always seems more manageable in a pool because it is only 25 yards long and the true length of the swim is masked.  During your swim you will get urge to look back to see how far you’ve gone.  Fight it.  Focus on the goal at hand and keep your eyes set on the buoys and the finish line.  If you look back during a swim you might think you are further along that you are and may become pessimistic about your progress.  You might get intimidated by the number of swimmings coming up behind you.  Your stroke will be thrown off of its rhythm and your routine will be messed up.

This maxim can also be related to swimming technique.  I see many new swimmers looking back while they breath.  As you remember from the previous post, proper head position while swimming requires that you keep your eyes looking down at the bottom of the pool while swimming.  When you rotate your body and head to breathe, you should be looking perpendicular to the bottom of the pool.  If you look back when you breathe, your head and body will be pulled out of streamline, causing additional drag.  This will force you to expend more energy than needed and will lead to fatigue.

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