Swimming Math — Start Making Sense

Important Note to the Viewer

LESSONS: 5 VIDEOS

Intro to Swimming Math

Swimming Math — Start Making Sense Distance per Cycle. Tempo. Velocity. In this course, we’ll start by learning the basics of the GoSwim app—how to film, review, and share video, and how to capture the data that actually matters. From there, we’ll zoom out and look at how swimming really works. Competitive swimming isn’t guesswork. It isn’t instinct. And it isn’t magic. It’s math. Distance per cycle. Tempo. Velocity. When you understand how these pieces fit together, improvement stops feeling random and starts becoming predictable. Small gains add up. Skills compound. Progress becomes something you can see, measure, and trust. This course is a mix of tutorials, education, and motivation—a place where we can dig into the fundamentals, challenge common assumptions, and riff on our favorite subject: helping swimmers, parents, and coaches make sense of the sport. Think of this as an open, evolving space to learn, explore, and connect the dots. Welcome to Swimming Math.

Social Post Welcome

Hi, this is Glenn Mills from GoSwim. What if your swimmer’s upcoming championship meets could do more than just produce times? What if they could reveal a clear path toward long-term improvement? By simply filming your swimmer’s races and pulling out a few key data points, we can help swimmers and parents better understand how the sport really works. More importantly, we show how consistent attention to just a few essential factors—day after day—can lead to meaningful, long-term progress. This process isn’t easy. Improvement never is. But when swimmers understand what to focus on—and why—progress becomes far more predictable. Here’s the part parents appreciate most: We’re offering this experience free through the end of this championship season. Why free? Because data is just the starting point. There’s no single formula, no shortcut, and no secret. Every swimmer is different. Every athlete is unique. True progress comes from understanding that individuality. That’s what we do best—helping swimmers and coaches unlock what makes their swimming unique. Follow us for updates, and click or scan the link to join the GoSwim 2026 Championship Group. You’ll receive daily lessons, ongoing guidance, and full access to GoSwim through the end of March—supporting your swimmer when it matters most.

Understanding Distance Per Cycle

Swimming looks simple: get in the water and go faster. But swimming isn’t instinct—and going faster in the water doesn’t work the way most people think it does. Swimming is math. And the first piece of that math is length. When we talk about length in swimming, we’re always asking one simple question: Is it longer or shorter? That might mean: the length of the race the length of the push-off or the length of time spent underwater But today, we’re focusing on the most important length of all: Distance Per Cycle. Distance per cycle is the completion of one full stroke cycle. In freestyle and backstroke, that’s the right arm and the left arm. In butterfly and breaststroke, both arms move together. Distance per cycle is simply how far your body travels during that stroke cycle—and it’s one of the most important things a swimmer can understand. Distance per cycle is not about effort. It’s about skill. It reflects how well the body is balanced in the water, how aligned the swimmer is, and how cleanly they move through the water. This is the magic of swimming. Two swimmers can take the same number of strokes at the same tempo and move at very different speeds. The difference is distance per cycle. Here’s the problem: distance per cycle is the last thing humans understand about swimming fast. When young swimmers are told to go faster, they do the one thing that makes sense—move their arms faster. That instinct works on land, but water doesn’t reward effort. Water punishes resistance. When a swimmer shortens their stroke, loses their body line, and starts to thrash, they create more resistance—and resistance is the enemy of speed. Without realizing it, they’re working harder just to go the same speed… or slower. Great swimming doesn’t start with speed. It starts with length. Longer body lines. More distance per cycle. Less resistance through the water. This is the science of how the body moves through the water—and it has to be learned. Before we ever ask a swimmer to move faster, we have to teach them how to move farther with each stroke. In the next video, we’ll talk about the second part of swimming math: tempo—and why increasing tempo without understanding distance is where most swimmers get stuck.

Understanding Tempo

In our first video, we talked about Length — Distance Per Cycle. How far a swimmer travels with each complete stroke. Now we move to the second part of Swimming Math: Tempo. When we talk about tempo, we’re asking one simple question: Is it faster… or slower? Most swimmers think going faster means moving the arms faster. That instinct makes sense — on land, more effort usually equals more speed. But water doesn’t reward effort alone. When tempo increases without protecting Distance Per Cycle, strokes get shorter. Shorter strokes create more resistance. More resistance cancels speed. This is swimming’s most common trap: Swimmers feel exhausted… but they’re not actually moving faster. Speed in swimming is simple math. If Tempo goes up but Distance Per Cycle goes down — the math doesn’t improve. Water doesn’t care how hard you try. It only responds to shape, alignment, timing, and efficiency. Tempo is not the enemy. Tempo is powerful — when it’s applied at the right time. Efficiency first. Speed second. One of the best ways to train this: • Learn your current tempo. • Learn your current Distance Per Cycle. • Hold the same tempo. • Gradually improve Distance Per Cycle. When tempo increases naturally — and safely — speed follows. Tempo isn’t the problem. Misunderstood tempo is. In the final video, we’ll show how Distance Per Cycle improves without forcing it, without guessing — and in a way that fits a swimmer’s long-term development. SwimmingIsMath GoSwim Tempo DistancePerCycle

How to Manage the Future

In the first two videos, we talked about Length (Distance Per Cycle) and Tempo (Stroke Rate). Now we get to the most important question: How does Distance Per Cycle actually improve? This is where anxiety often shows up. Do we push harder? Do we add more work? Do we force speed? The answer is no. Distance Per Cycle improves through skill, attention, and time. It’s not something you muscle into existence. It’s the byproduct of: • Better body position • Better timing • Better interaction with the water And those things are learned. 1️⃣ Count Strokes The first step is simple: count your strokes. When swimmers count, they become aware. They learn the difference between moving water… and spinning their arms. Stroke counting turns swimming from guessing into understanding. This is where data matters — knowing what a strong stroke count is, and what needs improvement. 2️⃣ “Shorten the Pool” Better streamlines. Longer underwaters. More intentional breakouts. Every yard or meter traveled underwater is distance gained without stroking. That’s free speed. Underwaters are a long-term skill. Every elite swimmer has them. The earlier they’re developed, the greater the advantage over time. 3️⃣ Growth Multiplies Skill Swimmers don’t control growth — but they benefit from it. As limbs lengthen and natural strength increases, leverage improves. If skill is already in place, growth multiplies its effect. That’s why focusing on Distance Per Cycle early is so powerful. You’re preparing your swimmer for who they are becoming. Watch elite swimmers: Long body lines. Patient strokes. Long underwaters. Clean breakouts. Effort that looks controlled — not frantic. None of this is instinct. It’s learned. Swimming is simple math: Distance first. Tempo second. When Distance Per Cycle improves: • Progress becomes predictable • Training becomes intentional • Speed becomes sustainable The sooner a swimmer learns how to work the math, the better their chances of reaching their potential. Download the GoSwim app and start learning the math. We’re giving complimentary access through the end of March. Join us. We’ll walk with you every step of the journey. SwimmingIsMath GoSwim DistancePerCycle SwimDevelopment