**1) Start set-up (on the block / in the water)**

**2) Flight & entry (hands/arms/head line, then body line)**

**3) Underwater streamline (glide phase)**

**4) Underwater propulsion (kick + rules)**

**5) Transition to breakout (first surface breath + first stroke timing)**

**6) Surface swimming (strokes + breathing + tempo/DPC)**

**7) Approach & finish (last 5m / last stroke decision)**

**1) Start set-up (on the block / in the water)**

**Job:** create the best launch angle + tightest shape possible.

**Measure:** reaction time, stance consistency, head/hip alignment.

**Common breaks:** “jumping up” instead of out, loose core, throwing the head.

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/2041-start-first-move>

**2) Flight & entry (hands/arms/head line, then body line)**

**Job:** enter with minimal splash + immediate streamline.

**Measure:** entry distance, splash profile, time to streamline.

**Common breaks:** wide entry, pike at hips, separation at elbows, late streamline.

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/3603-lili-start-above>

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/1302-super-slow-starts-reference-video>

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/2307-preview-backstroke-start>

**3) Underwater streamline (glide phase)**

**Job:** protect velocity you already have.

**Measure:** speed decay (how quickly you slow), posture (spine neutral), depth consistency.

**Common breaks:** loose ankles, bent knees, “banana” posture, head lifted.

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/3604-lili-start-under>

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/2279-starts-bruno-dive-glide>

**4) Underwater propulsion (kick + rules)**

**Job:** add speed without adding drag.

**Measure:** underwater distance, underwater time, speed to breakout, depth control.

**Common breaks:** kicking too deep/too shallow, kicking “hard” but slow, poor toe/ankle line.

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/281-flow-the-kickout>

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/216-aaron-underwater-dolphin>

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/411-think-like-a-dolphin>

**5) Transition to breakout (first surface breath + first stroke timing)**

**Job:** surface without losing speed or body line.

**Measure:** breakout distance, breakout speed, time to first clean cycle.

**Common breaks:** breathing during the rise, lifting the head, starting strokes too early or too late.

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/1978-butterfly-breakout-practice>

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/941-underwater-dolphin-and-breakout>

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/2089-freestyle-andi-murez-stable-head-breakout>

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/2042-backstroke-tennessee-breakout>

**6) Surface swimming (strokes + breathing + tempo/DPC)**

**Job:** turn speed into sustainable speed.

**Measure:** **Tempo + Distance Per Cycle** (your GoSwim pillars), plus velocity consistency.

**Common breaks:** tempo spikes, DPC collapse, breath disrupts line

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/2232-single-focus-sprint>

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/1762-vertical-kick-sprint-25s>

**7) Approach & finish (last 5m / last stroke decision)**

**Job:** “arrive” at the wall at speed—no hesitation.

**Measure:** stroke count into the wall, last breath timing, finish speed.

**Common breaks:** extra glide, last-second lunge, shortening strokes early.

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/662-get-your-hand-on-the-wall>

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/2163-freestyle-finishes>

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/988-breaststroke-the-last-stroke>


Feb 17, 2026 - Anatomy of a Length of Swimming

When a gun goes off, I breathe out. The same thing as I do, um, when I'm lifting. I just make a noise that actually people make fun of me that I do, like, tss. And then I start. One friend of mine, back in Brazil, he taught me that a good start about you have your guns on your belt. So you just gotta pick up, bring your arms up, and then have a good streamlined position and attack.

When the blocks have the light on, I always pay attention a lot more on the lights than the sound. I don't know, maybe just something on my head, on my mind that I study physics, that the light comes out before the sound. That when it does, uh, my reaction time, it actually got, goes, goes faster.


Joao - First Move - Start

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


How to Manage the Future

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


Understanding Tempo

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 Distance Per Cycle

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.


Social Post Welcome

**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.


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