Lessons

Browse through our thousands of Lessons to gain a deeper understanding of swimming. Use our search bar located above or, if you're new to the site, use the Guided View to help narrow down the Lessons presented to you. If you use the Guided View, you’ll also be able to add your Expertise Level as an additional filter.

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Ankle Pull-Buoy Turns

Putting the pull-buoy at the ankles makes it JUST a little slower to do a turn. Getting the buoy out of the water and over the flip is just a little slower. The more turns you do with this added resistance, the better it's going to feel when you take it off. Follow the links to FINIS if you want to pick up any of these products. Use Promo code GOSWIMTV to receive 20% off you're purchase. FINIS Manta Paddles FINIS Stability Snorkel FINIS Nose Clip FINIS Ankle Strap FINIS Pull Buoy

July 16, 2024 - Summer Swim Camp Session 2: Flip Turns

At any given practice, swimmers often get more than 100 chances to practice their flip turns. But they almost never get a chance to break down the movement to get BETTER at it. Here’s how we teach flip turns at summer swim camp. Thanks in advance to NCAA sprint champion and Olympic finalist Kristian Golomeev for the progression. Monday Kristian Golomeev: Flip Turn Step 1 Three-time Olympian Kristian Golomeev uses a 6-step progression to practice his flip turns. It begins with a simple pushoff, head first. Of course, there are details. <https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/2265-flip-turn-step-1> 0457 pushoff horizontal and on the surface 0650 maintain a horizontal bodyline 1649 push off with enough force to create resistance 2931 start the practice of having the palms facing down Tuesday Kristian Golomeev: Flip Turn Step 2 Step 2 is really simple, but pay attention to the fine points. <https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/2266-flip-turn-step-2> 0262 push off like you did in step one 0371 tuck the chin to expose the back of the head 0512 allow the water to take the body down 0732 continue the ride 1042 again push off with enough force to create resistance 1178 tuck the chin to expose the back of the head 1409 be patient 2437 exposed the back of the head and back Wednesday Kristian Golomeev: Flip Turn Step 3 The fine point in Step 3 is: DON’T WORK! The fine point is to explore how two simple moves – tucking the head and tucking the knees – can initiate enough momentum for a complete somersault. <https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/2267-flip-turn-step-3> 0768 reviewed step one 1828 review step two 2731 tuck the knees after you see them 3016 allow the body to flow over 3522 tuck the chin before you tucked the knees 4299 see how far Christian is before he starts tucking the knees 4444 not a complete tuck but close Thursday Kristian Golomeev: Flip Turn Step 4 Kristian’s flip-turn progression is all about the details. In Step 4, the focus is timing and control, rather than speed. <https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/2268-flip-turn-step-4> 0357 review step three 0931 now at the hands 1478 hand stay high until the knees are tucked 2289 Christian adds a very small dolphin 2420 the tuck of the chin and the resistance of the water get the torso down 2506 the tuck of the knees create a smaller ball 2567 the flick of hands gets the legs over 3038 momentum is your friend 3436 with momentum look how far he is through the turn 3447 now things are starting to come together Friday Kristian Golomeev: Flip Turn Step 5 Step 5 is all about how you come out of the somersault. Don’t rush the fine points: full-body streamline; hand lock; head lock; torso stable; toes pointed. <https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/2269-flip-turn-step-5> 0235 practice all the steps before you move forward 0268 tuck the chin 0294 tuck the knees 0313 push the hands 0376 get the hands in streamline 0416 extend to streamline position 0951 body should be parallel to the surface of the water 2329 body parallel to the surface of the water Saturday Kristian Golomeev: Flip Turn Step 6 The final step in Kristian’s progression is how you leave the wall. Aiming for timing and flow here. <https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/2270-flip-turn-step-6> 0422 step one 0476 step two 0566 step three 0599 step four 0750 step five 0888 step six 1975 body is starting to go down prior to the small dolphin 2131 Christian can see his knees 2252 the tuck of the knees and the flick of the hands are starting to coordinate 2827 streamline prior to push 3457 Watch how fast he turns the hands over 4258 at speed all the components are harder to see 4651 step one 4667 step two 4696 step three and four 4774 step five 5013 it’s all one movement 5915 at speed 10052 follow the last hand down 10211 Palms are facing down 10407 horizontal before push 10584 slightly downward exit 11136 parallel to the surface Sunday Turn Drill: Eyes Down Flips Don’t spoil a beautifully executed and timed flip turn by looking for the wall. Here’s what to do instead. <https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/2032-turns-eyes-down-flips> 1585 looking at the wall 1630 looking at the wall 1711 Head is open and hand start before knees tuck 1741 hands too close to head 1765 slight upward orientation 1811 pushing off too high 2809 start learning the cross 3253 look for the deepest part of the line 4819 different at nearly every pool 5358 memorize the bottom and the wall 10129 look for the color change from the floor to the wall 11355 memorize these spots 12707 better eyes down approach 12817 better tuck of the chin 12849 hand still early but better 12928 a little bit better pushoff 20711 different head positions 21751 heading uphill or heading forward 21181 trying to position the swimmer at the same spot 23880 noticeable difference BONUS: Turn Drill: Cord Flip Turns Here’s a quick trick that will help you stay low and tight on your flip turns. <https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/2175-turns-cord-flip-turns> 3732 place a cord in the right position so the swimmers head Hass to get under it 4944 he should get under the legs will go over 11056 after the legs push the cord down 11154 it will snap back in place LILI 0373 eyes slightly up 0513 Head goes down 1165 Head follows the last stroke down 1552 ready for the push 2275 eyes looking down 2487 momentum took the head and torso down 2510 combination of steps three and four 2906 step five thank you thank you

Filming Yourself in App

Here is a quick video showing you how easy it is to film yourself using the GoSwim app.

Lili - Head Lead Monofin Annotation

A few more details about Head Lead Body Dolphin using the FINIS Foil Monofin.

Lili - Head Lead Monofin Dolphin

Pick up your FOIL Monofin today.

Backstroke - Stable Head

A short coach's clip of video showing how stable Ash's head is when he swims backstroke. Look at how dynamically the body rotates around the centerline, the movement of the shoulders, the catch of the hands... nothing disturbs the solid position of the head. In this great view, you can also see how Ashley times his breathing. Backstroke breathing also has a rhythm like the other strokes.

July 9, 2024 - Summer Swim Camp Session 1: Streamline, Balance, Core Stability

For the next few weeks, we’ll offer a behind-the-scenes look at what goes on at a Go Swim Summer Swim Camp. Spoiler alert: It’s not killer sets and high yardage. Our camps are all about teaching and technique and we start with the basics: streamline, balance, and core stability. Monday Brad Tandy: Stationary Front Float It doesn’t get more basic – or more important – than this. Can you float on top of the water, in streamline, in balance? Can you???? <https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/2934-stationary-front-float> 0518 - you got lightly Brad touches the bottom with his foot 0603 - look at how soft the sculling is 0743 - you press down to balance 0793 - once balance is equalized the body rises 0935 - balance bodyline 1268 - balance bodyline 1429 - movement in the water 2331 - initial teaching of tucking before standing Tuesday Freestyle Drill: Ball to Line to Kick to Swim We make sure every camper can do this drill! <https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/3264-ball-to-line-to-kick-to-swim-home-school> 0534 - ball 0749 - line 1568 - ball 2012 - line 2143 - kick 2423 - eyes down 2971 - ball 3183 - line 3304 - kick 3622 - swim Wednesday Step 1: Core Stability Glide Being able to ace this move is probably THE most important secret of swimming. <https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/2381-step-1-core-stability-glide> 0452 - streamline 0874 - body emerges into the surface 1531 - the line in breaststroke 2297 - the line in breaststroke 3250 - streamline and the line in breaststroke 3641 - balanced surfacing 4301 - balanced surfacing 5126 - how far can you glide 10426 - do not push off too deep 10843 - ride the line after you surface Thursday Bruno Fratus: PREVIEW - Dive Glide After mastering core stability from a push, try it from a dive. <https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/2215-preview-dive-glide> 0528 - ridgid line from fingertips to toes 0772 - rigid line from fingertips to toes 1056 - look at the widest part of the body everything is within that line 1107 - perfectly parallel to the surface 1278 - body starts to lose balance but Bruno holds the line 1430 - continuing to maintain the line 1534 - maintaining the line even as the body goes out of balance Friday Glenn EP: Pull Buoy Core Stability Here’s a true test of whether you have core stability. At camp or at a practice, swimmers can peer-review each other. <https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/3168-pull-buoy-core-stability> 0535 - hold the poor boy at the ankles 0664 start swimming thinking about course stability 0861 imbalance at the start of the swim 1022 leg swing to the other side 1115 legs pendulum back to the other side 1252 starting to get in line 1568 Pull boy at surface 1699 full rotation of the entire body 1814 Full rotation 3385 ready to drop the pull buoy 3506 Pull buoy comes out 3533 initiate small kick Saturday Freestyle Drill: No Kick Stability This drill can be incorporated into any freestyle set, and helps swimmers work on balance, tightening the core, and awareness of bodyline. <https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/2088-freestyle-no-kick-freestyle> 0598 balance bodyline extended and rotated 1983 Point the toes and keep the legs rigid 2191 rotate the legs with the body 2506 no swinging of the legs 2780 Full rotation from shoulders to hips toes 3907 pointed toes rigid legs 4854 adding a gentle kick Sunday Drill: Tow Rope Core Stability Here’s how to have some fun while mastering streamline, balance, and core stability. <https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/2600-tow-rope-core-stability> 0326 swimmer holds the cord underwater 0611 hold and glide 1082 could be tighter streamline 4450 athlete holds the cord underwater 4906 somewhere has a head up 5032 swimmer put the head down 5435 stress pointed toes 10320 whenever tension is on the cord it should be held underwater 12106 it helps having good egg beater kick 12444 continue to hold the cord underwater 13000 reel the swimmer in 13956 immediately send this swimmer to the next lane 14557 practice what you just learned 15019 dynamically teaching bodyline and awareness 15371 experiment with different head positions 15893 avoid stabilization with the feet 20753 keep the toes pointed even if the body starts to rotate

iPad App - Adding Underwater Velocity

In the most recent update to the iPad app, we are starting the introduction of calculating underwater velocity. This will be extremely useful in meet race analysis as well as immediate feedback in practice. Currently, this is iPad only.

July 2, 2024 - When Watching the Olympics, Look for the Basics: Streamline and Breakout

When Watching the Olympics, Look for the Basics: Streamline and Breakout When we watch big meets like Olympics or Olympic Trials, it’s easy to get caught up in the race, i.e., who wins and who loses and did they break a record. Look deeper! Big meets are filled with opportunities to observe how elite swimmers “execute” the basics, the things we can all learn to do better. This week we talk about how to watch streamlines and breakouts. Monday Bruno Fratus: Start – Underwater Dolphins Watch Bruno’s dolphins, but pay closer attention to his streamline. swimming olympics streamline olympian <https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/2429-start-underwater-dolphins> 0330 - Bruno’s hands are completely streamline and he looks like a missile 0479 - maintaining an extremely tight streamline 0591 - here we can see it very clearly perfect streamline 0640 - Watch the thumb release 0894 - achieves a horizontal bodyline quickly 0984 - Watch the stability of the head 2958 - my favorite balanced line 3730 - getting horizontal 4258 - getting horizontal earlier 4978 - look at the thumb lock 10763 - Watch the release of the thumb 11960 - slight head lift once the hands release 12013 - Head back down during the poll Tuesday Liliana Ibañez: Lili Start Under Mexican Olympian Liliana Ibañez demonstrates her tight streamline and arrow-like entry. <https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/3604-lili-start-under> swimming olympics streamline olympian 0321 - getting horizontal 0403 - Zoom in on the hands 0536 - a gradual incline 0641 - Watch the release of the hands 0690 - planned or just happen the turn of the lead hand 0743 - look at that catch 1675 - Watch the stability of the hands and head over the next few kicks 2701 - Watch the stability of the head as the pole is initiated 3575 - creating the smallest hole possible 3619 - what shape do you show the water 5219 - always thinking of front end 5279 - look at her surface signature 5571 - perfect streamline 5915 - keep that image in your head Wednesday James Guy: Butterfly Breakout James Guy will represent the UK at Paris 2024. He sets up every length with a tight streamline and perfectly-timed breakout. <https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/2609-butterfly-breakout> swimming olympics streamline olympian 0455 - tight streamline 0951 - Watch the hands release 1073 - Head stays down in the breakout 1239 - surfing the face over the water 1538 - low first breath 1881 - perfect streamline 2092 - riding the push 2238 - getting horizontal 2848 - use the ledge as your guide 3493 - variations in hands 3548 - planning the breakout 4171 - Number of kicks or feeling the water lighten 5988 - parallel to the surface 11621 - parallel to the surface for the first stroke 12129 - parallel to the surface for the first stroke 14203 - eyes and nose still in the water 14675 - land forward after first stroke not down Thursday Jessica Hardy: Super--Slow Starts – Reference Video A tight streamline is key to Jessica Hardy entering the water through one hole on her starts. <https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/1302-super-slow-starts-reference-video> swimming olympics streamline olympian 0449 - no wedge 0868 - body parallel to the surface 1119 - perfect streamline before entry 1323 - trying to enter through one hole 2842 - very tight on entry 3070 - to pointed on entry 4446 - creating a straight line with the torso to the hips 4637 - legs are rigid and follow through the hole 5554 - hands piercing the surface 5718 - torso leg going through one hole 10076 - secondary splash Friday Connor Oslin: Backstroke Wedge Start As you watch backstroke starts at the Olympics and Trials, watch for tight streamlines on entry. <https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/2755-backstroke-wedge-start> swimming olympics streamline olympian 1409 - position to push back 1477 - Head does not throw back but stays in line 1495 - body fully extended over the surface of the water 1505 - reaching back with hands and arching back 1515 - legs are parallel to the surface of the water 1585 - extremely clean entry 4409 - flatback 4522 - slight push of the hands 4706 - hand leading the arch 4824 - legs parallel to the surface 4871 - feet follow body through the hole 10596 - entire body parallel to the surface of the water 10625 - hips legs and feet follow through one hole 12200 - streamline entry 12314 - slight oval signature 12825 - circle Saturday Cullen Jones: Breakouts from the Blocks Gold medalist Cullen Jones demos his technique from the blocks and into his first stroke. Tight streamline is key. <https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/1032-breakouts-from-the-blocks> swimming olympics streamline olympian 0349 - streamline 0761 - streamline 1025 - first poll is initiated prior to breakout 1080 - entire body reaches the surface at the same time 1123 - pay attention to the lead arm 1749 - tight streamline 1959 - driving the lead hand forward 2883 - riding the glide 3581 - thumb lock streamline 4110 - fingers intertwined 5415 - parallel to the surface of the water 5457 - creating a rigid line to enter 5505 - feet following through 5778 - Great streamline riding the glide 11315 - practice the rigid bodyline 12060 - have everything travel through one hole 12192 - get horizontal 12999 - practice riding the line 15551 - add fast flutter kick to the line Sunday Joao de Lucca: Start Entry For two-time Brazilian Olympian Joao de Lucca, entering the water through a single hole is key for setting up the rest of his race. <https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/2052-start-entry> swimming olympics streamline olympian 0274 - heading parallel to the surface 0285 - using the power of the arms to change the trajectory 0321 - getting straight 0354 - Setting up the legs for a kick 0805 - Setting up the power to drive through the surface 0857 - hard to believe the legs will follow through the hole 1032 - Watch the feet finish the job 1316 - Single splash 1915 - ever so slight arch 1961 - immediate down kick 2424 - look at the signature on the surface 2599 - getting horizontal 2801 - look at the streamline HMN yet he’s not busy oh there is OK it’s very early for him he’s way out in

GoSwim App Promo

A short video giving you a bit more information about our education and data capture app.

June 18, 2024 - Bruno Fratus - Freestyle and Feedback

June 17, 2024 - Bruno Fratus Bruno Fratus! One of the greatest Brazilian sprinters of all time, Bruno Fratus was a 50-free finalist in three Olympic Games, finishing 4th in 2012 (London) and sixth in 2016 (Rio) and he won the Bronze Medal in Tokyo in 2021. On our Zoom, you’ll have a chance to ask Bruno when we catch up with him at the US Olympic Trials in Indianapolis. Each day this week, we’ll post a close-up video of Bruno in action. Technique Development and Analysis - GoSwim Marketplace https://www.goswim.tv/marketplace Bruno’s Discount link: <https://www.goswim.tv/train/65f59ea81fd6e1001c4d02a6?referrer_id=65f59e3502240d001c53a45b> Monday Fratus: Slow to Fast We consider this to be one of the most instructive videos in the GoSwim archive. It shows above- and below-water views of Bruno swimming 4 X 25, slow to fast. It shows the key things Bruno works on at slow speeds, so that they’re locked in and instinctive when he swims at top speed. <https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/2374-slow-to-fast> Why is it important to have specialists? Tuesday Fratus: Hands The integrity of Bruno’s front-end extension is the key reason he’s reached the pinnacle of the sport. <https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/2376-freestyle-hands> Why is it different getting analysis from an Olympian vs. Your Coach? Wednesday Fratus: Head and Breath One hallmark of Bruno’s freestyle is his quick, delayed breath. He works on it at slow speeds, so that it’s instinctual at race pace. <https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/2377-freestyle-head-and-breath> How can you apply your experience to the analysis? Thursday Fratus: Hips Bruno’s high hips are an essential part of his picture-perfect bodyline. At the water line, we see not just his suit but the SIDES of his suit. This shows horizontal bodyline AND rotation. <https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/2379-freestyle-hips> How important is individual feedback? Friday Fratus: Flip Turn There’s a precision to everything that Bruno does in the water – even his flip turns. When we want to show how tight you can and should be during a flip turn, THIS is the video we turn to. <https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/2417-freestyle-flip-turn> How early should you start skill development feedback? Saturday Fratus: Dog Dig Dog Dig is one of Bruno’s favorite drills for perfecting his all-important catch and feel for the water. Again, we’re struck by the precision with which he executes this familiar drill. <https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/2430-dog-dig> How do you know if you’re doing a drill right or what the exact purpose of the drill is? Sunday Fratus: Start – Underwater Dolphins You don’t clock 21.17 in the 50m free without a great start, underwater, and breakout. Here’s how Bruno practices these elements of his race. <https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/2429-start-underwater-dolphins>

Turns - Super Slow Motion

These clips of Carlos' turns from above water, shot with our high speed camera show how he throws his head back, and sideways very quickly. Only half of his face ever comes out of the water, seeming almost like how a freestyler breathes with only one goggle out of the water. The hand that connects with the wall also stays incredibly low, avoiding any throwing toward the ceiling. The combination of the low head, low hand, and tight body tuck creates turns necessary to go 1:51 in the 200 yard breaststroke.