When most people see swimmers train like this... they would never guess that it all begins with...

...this.   Working on technique.  And it’s something these athletes do every day, for at least part of their training. 

If you’re new to triathlon and new to swimming, technique should come first.  Before you worry about speed or intervals or pace or heart rate, you need to master the technical part of swimming.  

Swimmers who don’t take time to learn the basics, usually end up swimming like this -- with the head too high, the legs too low, and a lot of white water and wasted energy.  

By contrast, when we watch Sara swim, you can see that her body is horizontal -- or balanced -- in the water.  

Her kick and pull seem relaxed and productive.  And notice that there’s no splashing or thrashing or whitewater.  
 
By taking time to slow down and learn the basics, you can start to swim more like this. Notice the long, straight body line, the quiet kick that starts from the hips, and the way everything moves forward rather than up and down.

No one is born with a stroke like this.  It takes years of practice.  And the fastest way to 
get a stroke like this is to slow down.  

You learn to swim correctly when you swim slowly, using drills and lots of repetition so that your muscles can develop a memory for the correct movements.

In this section, we’ll show you Sara’s favorite drills for building a super-efficient and super-fast stroke.  

When you try these drills at the pool, focus on one thing at a time.  The pool is not the place to multi-task!  Make it one drill at a time -- one focus point at a time -- and you’ll find that slowing down really does make your faster.

If you have trouble with your kick, try using fins for any of the drills in the next section. Fins are not cheating!  By giving you a little extra momentum, fins can help you focus on body position, breathing, and correct technique for your armstroke and kick.


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Basic Freestyle Technique