Improving the catch in freestyle can be difficult to do.And unfortunately, it’s an important skill to master because without an effective catch, it’s very difficult to create an effective pull. 　　Because it’s important, and because it’s difficult, we want to use the most effective strategies to create positive change, and sometimes, that means using multiple strategies in combination. 　　I’m going...

　　If you’re an athlete, you’re probably not satisfied with your progress. It can never be too fast, and that’s certainly true of triathletes. If you’re in a bit of a rut, and you’re looking for ways to start improving again, check out these three simple strategies to kick-start your progress. 　　Switch up your speed 　　Too many triathletes perform all of...

　　Many triathletes diligently work on improving their skills by performing drills yet find that when they return to full stroke swimming, nothing has changed.It can be an extremely frustrating and mystifying experience.The drills are supposed to improve your skills, but they don’t! 　　The issue isn’t necessarily that drills don’t work, it’s that they need to be used in the right...

　　While it seems like it should be one of the simpler skills to learn in swimming, improving the kick can prove to be quite the challenge for many triathletes. 　　While most of the speed and propulsion comes from the upper body in freestyle swimming, the legs can be important in assisting body position and well as creating some extra propulsion....

　　If you’ve been involved in triathlon for some time, and you’ve sought to improve your swimming, you’ve likely heard about swimming with a ‘dropped elbow’. 　　To get as strong a pull as possible, you want to use your hand and your forearm to move water backwards.That means you have a bigger surface area and a bigger paddle to pull with....

　　Fins and buoys can be useful tools for improving your swimming.And when appropriate, you should never hesitate to use them.The problem is when you need them to feel good and swim well. 　　Unfortunately, you can’t use a buoy or fins in a race!And even if you can wear a wetsuit, you want to have the ability to swim well without...

　　The most important thing about getting swim fit for an Ironman-distance triathlon is to spend time in the water regularly and consistently. Twice a week is ideal if you can do it on a regular basis. 　　Get your swim stroke looked at by a swim coach – it’s the best way to make improvements in your swimming and make your...

　　Writing a workout can seem like a daunting task.It doesn’t have to be. Here are some simple steps that you can use to start writing workouts that get the job done. 　　Create clear goals 　　The biggest mistake triathletes make is creating workouts that are too complicated and too unfocused.You want to make sure you have a simple, crystal-clear goal that...

　　There are some great drills than can make a huge impact on your swimming.And it’s my recommendation that you focus on using the best drills rather than using lots of different drills. 　　The problem with that approach is that doing the same drills can become boring, and worse still, they may no longer be able to continue to improve your...

　　For those looking to improve their swimming, in particular the skill and fitness of their pull, a swim leg band, which goes around the ankles, can be an attractive strategy. 　　It makes perfect sense, too – take away the legs and stress the arms.While simple in concept, it’s actually an advanced training strategy, and swimming well with a band is...

　　Developing a solid kick during freestyle swimming is difficult to do.The mistake many triathletes make is that they’ll perform a kick set to develop the skill and fitness of their legs, and then they’ll perform a swim set.Or they’ll perform the kick set at the end of a workout after they’re swimming. 　　The problem with this approach is that they’ll...

　　Swimming can be really challenging because you have to be physically fit and possess tremendous technical skill. The problem is that working really hard to develop your fitness can lead to poor skills, and focusing exclusively on your skills can lead to a loss of fitness. 　　It’s a really tough balancing act that’s hard to get right. However, by using...