How to Get the Most Out of Stroke School

Welcome to Stroke School

If you plan to attend one of our Stroke School programs this summer, chances are you are already motivated to improve your technique. I don’t have to convince you that the fastest swimmers are also the most efficient ones. But even if you aren’t aiming to break any records, it’s still a good idea to refine your skills. As we get older, our bodies tend to break down, and poor stroke mechanics will only make matters worse. If you want to extend your masters swimming career, good technique is essential.

I’ve spent decades watching people swim. By now I’ve got a pretty good idea what the best swimmers do right, and I can readily identify common errors. But even though I tell swimmers when I notice they are doing something incorrectly, they are often too preoccupied to implement my suggestions. During workout, swimmers are trying to improve fitness levels, keep up with lanemates, hit targets, and make pace times. It’s not the kind of environment that’s conducive to working on stroke technique. 

At Stroke School this summer, we’re going to eliminate all the distractions that are keeping you from refining your technique. I won’t be asking you to swim fast. In fact, I’m going to ask you to shift your focus entirely. Stroke School is going to be a unique opportunity for you to improve your swimming. So to prepare you to make the most of it, I’ve compiled the following list of tips.

How to Get the Most Out of Stroke School

1. Take an active role in the learning process
   
   You’ve signed up for the class. You’ve paid the fee. You’re ready to get some pointers. But stroke technique is not a product you can buy. Better swimming is something you have to develop by working at it. And it’s not easy. The coach provides guidance, but if you want to succeed, get involved in the process.  
2. Expect your strokes to fall apart
   
   If you’re someone who has achieved a good fitness level while swimming incorrectly, this is a tough one. Muscles fire in chains, and if you have been firing incorrectly for a long time, it’s going to be very challenging to undo those patterns. I always illustrate this point by describing the wide receiver who was unable to do a situp without turning his head to the side. If you suddenly feel like a five year old in the water – awkward, ungainly, uncoordinated – you’re probably on the right track. 
3. Expect to get slower
   
   Here’s another one a lot of swimmers find hard to accept. Sometimes swimmers argue that my suggestion must be wrong because it slows them down. But that’s exactly what should happen: if you’re firing a sequence properly for the first time, it’s going to take a while before you can do it at speed. Babies aren’t born running. 
4. Be positive
   
   You might feel frustrated, but keep an open mind: it probably took decades for you to establish that stubborn sequence that’s proving so difficult to untangle. Be patient. Address those weaknesses you are always avoiding. Work on one thing at a time.
5. Play
   
   On the other hand, don’t be so serious! You’re not here to memorize and adhere to rules. Your goal is to get the water to reveal its secrets to you. It’s about discovery, so be curious, explore, experiment, and have fun. 
6. Be mindful
   
   You’ve probably heard this before. Good swimmers “feel the water”. Of all the skills involved in swimming, this one is the most important. If you can feel the water, you have constant access to feedback. To develop your feel for the water, bring 100% of your focus to the element. Slow down, pay attention, and grow your awareness of how the water behaves and how your movements interact with it. 
   
7. Find ways to reinforce your learning outside the pool
   
   Another way to be active in the learning process is to use all the tools at your disposal. Stand in front of a full length mirror and practise your entry. Watch really good swimmers on YouTube. Get someone to video your swimming and assess yourself honestly. Ask questions if you can’t pick out your mistakes. Visualize yourself swimming perfectly.

Measuring your progress

When you’re working on improving your stroke technique, you won’t see results right away. But if you want to measure your progress, simply count your strokes. On the long axis strokes (freestyle and backstroke), the best swimmers in the world average 12-16 strokes per 25 metres. An average stroke count falls between 18-21. If it takes you 30 strokes to get across the pool, you’ve got some work to do. But if you can decrease your average stroke count by the end of the session, that’s progress.

Good swimmers get more out of their training. As you improve your swimming, your workouts will start to feel different. When you get back into your training next fall, you may notice that you’re spending a lot less time grinding and spinning, and more time executing quality reps. In the meantime, let’s go back to school – Stroke School!