Run with Eric + TIME

A swim clinic

Yesterday, I had the good fortune of attending a swim clinic that my tri club puts on. While I have been swimming a long time and have had a lot of coaching over the years, its always good to get a refresher on some things and new hints and tips.

Here are some of the key takeaways that I left with and that I thought were worthwhile to share:


Keep your kick tight. Its important to keep your kick 'small' and your feet in the shadow of your upper body while swimming. Big kicks simply create drag. Start the kick from your hips and keep your legs loose through the knees and ankles. No straight-leg kicking. If you're splashing water, you're kicking air.

Your forearm is your paddle. Keep your elbow high during the catch and try to keep your hand and forearm on one plane as you pull through the water. Using a 'fist' drill (swimming with your fists clenched), will help you to get the motion down.

High elbows during recovery. Point your elbows high as you bring your arms forward to help maximize body rotation through the shoulders and hips.

The kick is for balance, not propulsion. For long-distance freestyle, don't over-emphasize your kicking. Sprinting of course, is a different story... but all triathlon swimming is long-distance free.

Your hips create power. Rotate your hips as you pull. If you're pulling with your right hand, you should be rotating your right hip away from the bottom of the pool simultaneously. As you hand crosses past your hip, your hips should be fully rotated.

Have fun in the pool!

Freedom, Life, swimming, and more:

A swim clinic + TIME