3 Tips For Improvement in the Long-Course Pool
By Mauro Pacsi, Swimming World College Intern
Now that long-course season is here for many teams across the nation, it is time to prepare for the challenges of the Olympic-sized pool. For many swimmers, especially those experiencing their first long-course season, it is not easy. The pool might feel like a giant ocean with an island waiting on the other side. As for the water in between the two walls, endless waves await the latest challengers. Before you or your teammates take on that challenge, here are a few things to work on to help you this summer.
Elongate Your Strokes
Katie Ledecky. Photo Courtesy: TYR
To elongate your stroke means to lengthen it out as much as you can. Stretching out your arms in your stroke helps with how much water you can grab on your pull down. It also helps you cover more distance per stroke, making it easier to get from one side of the pool to the other. The most successful long-course swimmers are masters at this technique, especially those who swim long-distance events. Be sure to work on this skill if you want to keep your arms fresh. Otherwise, they will be pretty sore!
Close Out the Last 15 Meters
The end of the race is crucial, as most of us already know. However, the importance of the finish only gets bigger with the transition between short course to long course. The last 15 meters of the race are the most brutal, but also the most nerve racking. Every swimmer tries to close out their race strongly and get their hand on the wall first. If you can master closing fast and strong despite the pain, you will have an advantage over the rest of the pool. So, learn to speed up your tempo, kick your legs off, put your head down, and lunge to that wall. You will have plenty of time to rest after you finish but building the habit of closing out is worth it!
Be Fast In and Out of the Walls
Having fast walls is important to get in and out of your turns quickly. This is especially true in long course, because there are only two walls. You cannot afford to be slow on your turn. If you have poor turns, you will lose speed and momentum for the rest of the lap. Try to combine a fast flip, push off, quick butterfly kicks, and a good breakout. Additionally, if you are better at swimming due to turns instead of taking strokes, the walls are your best friends. Utilize the free speed you can attain and push on through the rest of the race.
Try out these tips to get going down the lanes of the big boy/girl pool as fast as you can! Even if you cannot get all of them done in your first meet, practice makes perfect. Do not give up until you can do them to the best of your ability. Even I, a college swimmer, still have a way to go with mastering the three of them. So let’s get out there and strive for improvement.
All commentaries are the opinion of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Swimming World Magazine nor its staff.