Topic : freestyle

Sheila Taormina shares what's new in the second edition of America's favorite guide to faster swimming: Swim Speed Secrets.

Swimming is 80% technique! So why focus on the elements that are easiest to master? Set your top priorities to become a faster swimmer.

Reducing the number of strokes you take per pool length is only good if you are actually swimming faster, too... Sheila Taormina explains the relationship between DPS (distance per stroke) and stroke rate.

Check out an example of how swimmers take fewer strokes--and swim slower.

Find out why the world's elite swimmers keep breaking records while the rest of us are not getting faster.

Can you hang with an Olympic gold medalist? Try the first week of Sheila Taormina's Olympic-quality workouts with this free download from her program, Swim Speed Workouts.

There is a valuable tool in swimming that lets you know if you are directing your energy the right way and holding water as you ratchet up the speed. It is called stroke data.

The curvilinear path in elite swimming is not an illusion caused by body rotation or elbow flexion. It’s undeniably present in the world’s fastest swimmers.

Vladimir Morozov swims freestyle uses a straight-arm technique. See an underwater photo of his stroke from Swim Speed Strokes.

Watch Peter Vanderkaay demonstrate the Catch-Up Drill in this video based on Swim Speed Strokes.

Because of the feedback we’ve gotten on Facebook, I will offer a short explanation of what I mean by “S-pull” and how all elite swimmers today show it in their stroke.

After getting many comments about this post on Facebook, Sheila Taormina has written a response that more fully explains the S pull in swimming in this new post: Let's Talk About the S Pull in Swimming.

The best swimmers in the world are masters at feeling the water. But what does that mean? Sheila Taormina explains.

Sheila Taormina explores the contributions that lift and drag make to the underwater pull in all four swimming strokes.

Four strokes are represented in these photos. Take this quiz and see if you can identify them!

A reader sent in a question recently about stroke rate. He noticed that his stroke rate had fallen after beginning the Swim Speed Workouts training program, resulting in fewer strokes per length.

You need to know your swimming stroke rate. If you don't, there's a good chance you're leaving speed in the water.

Your swimming tempo or stroke rate is as important as stroke count. A swimmer must strive to lower either of the two numbers without adversely affecting the over-all equation. Sheila discusses how timing can enable improvements in your swimming equation.

In her book Swim Speed Workouts, 4-time Olympian Sheila Taormina describes a key concept for developing your fastest freestyle, the Serape Core Drive.

In this video, Sheila demonstrates how to drill the diagonal phase using swim tubing.

Even triathletes need to work on their streamline to improve their hydrodynamics but also to improve their upper arm and shoulder flexibility and mobility for a more effective reach phase of the stroke.

Just as regular dryland strength training can turbocharge your swimming, spending just 3-5 minutes after every workout with effective swim tubing drills can make you rock-solid strong.

Possibly the most valuable drill in any swimmer's regular practice is the freestyle one-arm drill. Watch Sheila Taormina demonstrate.

The freestyle swimming sculling drill is a great drill to improve feel for the water and forearm strength.

A reader Larry has asked this insightful question: "If I am reading your book right, you seem to think the idea of streamlining is something that has somehow been misinterpreted by the masses." Sheila responds.

Which direction is the hip drive in serape swimming? Does the hip drive upward or forward? And when: before or after EVF (the catch)? Sheila answers.

A Swim Speed reader asks, "How long is too long to hold your arm out in front?" When does arm extension become gliding? Sheila Taormina answers.

The book FASTER: Demystifying the Science of Triathlon Speed by scientist and triathlete Jim Gourley confirms a fact we already know: technique is the most important part of fast swimming.

Keep your hard-earned swim fitness and tune your technique into tip-top shape with these workouts selected from the Swim Speed Workouts Program.

In her book Swim Speed Workouts, 4-time Olympian Sheila Taormina describes a key concept for developing your fastest freestyle, the Serape Core Drive. Here’s Part II of an overview of serape swimming.

When all you swim is long, slow distance, you don’t need time off to recover from swim workouts. But the Swim Speed Workouts program is more challenging, which means swimmers might have weeks when they should back off from swim training and let their bodies rest and recover.

The Hand-Entry Drill helps swimmers feel the water from the moment their hand enters the water. The Hand-Entry Drill also improves the high-elbow catch.

In her book Swim Speed Workouts, 4-time Olympian Sheila Taormina describes a key concept for developing your fastest freestyle, the Serape Core Drive.

The Finish Drill trains the pitch and forward thrust of the finish phase of the underwater pull. Since this drill is done underwater, it also builds lung capacity.

The recovery drill teaches swimmers how to properly lift their arms from the water after the finish. A good recovery helps load the muscles with tension for the serape core drive.

The Underwater Drill is simple: swim underwater one length of the pool. The goal of this drill is to improve feel for the water and build lung capacity.

Press-Outs build the upper body, shoulder, and upper back muscle strength required for the high-elbow underwater stroke. You can think of them like push-ups for swimmers.

The Finish Drill helps swimmers focus on the last part of the underwater stroke, the finish phase. Sheila Taormina describes an ideal finish in her book Swim Speed Workouts.

The Streamline Kick on Back is three drills in one. You'll get immediate feedback on the streamline of your body. You'll build your core muscles. And you'll strengthen your kick.

The Dog Paddle Drill strengthens your core and upper body while also improving some aspects of streamline and feel for the water. It also looks kind of hilarious.

Finally, watch Olympic swimmer and multiple medalist Peter Vanderkaay demonstrate his own tornado.

This video is a simple demonstration of good freestyle flutter kicking technique using a kickboard. If you are prone to cramping during kick sets, take a look at this video and at these tips from Sheila Taormina on how to avoid kick set cramping.

The Tarzan Drill has been a mainstay in swim programs around the world for decades because it builds upper body strength, stroke power, a faster turnover, and core muscles.

Swim Speed Workouts Test Team member Chad L. wrote in last week after a long freestyle kick set to ask swim coach and 4-time Olympian Sheila Taormina what he could do to stop getting leg cramps. Sheila gave this advice for avoiding cramps during kick sets.

A reader asks, "What's the starting position for my shoulder, upper arm, and elbow to set the high-elbow catch?" Sheila Taormina explains.

Sculling is the most important drill for swimmers.

Gliding makes you a slower swimmer. See why in this post on the Swimming Equation.

Sheila demonstrates how to use Halo swim tubing in this video below.

The recovery drill teaches swimmers how to properly lift their arms from the water after the finish.

Learn how to properly streamline underwater and you can improve your hydrodynamics and also improve your upper arm and shoulder flexibility and mobility for a more effective reach phase of the stroke.

Sheila demonstrates how to use Halo swim tubing on a Halo bench in this video below.

Sheila Taormina's favorite swimming drill is the Press-Out Drill because it builds crazy strength for the underwater pull.

Swim Speed Secrets Drill: Catch-Up Drill

The One-Arm Pull with Kickboard is a variation on the One-Arm Drill that some swimmers find easier. Swimming with one arm at a time immediately reveals uneven strokes.