🏊 How Small Tweaks in Swim Technique Helped Me Save 5 Seconds Per 100m — And How You Can Too
Let me admit something upfront—I used to swim like I was dragging a backpack full of bricks behind me. And I couldn’t understand why.
After all, I was training consistently. I showed up for every session, ticked every workout box, logged the meters, did the drills. Yet, my swim splits barely budged.
Turns out, like many triathletes (maybe like you), I was applying brute force to a sport that’s all about finesse. It wasn't until I saw a video analysis https://www.youtube.com/ featuring a triathlete named Bruno that the pieces started to fall into place.
Below, I break down the simple but powerful insights from Bruno’s swim critique. These are the same corrections I applied that helped shave off 4–5 seconds per 100 meters. And no, it’s not about swimming harder... it's about swimming smarter.
💡 Key Takeaways You Shouldn't Ignore
🔄 Body Position is Your Foundation
Swimming is not just forward motion—it's hydrodynamic ballet. Your body needs to float along a horizontal line in the water. Legs dropping? That’s like dragging an anchor. Raise your hips, tighten your core, and maintain a taut line — think of yourself as a torpedo.
🦶 Your Kick Might Be Slowing You Down
Are you kicking like you’re trying to score a goal? That’s not swimming — it's creating resistance. Instead, use a relaxed, flicking motion from the hips. Minimize knee bend, and keep the flutter compact. Efficient kicking supports your position, it doesn't propel you like in soccer.
⏱️ Stroke Timing is Often Overlooked... But It’s Critical
Don't rush the catch. The moment there's nothing in front of your head, your balance collapses. Keep one arm extended until the other finishes the pull — it’s your built-in balance beam. Rushing equals instability and extra drag.
🔄 Rotate, But Don’t Roll
A common misstep—especially when breathing—is over-rotating. 90 degrees is too much. This twists the hips, causes leg splay, and kills momentum. Aim for a modest 30–40° rotation. Enough to engage the lats and core without losing streamline.
🤚 The Catch & Pull is Your Engine Room
The majority of propulsion comes from the underwater pull phase. Fingers should point down, elbow high, and movement focused on pushing water back — not down. Picture climbing over a barrel underwater. That visual alone fixed so much for me.
🔍 What Bruno Was Doing — And How It Applies to You
Bruno, the triathlete being dissected in this swim analysis, had several good habits that were ultimately undone by small inefficiencies. His body position was slightly off-level, creating unnecessary resistance. His legs, rather than slicing the water, acted like underwater anchors. And like many age-groupers, he rushed his catch—a subtle error with massive consequences.
Watching Bruno, I saw a reflection of my own journey. I too thought swimming was just about strength. But swimming rewards precision, timing, and balance more than explosiveness.
Any of these sound familiar?
- Dropping hips
- Kicking with bent knees
- Shortening the extension before initiating the pull
- Over-rotating during breath
- Pushing water down instead of back
Fixing just one of these could save you seconds each 100 meters. Fix all of them? Now we’re talking minutes off your total swim time and more energy left for the bike and run.
🛠️ Small Fixes, Big Gains: The Compound Interest of Swimming
Here's the kicker (pun intended): good swimming is like compound interest. Fixing subtle technique flaws is like making small but smart investments consistently. The improvements may seem small, but over distance, they compound. So does the confidence.
I'm still not the fastest swimmer in my age group, but after correcting my technique—I started to enjoy the swim leg more. I was fresher once I hit T1. My bike splits improved. So did my overall races.
Swimming became less of a struggle… and more of a statement.
📌 Final Takeaway: Swim Smart Before You Swim Hard
If you're stuck in that frustrating cycle of “more meters, no change,” perhaps it's time to stop muscling through the water and start working with it instead. Efficiency isn’t elusive — it’s just misunderstood.
- 👉 Go get a video analysis.
- 👉 Focus on body alignment.
- 👉 Control your kick.
- 👉 Master stroke timing.
- 👉 Respect the catch phase.
Your next PB might not come from more yardage. It might come from letting go of old habits.
📚 Sources
- “Freestyle Technique Analysis ft. Bruno” via YouTube (Exact video source to be linked if published)
🔎 Keywords
- Swimming technique, Triathlon swim, Freestyle stroke, Body position in swimming, Drag reduction, Stroke timing, Hydrodynamics, Triathlon swim training
- Stroke mechanics, Freestyle rotation, Streamlined posture, Proper kick technique, Breathing rhythm, High elbow catch, Swimming propulsion, Swim form correction
