When I first got back into swimming as an adult, I found myself in a familiar place—alone in a pool, unsure if what I was doing was effective. I had no coach, no feedback, and no peers to point out what I might be doing wrong. Sound familiar?

Whether you're new to swimming or returning to the pool after years away, self-coaching becomes your most powerful tool. And that’s exactly what expert swim coach Andrew Sheaff breaks down in his insightful video on how swimmers—especially adults—can take their performance to the next level without constant feedback from a coach.

🎯 Why Self-Coaching Matters

In an ideal world, we’d all have a coach on deck, adjusting our stroke and perfecting our breathing every 50 meters. But for the majority of adult swimmers, that’s just not reality. Sheaff hits on a key truth: you need to become your own best coach.

And that starts with this foundational rule:

“Don’t just try harder—try smarter.”

📌 Set Specific Swim Goals

One of the main pitfalls adult swimmers fall into is setting vague goals like “I want to get better” or “I need to swim faster.” Sheaff urges us to pursue specific, actionable objectives such as:

• ✔ Improve bilateral breathing during freestyle
• ✔ Establish a more effective catch phase
• ✔ Increase hip rotation for smoother propulsion

This is no different than goal-setting in business or finance. If you just say "I want to be rich," nothing happens. But if you say "I want to save $10,000 in the next 12 months by investing X amount weekly," you're on a clear path. Swimming goals work the same way.

🔁 Choose Activities with Built-In Feedback

Without a coach watching, how do you know if you're improving? That’s where drills with built-in feedback come in. These are exercises where you can feel the changes in your body and self-correct in real time.

One standout drill Sheaff recommends is the Power Pool Drill. Here’s how it works:

• 🚀 Perform a double-arm freestyle pull with both arms moving simultaneously
• 🧠 Focus on catching more water and pulling it back effectively
• 💡 Notice the drag, feel the difference in propulsion, and adjust accordingly

It’s like driving a car with a more responsive engine—when you feel it working, you intuitively learn how to get the best performance out of it. That’s what self-feedback in swimming is all about.

🔄 The Hidden Power of Rotation

Most adult swimmers underestimate the value of body rotation in freestyle. Sheaff explains how getting this wrong not only limits your stroke efficiency but also wastes energy. To find your optimal rotation, try experimenting by exaggerating and then minimizing your hip and torso movement—then compare speed and effort rates.

It’s data-driven self-coaching. Remote working professionals use A/B testing to optimize emails. Financial analysts use backtesting to validate strategies. Swimmers? We use feel and feedback drills to find what works—and rotation is the low-hanging fruit most people ignore.

🚀 My Takeaway: Be Your Own Investor

Approach your swimming the same way you would a smart financial portfolio. Start by identifying what needs work. Diversify your efforts with drills that give feedback. Measure progress. Adjust when necessary.

If you're over 30 (or like me, started at 38 with zero clue), know this: your body is capable of exponential returns—just like your investments—when you train with intention.

🎬 Final Thoughts

Whether you're striving for improved swim technique, increased efficiency, or just more enjoyment in the water, consider this your permission slip to take full control of your development. As Sheaff puts it, “You have to be willing to experiment. To assess. To try again.”

There is no such thing as a perfect swimmer—there are just swimmers constantly experimenting and improving. And the best part? You don't need a coach to get started—just a commitment to self-awareness and curiosity.