🏊♂️ What a 1960s Olympian Can Still Teach Us About Freestyle
We often believe that progress renders older methods obsolete. New apps, new bikes, new diets, new strokes—they all promise better, faster, more. But in swimming, as in life, timeless truths don’t expire. I recently stumbled upon notes taken from a DVD featuring John Conrads, the legendary 1960 Olympic gold medalist in the 1500-meter freestyle. What struck me wasn’t how outdated these insights were—but how relevant they still are. Especially if, like me, you didn’t start swimming until adulthood.
Let me share five game-changing lessons that made me rethink my own technique—not from the latest tech guru, but from an athlete whose prime predates colored TV.
🔑 1. Apply Energy With Intention
Swimmers often confuse effort with effectiveness—kind of like how we often confuse being busy with being productive. Conrads reminds us to apply force only where it's truly needed: in the catch and pull phases of your freestyle stroke. The recovery phase? That’s your chance to relax and reset. Think of it like investing in high-return areas of life and letting go of wasted motion elsewhere.
Most age-groupers swim like they’re chasing something. But the pros? They’re silent assassins—efficient, deliberate, and smooth. Trust me, once I stopped trying to "muscle" through my entire stroke and instead focused force strategically, my speed went up—and my energy drain went down.
🌊 2. Know Your Flotation Depth
Everyone has a natural level of buoyancy—your “flotation depth”—and where you sit in the water matters. It’s determined by things like body composition, limb length, and lung capacity. For some of us (especially those of us over 40), our hips and legs naturally sink. No shame in that. But trying to rigidly hold yourself above your natural depth creates tension and burns energy.
When I stopped fighting where my body wanted to float and learned to work with it instead of against it, everything clicked. Imagine trying to swim by perching on top of the water like you’re on stilts versus gliding just beneath its surface. The second one is faster and far more sustainable. Embrace gravity—then learn to dance around it.
😌 3. Kill the Tension First
This might be the most overlooked—but most revealing—insight. If you're anxious in the water, it shows. Tension creates drag, shortens your stroke, and eats up oxygen like it’s free popcorn at the movies. I know. I’ve been there. I used to panic when I couldn’t see the pool floor or when the open water turned from crystal blue to murky green.
Why is this the first thing to address? Because any technique change you attempt while anxious is built on quicksand. Find relaxation first. Get comfortable being uncomfortable. Once you're calm, you’re coachable.
🔄 4. Pivot, Don’t Roll
The imagery here is subtle, but powerful. Most of us are told to “rotate” in freestyle—but what if we flipped that advice and thought about it as a pivot around the spine? Instead of flopping side to side like a fish out of water, you stay centered and pivot through the stroke like a dancer turning on balance.
This changed everything for me. My hips stopped swinging wildly, and my pull began aligning under my center. It's stability meets mobility—kind of like life balance. You don't abandon your core for movement; you revolve around it.
🚀 5. Arm Speed ≠ Swim Speed
This one is for the Type-A athletes (yes, I see you, Garmin warriors). More strokes don’t mean more speed. It’s not about how fast your hands move—it’s about how much water you move. Think of each catch-and-pull as a shovel: the deeper and stronger you dig, the more you move forward. Spin your arms without connection, and you’re just splashing in place.
Here's a fact worth remembering: water won't yield to brute speed, only to efficient force. As in finance, it's not how frequently you invest but how wisely you do it.
Why should I focus on applying energy only when needed in my freestyle stroke?
Applying energy only when needed, particularly during the catch and pull, and relaxing during recovery, helps conserve energy and improves swimming efficiency. By applying force during these crucial phases, you enhance your propulsion with minimal energy wastage.
What is meant by swimming at my flotation depth?
Swimming at your flotation depth means positioning yourself at the surface or just below it while swimming, depending on your buoyancy profile influenced by factors like muscle fat distribution, limb length, and lung capacity. This helps optimize swimming efficiency.
How does anxiety affect my swimming performance?
Anxiety or tension in the water can negatively impact your stroke and overall swimming performance by stiffening your body and making your movements less fluid. Addressing anxiety is essential for improving swimming technique and achieving better performance.
What does body pivoting mean in freestyle swimming?
Body pivoting in freestyle swimming refers to the concept of rotating your body around your spine during the stroke, as opposed to rolling or twisting from side to side. This visualization helps improve the efficiency and effectiveness of your stroke.
Why shouldn't I equate arm speed with swim speed?
Arm speed does not directly result in swim speed. Effective swimming comes from applying more force during the catch and pull phases rather than just moving arms faster. Beyond a certain point, additional force might not translate into increased speed.
#FreestyleSwimming #SwimmingTechnique
