FDS Coaching
Form...Distance...Speed!
Adult swimming instruction in Colorado's Front Range
Certified Senior Coach
Brian Vande Krol
Five Tips to Swim More Efficiently:


1.  Relax your neck and "hang" your head
  • Head-spine alignment is essential  to efficient swimming
  • Release your head's weight and look directly down, not forward
2.  Lengthen your body
  • A longer body line moves through the water faster and easier.
  • Focus on using your arms to lengthen your body line (rather than using them to push water back.
  • Slip your arm into the water as if sliding it into a mail slot
3.  Move like water
  • Smooth, quiet strokes are more effective than splashy ones.
  • Never practice "struggle".  Swim as quietly as possible.
4.  Change your intentions!
  • Instead of trying to push water backwards, intend to "hold on" to a place in the water with your stroking arm, while you send energy forward by shifting your body weight onto your other arm.
  • Intend to kick less.
5.  Count your strokes
  • Stroke count is the simplest measure of efficiency
  • Try any of the preceding points and see how it affects your stroke count