Secret Technique Pro Swimmers and Triathletes Use to Go Faster… and how you can do it too!

60-year old, former amateur triathlete now just hanging on to basic fitness while managing various aches and pains. This small, nuanced change made a noticeable difference in my perceived effort to speed ratio. For the first time in years I exited the pool after my usual workout having gone a bit faster than usual AND not feeling worn out. I had hit a wall so to speak for years and this technique is definitely a breakthrough.

Amazing video. Put this to test a few weeks back, massive AHA moment, shared with my wife, got her on it. This also makes me glide better, not rush the catch, the word 'timing' is spot on. I always focused on the front end, never putting much emphasis on the kick being a long distance triathlete. Game changer Josh. When you did this video I could tell from your genuine passion that you had hit on a great breakthrough.

Great to have a video explain it, i have been applying this as well. I am a teacher in scything and there a lot of the energy in the stroke comes from a distinct hiprotation using the core - just before cathing the grass. I use to teach that the hiprotation is so essential as a start of many things we are doing, throwing a ball or hitting a ball with a basebolltree is the most easy to understand while doing it. And all the power in a karatestroke comes from an ignite in the core and a hiprotation. But also paddle canoe, how you strengthen the core and start rotate a bit just before cathing the water. Kicking a football is also the same. In all the mentioned things we are grounded and have someting firm under us to start this rotation with. But not in frontcrawl. Thats why we need to start the hiprotation with that kick. Its istead of use the ground we stand on (or sit on) in all other cases. This theory have helped me to understand what swimming is and made it more fun to improve!

I am a swim newbie, self learned front crawl and breaststroke via youtube coaching last year. I am no way proficient but at a fun phase of constantly scanning my form when I practice. I do find better streamline when extending lats and hip rotation. Since I practice front crawl breathing every 2, 3, and 4, I am still tuning leg kick because the demand seems to be different. I do notice the instep flexibility can impact kicking quite a bit from teaching my 85-yr old mother how to float and stand up in shallow end. Her instep is frozen, causing inability to extend, contract, and flex her legs (like a fish that has no tail). It is an eye opener to realize how a small part not working can impact a whole lot. My instep and ankle are quite flexible therefore I took up breaststroke much faster than front crawl.

One other key benefit of this is that the kick is getting your hand through the weakest part of the stroke. Your muscles are just not as strong at pulling through that extended position. It will put less stress on your shoulders and lats at that point.

Bro rocking from side to side relived my triceps and unleashed my lats resulting in increased speed and efficiency , happy to watch your video to see i was already employing this kick catch timing .

After 3 months of trying to figure the timing out, I finally got it. Used fins, pull buoys, snorkels, lol, but it has a lot to do with a proper Catch to get the kick timed right. Crazy how much it puts me on top of the water now.

I like to think of it as kick, roll, pull. first the foot, then hip, pull the arm back. Excellent video.

The timing of the stroke is so vital! Another thing I would recommend as well to look at is the bend of your wrists. Especially on the right hand, I think. You want to use your entire "paddle." Your stroke is so beautiful. Good luck this your season! 🏊‍♂️🚲🏃‍♂️

I started swimming at the grand old age of 64 last August, mainly breaststroke. In Feb this year I began front crawl and found it exceedingly difficult for the first 6 weeks then began to get the hang of it and by the beginning of April I could swim 2 1/2 Km in 65 mins. Sounds impressive, but I got stuck at that time, and no matter what I did, faster strokes, more power (or so I thought) or concentrate on technique - nothing changed. After watching your video, and practicing for a couple of weeks, today’s 2 1/2 Km was 56 minutes. So, 9 minutes faster using your tip definitely works, and I’m not exhausted at the end of it either. I am now hoping that this will improve even further - the aim is 50 mins by 8th August - that will be 12 months since I started. Many thanks for posting this - superb!

Kick downbeat just before the same side catch. Good new advice. I will do it next practice. Thank you!

Such a beautiful stroke and kick combo! I’ve been trying for years to get that right.. I imagine pulling myself along a ladder for the high elbow catch, but haven’t come up with a good visualization for the kick timing. Sometimes it helps with my balance but it’s still totally random.

There are those who say the hips drive the body rotation, and others like me that say that the shoulders drive the body rotation. The point you make here is my view. Ground sports that use rotation rely on feet, either planted shoulder width apart, or stepping into the rotation like a baseball pitcher. The energy travels from the feet, through the hips, and out the arms/hands/fingers. In the water, there is nothing to anchor your feet on. This is why, if you are pulling with your right arm, you do the down kick with the right foot. The 'power' part of your arm pull is from about 45 degrees to 135 degrees of that 180 degree arc of your arm pull. You need the pulling arm to get almost to the full/max power point before you have some thing to leverage against. This is why, when using the 6 beat kick, the #1 kick is the power kick, and the other 2 are weaker. I do a lot of catch up drill, and it is no problem to get the feel for anchoring your kick on the same side as your pull. It also helps you focus on max distance per stroke and getting that last little flick of the wrist to finish the stroke. Body rotation as well.

A great way to practice the timing and connection for the catch and kick is to do sets of 100s as a drill with a paddle on the right hand and a fin on the right foot, and then swop to left left. Exaggerate the kick and catch on each cycle to the side with the equipment.

Nice one. I also noticed the AMPLITUDE of your kick is about the thickness of your torso (chest to back). In your front shots, your feet are barely visible behind your body. Keeps you streamlined in the water like a torpedo

Swimming is the throw of the arm, I believe its like hitting a volleyball, throwing a baseball, swinging a golf club, but like once I throw my arm, it wont cant stop, then it hits the water,,,now once you get going, the water is like a tredmiill, I only pull first couple strokes,,,and then let water carry your arm to the back,,,just my three sense:) most important, have fun, swim asap,

As a beginner you nailed it. I was wondering why some days feel easy, but other days feel hard despite speed being similar. Then one day it clicked and was because my kick/catch/pull timing was not in sync

I tried several times to embed this after watching the original Effortless Swimmers video. But I was a 100% unable to coordinate the timing. I can do something like a 2 beat kick but can't coordinate the catch/kick synchronization consistently, if at all. I just end up randomly kicking as I swim. I'm not even sure if it's 4, 2 or even 3 beat since one kick is much strong than the other. I used to be an elite level skier so I'd like to think I'm generally a reasonably coordinate person. It's a mystery why I can't get anywhere with this at all. I totally believe it could be a game changer too if I ever did master it 🙃

Yes I used the same technique it's efficient....at start use snorkel....it helps to focus on body position.....and then work on breathing pattern without it...one side breathing is more effective with this style

The kick initiates the body roll which then gives your arm more power due to the more natural angle through the shoulder and elbow. It's similar to why golfers rotate as part of their swing.