How To Improve A Swimmer’s Focus

Last Updated on June 30, 2023 by admin

In this article, we’ll provide advice, hacks and tips on how to improve a swimmer’s focus.

Whether it’s focusing on skills and drills during training, or race tactics and execution during competition.

• The ability to focus their attention and concentrate are key to optimum swimming performance.
• Like many key swimming skills, to become proficient, a swimmer needs to practice improving their focusing skills.
• Which should be conducted consistently and persistently.

Listed below are some tried and tested methods of improving a swimmer’s focus.

Setting swimming goals

• Setting swimming goals is a key method of improving a swimmer’s focus
• It helps a swimmer establish a focus on clear targets, priorities and expectations.
• Swimmers who set swimming goals are more likely to stay focused.
• Therefore, they increase their chances of achieving their swimming ambitions.

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Focusing on one task at a time

Swimmers should ideally focus on one task at a time.

• Attempting to focus on too many tasks at once runs the risk of not performing them to the required standard.
• Many swimmers set mini-goals to help break down a larger task.
• This can help them focus on a number of small steps one at a time, in order to achieve a larger goal.
• For example, focusing on their streamlining in order to perfect their turns.

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We have produced a related article on the benefits of setting swimming mini-goals. You can view it by clicking this link: swimming mini-goals

When swimming focus on swimming

When swimming, swimmers should focus on their swimming.

• They shouldn’t let any problems with school, work, family or friends interfere with their swimming.
• Many swimmers find swimming a natural way of reducing anxiety and stress.
• It can help them leave the cares of the world behind.

Focusing on the controllables

It’s important that swimmers stay focused on the things they can control.

• These are usually referred to as ‘the process’.
• These usually include things like the swimmer’s mindset or attitude
• It can also include things like the swimmer’s performance or actions.

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Ignore the uncontrollables

It’s also important that swimmers ignore the things they can’t control.

• These are usually referred to as ‘the outcomes’.

For example, during a competition, they usually include things like

• Focusing on the swimmer’s opponents
• Worrying about achieving a certain time
• Focusing on the result of the race.
• Focusing on the outcomes often creates unnecessary stress and anxiety, which can lead to poor performance.

Staying relaxed

Swimming competitions can cause a swimmer to become stressed and anxious.

• In these situations, it’s important that the swimmer finds ways of staying calm and relaxed.
• Many use methods such as deep breathing routines, stretching and listening to music.
• Many top swimmers perform yoga to help them relax.

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Practising swimming visualisation

Visualisation is mental imagery, mental rehearsal and meditation techniques.

• It’s used by most of the world’s top swimmers, to condition their brains to help them become more focused.

Related article on swimming visualisation

We have produced a related article on swimming visualisation. You can view it by clicking this link: swimming visualisation

Using swimming self-talk and mantras

Many top swimmers often use a combination of swimming self-talk and mantras to provide them with extra focus.

• Self-talk works by a swimmer adopting some self-motivating or inspirational slogans or mantras.
• This helps a swimmer to self-coach themselves during certain swimming situations.
• A swimming mantra is either a short saying, a word or a slogan.
• Repeating mantras such as ‘you’ve got this’ or ‘relax’ can help a swimmer focus on the task in hand.

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Establishing a pre-race routine

Establishing a pre-race routine full of good habits can help a swimmer focus and reduce both anxiety and stress. For example,

• Swimmers should ensure they pack their own kit bag to ensure they have all the kit they require.
• They should ensure they eat a familiar pre-race meal.
• Swimmers should ensure they get to the pool in good time to conduct a proper warm-up.
• They should ensure they relax before a race.

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Evaluating training and competitive performance

Many top swimmers regularly record and evaluate their training and competitive performances.

• Which they file in their swimming logs.
• This process helps develop and maintain a swimmer’s focus on their swimming performance.

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Keeping a swimming log

Keeping an up-to-date swimming log is a great way to maintain a swimmer’s focus.

• It helps record, monitor and evaluate their development and progression towards their swimming goals.

Related article keeping a swimming log

We have produced a related article on the benefits of keeping a swimming log. You can view it by clicking this link: swimming log

Related publication: My Swimming Logbook

We have published a related publication: My Swimming Logbook is a set of tried and tested customised swimming logbook templates that enables you to customise your swimming logbook. For further details and ordering information please use the following link: My Swimming Logbook

 Takeaways

The ability to focus is key to optimum swimming performance. Whether it’s focusing on skills and drills during training or race tactics and execution during competition.

In this article, we have provided some tried and tested methods of improving a swimmer’s focus. These include,

• Setting swimming goals
• Focusing on one task at a time
• When swimming focus on swimming
• Focusing on the controllables
• Ignore the uncontrollables
• Staying relaxed
• Practising swimming visualisation
• Using swimming mantras
• Establishing a pre-race routine
• Evaluating training and competitive performance
• Keeping a swimming log

Swimming resource library

We have provided a swimming resource library, containing links to all of our publications and blog articles on a wide range of swimming subjects. These include stroke technique, training drills and how to optimise training and competitive performance. To access any article simply click on the attached page link: Swimming resource library

The Competitive Swimming Exchange – Facebook Group

We are members of the Competitive Swimming Exchange. This is a competitive swimming Facebook group to help exchange ideas and information to collectively improve the sport we love.

• It’s an international group for all swimmers, coaches, teachers, masters, triathletes and swimming parents. In fact, it’s for all those who are interested in competitive swimming, either in the pool or in open water

For more information about joining this group please use the following link: The Competitive Swimming Exchange