Last Updated on November 14, 2023 by admin
In this article, we will provide advice, hacks and tips on developing good swimming habits, to help to improve a competitive swimmer’s performance.
“If you keep doing the same things, you’ll keep getting the same results.”
Many competitive swimmers from time to time get stuck in a rut, for example,
- When they become demotivated.
- When they are not performing as well as they had hoped.
- or their swimming goals are not going to plan.
- With swimming as in life, the only way to get out of a rut is to change your swimming habits.
- “If you keep doing the same things, you’ll keep getting the same results.”
- “You never change your life until you step out of your comfort zone; change begins at the end of your comfort zone.”
- “Growth is painful, change is painful, but nothing is as painful as staying stuck somewhere you don’t belong.”
- “Small changes eventually add up to huge results.”
- “Embrace the pain of change. If you want something you’ve never had, then you’ve got to do something you’ve never done”.
- “Just because the past didn’t turn out as you wanted it to, doesn’t mean your future can’t be better than you ever imagined.”
- “The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.”
- “Break the bad habit and make a better one.”
- “If you aim for nothing, you’ll hit it every time.”
- Takeaways
“You never change your life until you step out of your comfort zone; change begins at the end of your comfort zone.”
Although many swimmers understand that when they get stuck in a rut, they should look to reset their goals and go again.
- Many swimmers are reluctant to get out of their comfort zone and change their swimming habits.
“Growth is painful, change is painful, but nothing is as painful as staying stuck somewhere you don’t belong.”
Changing swimming habits is not always easy and sometimes it can be difficult and painful.
- The majority of swimming training is based on repetition.
- Repetitive training enables the swimmer to adapt their training to their ‘muscle memory’*, enabling them to automatically perform as taught during competition.
- (*muscle memory – the ability to reproduce a movement without conscious thought, acquired as a result of frequent repetition of that movement)
- Unfortunately, muscle memory replicates poor as well as good technique.
- As a result, some scientific research has shown that whether the changes are technical or behavioural, it can take about 10 weeks to change a habit.
“Small changes eventually add up to huge results.”
Often the bigger the change the more difficult and painful it can become.
- To help successfully change their swimming habits, many top swimmers focus on making a series of small changes over time.
- This enables them to slowly adapt to the changes, often making the change process significantly easier.
“Embrace the pain of change. If you want something you’ve never had, then you’ve got to do something you’ve never done”.
Once the swimmer has committed to making a series of small changes to improve their performance, the next step is to focus on exactly what those changes should be.
- During this process, the swimmer should discuss any potential changes with their coach.
- They may suggest ways of making the proposed changes easier or more effective.
- They may even come up with other suggested changes.
“Just because the past didn’t turn out as you wanted it to, doesn’t mean your future can’t be better than you ever imagined.”
To help improve the chances of making these swimming habit changes successful, the swimmer should,
- Remain committed, positive and focused on the changes they are about to make.
- Focus on potential benefits they will receive when they have successfully made the change.
- Swimmers should try not to change too many things too quickly.
“The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.”
There are usually a variety of small technical or behavioural changes that a swimmer can make to improve their performance. For example,
- Adding one more training session per week, either in the water or on dryland.
- Improving their flexibility, via dryland exercises
- Ensuring that they practice performing dolphin kicking out of each turn.
- Practising stroke counting to help develop a consistent and effective stroke.
Related articles on stroke count and stroke rate
We have produced related articles, on both how to use stroke count and stroke rate and stroke count and stroke rate drills. You can view it by clicking these links: how to use stroke count and stroke rate | stroke count and stroke rate drills.
- Developing a positive swimming mindset
Related articles on developing a positive swimming mindset and how it can help make you faster
- We have produced a related article on developing a positive swimming mindset. You can view this by clicking this link: developing a positive swimming mindset.
- Consuming the correct nutrition.
- Staying sufficiently hydrated throughout the day.
Related articles on swimming nutrition and swimming hydration
We have produced related articles, on swimming nutrition and swimming hydration. You can view it by clicking these links: swimming nutrition | swimming hydration.
“Break the bad habit and make a better one.”
Sometimes it’s easier for the swimmer to identify their bad habits and change these into good habits. For example,
- Warm up correctly before entering the water.
- Cooling down correctly before leaving the water.
- Practice visualisation and self-talk
Related articles on swimming visualisation and how it can help make you faster
We have produced a related article on swimming visualisation and how it can help make you faster. You can view it by clicking this link: swimming visualisation how it can help make you faster.
Related articles on how to best use: swimming self-talk
We have produced a related article on how to best use: swimming self-talk. You can view it by clicking this link: how to best use: swimming self-talk.
“If you aim for nothing, you’ll hit it every time.”
An important part the successfully changing swimming habits is for the swimmer to incorporate them into their goal-setting process.
- Swimming goals are a useful tool in enabling both the swimmer and the coach to gauge the swimmer’s progress and development towards achieving their swimming ambitions.
Related articles on the benefits of setting swimming goals
We have produced a related article on the benefits of setting swimming goals. Which you can view by clicking this link: the benefits of setting swimming goals.
Takeaways
In this article, we will provide advice, hacks and tips on developing good swimming habits, to help to improve a competitive swimmer’s performance.
“If you keep doing the same things, you’ll keep getting the same results.”
- Many competitive swimmers from time to time get stuck in a rut,
- when they become demotivated
- when they are not performing as well as they had hoped
- or their swimming goals are not going to plan.
- With swimming as in life, the only way to get out of a rut is to change.
Swimming Publications
We produce a growing range of publications on a wide range of swimming subjects.
- These include competitive swimming drill publications for backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly and freestyle.
- Which are now available in both Amazon Kindle and paperback formats.
- For information regarding our portfolio please follow our link: Swimming publications.
Swimming Resource Library
We have produced a swimming resource library.
- This contains links to all of our blog posts.
- These are subdivided by swimming category.
Categories include: Swimmer Development | Swimmers Health | Swimming Coaching | Swimming Competition | Swimming Drills | Swimming Dryland/Land Training | Swimming Equipment | Swimming Psychology | Swimming Training.
- To access any article simply click on the attached page link: swimming resource library.
The Competitive Swimming Exchange – Facebook Group
The Competitive Swimming Exchange is a 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.
- 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