Many triathletes reach a point where their swimming progress stalls. They can comfortably complete 1,500 or 2,000 metres, have a reasonable level of fitness, and swim consistently several times a week. Yet, after months of training, their pace remains much the same.
One reason for this plateau is that improving swimming technique requires more than building fitness or accumulating distance. It requires identifying the movements that are limiting performance, learning how to correct them, and practising those corrections until they become a natural part of the stroke.
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Identify the flaws in your stroke
Running and cycling performance depend on factors such as aerobic fitness, muscular endurance and training volume. Swimming relies on these same physical qualities, but technique plays a particularly important role in determining how efficiently an athlete moves through the water.
Body position, arm movement, rotation and the application of force all influence swimming efficiency. As a result, simply swimming more or working harder may not be enough to improve pace. At some point, an athlete may need to change how they move through the water.
The first step is identifying what needs to change.
A swimmer might drop their elbow during the catch, struggle to maintain an effective body position, have inconsistent timing between their arms, or find it difficult to coordinate breathing with their stroke. These are potential areas for improvement, but every swimmer has different needs.
Even when two athletes appear to have the same technical problem, the underlying causes may differ. This is why identifying flaws requires more than simply following a list of common swimming mistakes.
A coach can observe the swimmer’s stroke, identify areas for improvement and help determine which limitations are having the greatest effect on performance. Video analysis can also help swimmers understand what their movements actually look like, rather than relying entirely on how those movements feel.
For athletes who have reached a plateau, identifying one or two specific technical priorities provides a practical starting point.
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Learn how to correct those flaws
Identifying a technical problem is valuable, but it does not automatically resolve it.
A coach might explain that a swimmer is dropping their elbow during the catch or that their body position is creating unnecessary resistance. The swimmer now understands the problem, but knowing what to change is only the first step. The next challenge is learning how to make the correction.
Swimming drills are useful because they isolate particular movements, allowing athletes to focus on a specific skill without managing every element of full freestyle at once.
For example, catch-up drills can help swimmers explore arm timing, body rotation and the position of the lead arm. Other drills can target the catch, breathing, body alignment or kick mechanics.
However, performing a drill repeatedly does not guarantee improvement. A swimmer can complete hundreds of repetitions without addressing the underlying problem if they do not understand the movement they are trying to develop. Similarly, a drill performed correctly in isolation does not necessarily translate into better technique during normal freestyle.
Effective drill work requires three things:
- A clear objective: Understand which aspect of the stroke the drill is intended to improve.
- Consistent execution: Practise the intended movement correctly rather than simply completing the prescribed repetitions.
- Transfer to full swimming: Gradually incorporate the improved movement into normal freestyle, where breathing, timing and propulsion must work together.
Coaching is particularly valuable during this process. A coach can demonstrate the intended movement, provide feedback and help the swimmer recognize whether they are performing it correctly.
Without that feedback, it is easy to believe a correction is being made when the original movement pattern is still present.
This is a normal part of learning a new motor skill. Familiar movements tend to persist because they have been practised repeatedly over time. A new movement requires conscious attention until sufficient practice makes it more automatic.
The goal is not simply to perform a technical correction when thinking about it. The goal is to make that correction part of the swimmer’s normal stroke.
Achieving this takes consistent repetition. Depending on the movement and the swimmer, the process can take weeks or months, sometimes longer.
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Follow an individual path towards improvement
Once a technical flaw has been identified and the swimmer understands how to address it, the next step is making that correction consistent. This is where individualized coaching and focused solo practice can be particularly useful.
There is no single drill or technical correction that represents the next step for every swimmer. One athlete might benefit from improving their catch. Another might need to work on body position, breathing or coordination. A third might have a reasonably effective stroke but struggle to maintain it when swimming faster.
An individualized approach allows training to focus on the swimmer’s specific needs rather than following a predetermined sequence of drills.
Technical development happens in stages. First, the swimmer learns what the new movement should feel and look like. They then practise it in a controlled setting, often using drills that isolate the relevant skill. Once they can perform the movement consistently, they begin incorporating it into normal freestyle.
Finally, they work towards maintaining the correction during longer repetitions, faster swimming and more demanding sessions.
These stages are not always linear. A movement that feels natural during a drill might become difficult to maintain when the swimmer has to coordinate their breathing or increase their pace. A coach may need to revisit the original drill, adjust the exercise or provide a different cue.
Consider a swimmer working to improve their catch. Simply completing a large volume of catch-up drills will not necessarily produce the desired result. The swimmer needs to understand the position they are trying to achieve with their forearm and hand, how that position relates to moving water backwards, and what they should observe when returning to full freestyle.
The coach can then help determine whether the movement is improving and how to progress the practice. Between coaching sessions, the swimmer can continue working on that specific skill independently, applying the feedback they have received.
Return on training investment
Training Peaks uses the term return on training investment (ROTI) to describe the value gained from training time. This is a useful way to think about technical development: which activity is most likely to produce the greatest improvement for the time invested?
For a swimmer with a specific technical limitation, an hour of individualized coaching or focused solo practice may offer a greater return than an hour of group training.
A group session might provide 2,500 metres of swimming, a mix of intervals and drills, and an opportunity to improve fitness. Those are worthwhile benefits. However, if the swimmer’s main limitation is a particular movement pattern, much of that workout may do little to address the underlying problem.
A focused session could instead dedicate a substantial portion of the available time to that movement, with carefully selected drills, deliberate repetitions and regular checks to ensure the correction is being made properly.
Solo practice can be particularly valuable once a coach has identified the problem and taught the swimmer how to address it. The athlete can then repeat the relevant exercises at their own pace, concentrating on execution rather than keeping up with a group or following a broader workout.
This approach is most effective when the swimmer understands what they are practising and how to assess their execution. Repeating an incorrect movement without feedback can reinforce the very habit they are trying to change. Periodic coaching helps ensure that independent practice remains productive.
The best use of an hour in the pool depends on the athlete’s needs. Sometimes, an aerobic workout or a group session is appropriate. At other times, individualized instruction or focused solo practice may deliver more improvement per hour.
The off-season can be particularly useful for this work. With less emphasis on immediate race performance, triathletes have more flexibility to concentrate on technical development without compromising preparation for an upcoming event.
Meaningful improvements may take months or longer. Patience, consistent practice and appropriate feedback are essential to making changes last.
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Group swim sessions have value, but serve a different purpose
Group swim programs offer considerable benefits to triathletes, particularly those who are new to structured swim training.
Scheduled sessions provide accountability and routine. Training alongside other athletes can improve motivation, create a supportive environment and introduce a healthy competitive element. Coaches can explain technical concepts, demonstrate drills and identify opportunities for improvement.
For many athletes, a group program is an excellent way to develop swimming fitness, become more comfortable in the water and establish consistent training habits.
However, group coaching has practical limitations when it comes to making specific technical changes.
Consider an athlete who joins an eight-week swim program. Each session includes a warm-up, drills and interval sets. The coach notices that the athlete drops their elbow during the catch and provides a correction.
The athlete practises the adjustment for a few lengths before moving on to the next part of the workout. The following week, the program introduces different drills and intervals, and the original technical issue receives less attention.
Although the athlete continues attending sessions and improving their fitness, the movement pattern may remain largely unchanged.
This is not necessarily a problem with the program. Group sessions must balance the needs of multiple swimmers, who may have different abilities, goals and technical limitations.
A drill that addresses one athlete’s primary weakness might offer little benefit to another. Even when the same drill is appropriate for several swimmers, each may require different cues, feedback or progressions to perform it effectively.
Group sessions must also balance technical work with the broader objectives of the workout. There may be limited time to repeatedly correct one swimmer’s movement while the rest of the group continues through the planned session.
This is why participating in coached swimming and following an individualized process to correct a technical issue are not necessarily the same thing.
Both have value, but they serve different purposes. Group training provides structure, motivation, fitness development and opportunities to learn. Individualized coaching offers more sustained attention to particular movements, while solo practice provides the opportunity to reinforce those movements through repetition.
The two approaches can complement one another. A swimmer might attend group sessions regularly while dedicating part of a separate workout to a specific technical priority.
The important consideration is understanding what each session is intended to accomplish and choosing the training approach that best serves the athlete’s current needs.
Building a more effective swimming stroke
For triathletes who have reached a plateau, progress often begins with identifying the technical limitations affecting their performance.
From there, they need to learn how to correct those movements, practise them with purpose and gradually incorporate them into normal freestyle.
Group programs play an important role in developing fitness, motivation and consistency. However, athletes seeking specific technical improvements may find that individualized coaching and focused solo practice offer a greater return on their training investment.
The process requires patience and repetition. It may involve returning to the same drill across many sessions and accepting that progress is not always immediately visible.
Over time, deliberate practice can help turn a conscious correction into a more natural movement pattern. That is an important step towards swimming more efficiently, making better use of training time and becoming a stronger triathlete.
If you want to chat about how you can get on video, or which coaches I trust to provide individualized improvement paths, check out my website at www.TrueTrailTriathlon.com