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Five Simple Things to get Faster
Kelton Graham, a senior coach with Club Wolverine, in Ann Arbor,
Mich., offers a few simple suggestions to help you swim faster
right now:
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Swim
deliberate laps. There is always something to work on, whether it
is proper hand entry or tight turns. Focus on those things and
avoid swimming mindless laps.
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Streamline.
This may seem trivial, but streamlining, along with the underwater
dolphin kicks can be quite a weapon. Some refer to the dolphin kick
as the "fifth stroke."
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Develop
effective race strategies. Sometimes swimmers can improve the very
next race if they change something in the way the race paces.
Analyze your race. Did you go out too fast or too slow? Did you
bring in your kick too early or too late?
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Relax
before you swim. Enjoy the meet. Don't worry about the things you
can't control. Focus on the things you can control in your
lane.
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Warm up
before and cool down after each event.
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Make sure
to discuss your race with your coach before and after each
swim.
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Don't be
afraid to change things. If your coach makes a suggestion about how
to get better, don't keep swimming the same way just because it
worked in the past. Try something different.
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Make your
weakness your strength. If breaststroke is killing your IM, hop in
the breaststroke lane at practice. Or, spend time with your coach
after practice and work on it.
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See what
the best are doing and see if there is anything you can apply to
your own race. Sometimes just watching others who are better than
you can help you find things that you are missing in your own race.
Talk it over with your coach and see if it fits
you.
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