If your goal is to practice your swimming techniques until you rival the pros, then you need to follow professional tips. The primary focus for competitive swimmers is to get as efficient as possible—deliver the most results for the least possible amount of effort. So, what are some tips the pros use for better swimming?

1. Put Technique Before Speed

You can jump into the pool and swim at maximum speed and intensity to get an excellent workout. However, this is not likely to improve your efficiency as a swimmer. Instead, you need to learn how to swim with focus and intent.

Sometimes, you have to go slow to see where your technique lacks. Starting each practice session aware and deliberate of your movements. Then, you can pick up the pace, focusing all the way on keeping your technique solid and not compromising for speed.

2. Be Open to Feedback

This is a tough one to embrace. Being open to feedback means being open to criticism, and even when it is constructive, that can be a blow to the ego. However, all great swimmers use feedback to inform their approach.

There are many things that you may not notice when you are in the water. You might not be spreading your hands as wide as you thought, or you might be getting weak in the elbow as you tire out. Having an expert give you feedback can help you be aware of the things you are doing wrong, while also helping you correct those problems.

3. Watch the Pros

Your ultimate goal is to be where they are. So, it makes perfect sense to study them and work on emulating them. Many YouTube channels specialize in professional swimming videos and critiques. So, not only can you see what the pros are doing and try to mimic them, but you can also hear feedback from experts in the field. Even the pros sometimes get things wrong, and knowing when they do sheds light on areas to improve.

4. Keep an Eye on the Numbers

There are a lot of numbers in swimming. You have stroke counts, stroke rates, intervals, heart rates, lap times, and more. If you love statistics, swimming is the sport for you.

But even if you aren’t an amateur statistician, if swimming is your passion, you have to keep an eye on the numbers. With them, you have specific metrics that let you set goals and monitor your progress. So, if you look at the right numbers, you get a very nuanced picture of your state as a swimmer. An amateur mistake is focusing on lap times and speed and nothing else. A professional looks at the complete picture.

Additionally, watching the numbers helps you stay focused on the fact that this is a journey. The goal is progress, not perfection. Even the best can acknowledge room for improvement, so never be too hard on yourself!

5. Practice Often

The pros make swimming look easy, but we rarely see how often they practice. These swimmers spend pretty much their entire lives practicing and perfecting their techniques. Getting to the point that a relaxed yet powerful stroke is second nature means spending hundreds, even thousands, of hours in the water, not to mention a consistent training schedule.

The Importance of the Right Swimming Home

No matter how good the tips, you cannot expect to become a professional-level swimmer without the right swim home. At the right facility, you will have access to the trainers and classes that fit your schedule and your needs. Professional instructors will be able to give you all the right tips and feedback, helping you focus on continual progress.

The right facilities also matter. Your skills can easily outgrow the pool you train in, and if your goal is to go professional, you need an Olympic-sized pool to practice in. At the right swim school, you can grow and flourish as a swimmer.

Turn to Blue Buoy for Your Swim Needs

Here at Blue Buoy, we trained multiple Olympians and world record holders. That’s because our instructors are genuine professionals and our facilities top notch. While our record speaks for itself, we invite you to take a sample class to see exactly what it is we have to offer. Achieve your swimming dreams with Blue Buoy.