Trying to swim slower makes me swim faster

You see it quite often on here:
Slow = smooth
Smooth = fast

Much like I hit a golf ball a ton farther if I slow my swing down than if I try to mash it.  Smooth+form= power.

One workout in my HIM plan involves doing 6 sets of 50's as swim golf.  Afterwards you do 15 x 100 with groups of 5 focused on pull, catch and finish.  You repeat the swim golf to see if you improved.

I found that when I was tired, my turnover was a little slower and I didn't pull in the water nearly as hard.  However, I compensated by reaching further and focusing on catching a little better.  The result was that my 50's dropped by 5 seconds and I could keep the same pace on all of them without increasing my HR.  It was rather enlightening to discover the efficiency.

Edited by Pector55 2010-08-26 8:45 AM

Had the same experience ealier this year.  Took swim lessons and once my coach got me straightened out, she'd have me do drills where I swam 300-400 without stopping.  However, the minute she thought I was going too fast, she'd stop me and tell me to concentrate on my form and going slow.  I too ended up going faster.

I've noticed the same thing.  I've been watching some video here, and working on my form.  I've noticed slight improvments in my speed (in only a week) but massive improvements in my endurance.  Before, I could only freestyle for 250 ~ 300 meters without a break.  This morning, I did 600 non-stop and was faster and less tired when finished.

When I am in the water that little guy on my shoulder repeats "slow is fast, slow is fast"  It works!

ah ha! breakthrough! I enjoy these moments... its a definite boost.  Get your kick right and bilateral breathing and keep reaching and you're going to be even more happy with your accomplishments. Keep up the good work.

hmmm... i keep hearing this, but it doesnt apply to me. the faster i swim the faster i go. i've only really ever done ocean swimming and can swim 2.4 miles no problem. when i have timed myself i have set my best times moving as fast (without ignoring form) as i could.

i went up to the local 25m pool yesterday for the first time just to time myself. was a little strange swimming without a wetsuit and waves, but in any case i managed 1:24/100m when i went all out, when i went "fast but calm and with an ability to swim farther" i was pretty consistently at 1:40/100m, and if i moved completely slow focusing only on form i was hitting about 1:55/100m.

i've never had a coach, but i'm getting one in the next month or so (the daughter of that main total immersion guy). so that may change things...

You should kick the little guy off, way too much drag.

my guess is that you have some sort of strong swim base.  You were probably taught well when you first learned to swim.  The OP is most likely not in that same camp.  When starting out most of us tend to "fight the water" instead of "glide through it".  The phenomenon he's referring to is learning not to fight it and how to glide.  It sounds like you already are somewhat aware of how to glide.  Your coach will make you even better.  Eventually you do get to the point to where trying to go slow, just makes you go slower, but at the beginning it makes you go faster.  Also throughout your training, slowing down to focus on form will result in making you go faster when you try to go faster.

Not even close to his camp -- my first formal swim lesson I've had EVER in my life was 5 weeks ago, and I'm 43 years old. 

 The 'glide' thing is what its all about for me now, and I know when I'm doing it, and when I'm not. When I do, swimming becomes MUCH easier. The 'reach/stretch/pull' thought is what I'm trying to keep in my head as putting focus there seems to be working for me. I have a long way to go to be a consitent, proficient swimmer, and I'm looking forward to getting there. Right now I'm just getting my feet wet (hah!) with technique, and make sure I don't drown at my race on 9/26

Edited by Mike_D 2010-08-26 9:52 AM

Well if you are just now getting your feet wet, I'm thinking you are finally getting a better body position.  I mean, keeping your feet out of the water would require a lot of work, a lot of drag, and your kicking air. 

Thanks! That's good to hear. I was getting a little confused about whether I was doing something completely wrong.

Good luck Mike D! I'm the last one that should be offering swimming advice, but I will say I've been surprised how much I've learned from watching short coaching videos on YouTube. Really helpful. Also, I found the total immersion stuff (i know it gets slammed a little on BT) to be really good as I developed a gliding technique. Even just watching the lecture videos on their site was interesting to mentally understand what to do: http://www.totalimmersion.net/blog/Perpetual-Motion-Freestyle---MIT-Presentation-.html

Of course logically swimming slower can't make you faster.

I think it's more of a case for newer people to swimming, that if your technique isn't ingrained enough then if you try to go fast your technique goes out the window. There's also the fact that your muscles may not be conditioned enough to hold your stroke together at the higher speeds, so that even if you're concentrating your stroke just falls apart.

It's important to train going fast to get your muscles accustomed to the increased stress too. Going from 2:00/100y to 1:00/100y is a huge increase in drag and you need to train in the fastest range possible to get accustomed the the forces and technique required.

In my opinion you should keep swimming fast, but only for as long as you can maintain your best possible form, 25, 50, 100m...whatever you can before your technique fades, then take a break and when you've mentally and physically recovered go again. That way you'll be going fast, but focusing on technique and you'll be spending a higher % of your workouts going fast. If you keep training slow then you'll never accustom yourself to the forces involved with swimming faster.

So in other words, you're not going faster because you're going slower. You're going faster because you're using better technique. You're going slower when you're trying to go faster because your stroke is deteriorating either due to lack of conditioning of your muscles or lack of focus.



Edited by ex-buzz 2010-08-26 11:19 AM

Congrats! This is usually the first big breakthrough for a new swimmer.  Now, keep practicing.  You will start to get faster and faster without even realizing it.  Good analogy to golf in the thread.  My golf game really came together when I figured out that swinging my arms as fast as possible was not the ticket.

Keep it up!

It sounds like when you try to swim fast your technique breaks down, and when you "swim slow" it's better (more efficient).  When you develop your stroke to the point that is doesn't break down when you try to go fast, you'll really cruise!

FWIW, when I get tired, I don't think about swimming harder, I concentrate on maintaining long clean strokes.  This helps hold my pace.

Think I'm on to something -- swam again this AM, and things seemed to just make more sense. I've been able to do longer sets than ever before, and I'm not dying for breath after 25 yards. Also more aware of stroke/movement in the water and can adjust to get things to where they should be rather than fighting the water. Still not swimming overly far compared to most, but I'm daring to think I may be 'getting it'.

I swim an open water course (out and back 1/2 mike each direction) on a regular basis.  The first leg I swim hard to develop my aerobic fitness.  On the way back I slow way down and concentrate on my form and smoothness.  My elapsed time on the way back (after already swimming 1/2 mile) are actually faster than on the way out when I am fresh.

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I wish it worked for me. When I'm tired my stroke just falls apart completely. I do the aerobic stuff last.

Unless a slower stroke rate means your stroke is longer. Velocity = stroke rate x stroke length. For any given stroke rate (which I think some people are referring to as "swimming faster", the longer you can make your stroke at that rate the faster you will go.

Everyone will have a sweet spot where their stroke rate and stroke length will result in maximum speed and speeding up stroke rate further shortens stroke either resulting in a slower speed or in a level of effort that is counter productive. Or a speed that can't be sustained for the duration of the race or repeat distance.