Tri Better .club

Your legs might not be sinking. Your feet might be acting like brakes

Many swimmers blame sinking legs, but often the real problem is resistant feet.

If your ankles don’t point properly, your feet act like brakes, creating drag and slowing you down with every kick.

Work on improving ankle flexibility (plantar flexion) so your feet can point naturally behind you.

One simple way to help is to use fins in the pool. Fins encourage better ankle position, improve flexibility over time, and help you feel what an efficient kick should be like.

Less resistance. Better body position. Faster swimming.

Have you ever checked your ankle flexibility?

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Want a longer, more powerful stroke?

Keep your stroke long and streamlined.

Rotate and move your hips out of the way as your hand drives through the water. This helps you reach further, reduces resistance, and allows the kick to start naturally from the hips rather than the knees.

Many swimmers miss the strongest part of the stroke — the finish. The final part of the pull is where a lot of propulsion happens, so don’t cut it short.

Reach forward, hold the water, and finish the stroke.

If you want to improve your efficiency and swim faster with less effort, follow the Linear Stroke section of my course.

Message me if you’d like help with your swimming, either online or in Mallorca. Or comment LINEAR.

Slow down to speed up.

When you slow your swimming down, you give yourself time to understand what’s happening in the water.

That’s when real improvement happens.

When learning a new skill, take it one step at a time. Focus on a single element, build consistency, then gradually add speed.

The swimmers who improve fastest are often the ones who pay the closest attention to their technique.

Slow it down. Feel the water. Build the skill. Let the speed develop.

What are you focusing on in your swimming right now? OR check out my online course https://stan.store/TriBetter

He improved his swim time by focusing on two things: lengthening the stroke and improving the catch.

We used fins to help stabilise his body position and core, not to make him kick harder. In fact, his kick was creating drag and slowing him down.

Before, he was swimming with his head down, windmilling his arms and simply fighting to survive the length. There was little focus on driving forwards through the water.

Now, he’s swimming with purpose, feeling the water better, moving forwards more efficiently, and most importantly, enjoying it.

If you’re swimming slower than 2:00 per 100m, there’s a good chance something in your technique is holding you back.

The good news is that most swim problems can be fixed.

Message PLUS2 to find out more, or DM me about face-to-face coaching in Mallorca or online coaching.

Want a stronger catch? Start by improving your feel for the water.

One simple way to do that is to keep your fingers slightly apart during the forward drive phase, rather than squeezing them tightly together.

A small gap between your fingers can help you sense the pressure of the water more effectively, giving you a better connection throughout the stroke.

The goal isn’t to spread your fingers wide open. Just relax your hand and let a natural gap form between the fingers.

A relaxed hand improves feel. Better feel helps you hold the water more effectively. A better hold on the water leads to a stronger catch and more propulsion.

Better feel → Better catch → Better propulsion.

Try it on your next swim and see what difference it makes.

Do you swim with your fingers closed, relaxed, or slightly apart? Message CATCH to me for more.

Do you want to train in an amazing place like this?

Online coaching works, but nothing beats face-to-face coaching.

Swim in the pool. Swim in the sea. Get real-time feedback and make faster progress.

The best way to improve your swimming is to practise with purpose, get expert guidance, and build confidence in the water.

Join me in Mallorca for swim coaching, open water skills, and technique development.

DM me for details.

Keep a relaxed, constant exhalation when you swim.

A steady exhale helps you stay relaxed, keeps water out of your mouth, and creates a natural breathing rhythm. One of the biggest mistakes swimmers make is holding their breath underwater and then trying to exhale and inhale at the same time when they turn to breathe.

Instead, breathe out continuously underwater and simply turn to inhale when it’s time to breathe.

Relaxed breathing = relaxed swimming.

If you struggle with breathing, don’t focus on swimming faster. Focus on breathing better first. The speed will come later.

https://stan.store/TriBetter/p/breathing-with-confidence-fix-your-breathing-first

The three elements of the swim catch:

1. Clean hand entry – spear the fingers into the water.
2. Set up the hold on the water with the hand and forearm.
3. Apply pressure to move the body forward. .

Training should be enjoyable.

Don’t fight your stroke—feel your stroke.

When you slow the stroke down, you can focus on where the power really comes from. You start to feel the catch, hold the water, and connect each part of the stroke together.

That’s why we offer both online and face-to-face coaching. We help you understand your stroke, not just swim harder.

Swim smarter, not harder. Comment ‘BREATH’ or DM me. .bh

Rotate your head to breathe — don’t lift it.

Open water swimmers often look slightly further forward than pool swimmers, but when you breathe, keep your ear close to your shoulder and rotate your head to the side.

Exhale into the water to empty the excess air and clear the water away. Then you’re ready to breathe in without lifting your head or breaking your stroke.

Better breathing. Better balance. Better swimming.