101 Tips For Super Swimmers

 

Wayne Goldsmith and Helen Morris


  1. Train regularly
  2. Always carry a drink bottle filled with water
  3. If training in the morning, pack your swim bag the night before
  4. Eat less fat
  5. Eat more fresh fruit
  6. Stretch every day-even if you are having a day off
  7. Practice kicking
  8. Thank your coach after each training session
  9. Make a friend with a younger swimmer in your club-the younger swimmers look up to you
  10. Breathe every two or three strokes in butterfly at training instead of breathing on every stroke
  11. Touch the wall with both hands simultaneously at the end of every fly and breast lap
  12. Don't breathe inside the flags
  13. Drink fewer soft drinks
  14. Carry spare parts for your goggles
  15. Carry a spare set of goggles
  16. Wear shoes and socks to and from every training session
  17. Take responsibility to set your own alarm if going to morning training
  18. Take responsibility for drying your own wet swim gear
  19. Get to training early and start stretching by yourself
  20. Get more sleep
  21. Watch less TV
  22. Streamline past the flags in all strokes
  23. Learn one new skill every week
  24. Ask your coach for advice every day
  25. Start your homework before afternoon training
  26. Thank your parents for taking you to training
  27. Don't pull on the lane ropes
  28. Don't walk on the bottom of the pool when the coach isn't watching
  29. Write your name on all your swim gear
  30. Help put club and squad gear away
  31. Go to club nights and treat them seriously
  32. Help your club raise funds
  33. Win Every Workout
  34. Count your strokes without being told to
  35. Shower after workouts and use conditioner for your hair
  36. Turn your swim caps inside out after use and sprinkle them with baby powder to keep them in good condition
  37. If you can, walk or ride your bike to training
  38. Keep a log book
  39. Get in the water the FIRST time the coach asks you to
  40. Ask your coach for permission to lead the lane at least three times every week
  41. Don't share drink bottles
  42. Have something light to eat immediately after training when your body really needs it.
  43. Do sit-ups and push-ups at home by yourself every day. Start with doing 5, then do one extra every second day.
  44. Learn five motivational sayings that can help you get through tough times
  45. Ask your coach to make it harder, not easier
  46. Don't ask your coach if you can use fins in fly
  47. Don't finish short of the wall-there are no gold medals for 48-metre swims
  48. If you have heroes on the National Swim team, write to them and tell them
  49. Set goals
  50. Review goals
  51. Set more goals
  52. Never, ever quit
  53. Learn from losing
  54. Watch senior swimmers warm up at meets-learn from the best
  55. Cheer for your teammates at swim meets
  56. Believe in yourself
  57. Do a full, legal underwater breaststroke pull EVERY lap of breaststroke in training
  58. Eat more fresh vegetables
  59. Say hello and smile to swimming officials. Without them, there can be no swim meets and they usually are giving up their time for nothing so that you can race.
  60. Keep up to date with changes in national and world records
  61. Double-check swim meet entries
  62. Wear clean team gear to every swim meet
  63. Get any medications checked by a doctor to make 1
  64. certain they don't contain banned substances
  65. If travelling long distances to a meet, carry your first two meals with you so you are less likely to resort to junk food
  66. Streamline
  67. Take every opportunity to swim down the middle of your lane rather than circling
  68. Learn to negative split (i.e., swim the second half of a race faster than the first half)
  69. Be confident
  70. Ignore
  71. of what other swimmers tell you in the marshalling area
  72. Congratulate people who beat you
  73. Take your own nutritious food to swim meets
  74. Don't smoke
  75. Have an interest other than swimming
  76. In the morning, wake your mom or dad and ask them if they can take you to training-don't wait for them to wake you
  77. Never challenge your coach in front of the rest of the squad (particularly in front of the younger swimmers). If you disagree with something, politely approach your coach after the session and discuss things sensibly. Challenging the coach in front of the team can only end one way-you lose!
  78. Support your club captains
  79. Don't follow too closely to the swimmer in front of you in training. Allow at least a 5-second space.
  80. Wear sunscreen at outdoor training sessions
  81. Don't ask mom and dad for junk food or presents every time you do a PB. Do things better because you want to.
  82. Keep your head still in backstroke
  83. Do kick sets with a goal. For example, kick 50 metres within 10 seconds of your best swim time, kick 40 metres in your 50 metre swim PB.
  84. Learn to enjoy longer swims. Endurance work lays the foundation for great speed and increased recovery ability.
  85. Swim individual medleys at meets
  86. Remember your coach's birthday!
  87. Improve your turns
  88. Improve your starts
  89. Improve your finishes
  90. Don't look for shortcuts
  91. Learn to swim slowly
  92. Always warm up
  93. Always swim down
  94. Take your dryland training as seriously as you take your pool training
  95. Learn to kick powerfully in both directions in fly
  96. Do some long distance backstroke work. It teaches an early catch and good body rotation.
  97. Work on weaknesses-strengths can take care of themselves
  98. Target weak events (females: medley, middle distance freestyle, backstroke,
  99. metre form strokes; males: medley, backstroke,
  100. metre form strokes). Your chances of success are greater.
  101. Cut back on lollies, chips, chocolate, and cookies
  102. Edit your own music tapes with your favourite music to listen to before your race
  103. Teach a younger swimmer in your club to do something better in their swimming
  104. Clean your swimming bag out and replace any out of date, mouldy, or smelly items
  105. Finish your breaststroke kick with your feet together