Swim smarter
Kickboard technique: where to hold the board and when to ditch it
A two-time Olympian on kickboard technique: where to hold the board, why a head-up kick drops your hips, when to kick without it, and the drills that work.
The racing dive start from the block: out, not up
A two-time Olympian on the racing dive start from the block: where your feet go, when to jump, the angle that keeps you flat, and the drills that fix it.
The butterfly second kick: timed to your hands leaving the water
A two-time Olympian on the butterfly second kick: where it lands in the arm cycle, why it carries the recovery, and the drills that separate the two kicks.
Butterfly breathing timing: take the air late, get the head down early
A two-time Olympian on butterfly breathing timing: where the breath fits in the arm cycle, why the head goes down before the hands, and how often to breathe.
The breaststroke kick: heels to your hips, feet turned out
A two-time Olympian on the breaststroke kick: why the heels travel to the hips instead of the knees coming forward, how wide to kick, and where to press.
Breaststroke timing: pull, breathe, kick, glide
A two-time Olympian on breaststroke timing: where the kick really starts, why a fast turnover slows you down, and how the sequence changes by distance.
The backstroke kick: small, fast, and driven from the hip
A two-time Olympian on the backstroke kick: why kicking from the knees fails, how big the kick should be, what the up-kick does, and the drills that fix it.
The backstroke catch: how to bend your arm and hold water
A two-time Olympian on the backstroke catch: pinky-first entry, when to bend the elbow, how deep the hand goes, where the pull finishes, and the drills.
Backstroke hips sinking: why you look like you are sitting in a chair
A two-time Olympian on sinking hips in backstroke: the chair position, where to put your head and eyes, how much knee bend the kick can afford, and drills.
The backstroke flip turn: how to turn when you cannot see the wall
A two-time Olympian on the backstroke flip turn: what the rule allows, counting off the flags, the roll onto the breast, and what the push-off should look like.
Open turn for breaststroke and butterfly: two hands, one wall
A two-time Olympian on the open turn in breaststroke and butterfly: the legal touch, how long your feet should stay on the wall, and what to drill.
Streamline and push-off from the wall: the free speed nobody trains
A two-time Olympian on streamline and the push-off from the wall: the exact shape, how deep to go, how long to glide, and when to start kicking.
Freestyle drills that work: catch-up, fingertip drag and single arm
A two-time Olympian on freestyle drills: what catch-up, fingertip drag and single arm each fix, where they mislead, and how to make them transfer.
Head position in freestyle: where to look and what it does to your legs
A two-time Olympian on head position in freestyle: where to look, why a lifted head sinks your legs, what the drag research shows, and the drills that fix it.
The freestyle push phase: finishing the stroke past your hip
A two-time Olympian on the freestyle push phase: where your hand should finish past the hip, why swimmers quit early, and the drills that fix a short stroke.
High elbow recovery in freestyle: what the arm should do over the water
A two-time Olympian on the high elbow recovery in freestyle: what the arm over the water is for, why the elbow drops, and the drills that lift it again.
The freestyle scissor kick: why your legs split when you breathe
A two-time Olympian on the scissor kick in freestyle: why the legs split open on the breathing stroke, what the research shows, and the drills that close them.
The freestyle dead spot: why catch-up timing stalls your stroke
A two-time Olympian on the freestyle dead spot: why the lead arm stalls in front, what the research says about catch-up timing, and the drills that fix it.
How to do a breaststroke pullout without giving away the wall
A two-time Olympian on the breaststroke pullout: what the rule allows, where the dolphin kick belongs, how long to glide, and the drills that fix your breakout.
How to do a flip turn in swimming without giving time back at the wall
A two-time Olympian on the freestyle flip turn: how close to tuck, how long the feet stay on the wall, how deep to push off, and the drills that fix each part.
How to pace a 200 IM without falling apart on the breaststroke
A two-time Olympian on pacing the 200 individual medley: what real medley splits look like, which legs actually decide the race, and how to find yours.
How to improve your underwater dolphin kick
A two-time Olympian on the underwater dolphin kick: how deep to go, where the wave really starts, and what the research says about tempo and ankles.
How to swim butterfly without exhausting yourself
A two-time Olympian on butterfly: why the stroke drains you, how the two kicks fit into one arm cycle, and the drills that build a fly you can hold.
How to swim 400m without stopping
A two-time Olympian on building up to 400m of continuous freestyle: why your air runs out first, what really drains your energy, and a four week build.
The 7 most common freestyle swimming mistakes (and the fix for each)
A two-time Olympian breaks down the 7 freestyle mistakes I see most often, the biomechanics behind each one, and the specific fix that actually holds up under fatigue.
How to swim breaststroke: arms, legs, and timing in one guide
A two-time Olympian breaks down breaststroke arms, breaststroke legs, and the timing that connects them, with the drills that fix the most common faults.
What changes in the pool to open water swimming transition
A two-time Olympian breaks down the pool to open water swimming transition: sighting, visibility, wetsuit rules, contact, and how to practice before race day.
How to move your hands in freestyle swimming
A two-time Olympian breaks down freestyle hand entry: where your hand should land, what crossover costs you, and the drills that fix a wide or crossed stroke.
How to kick in freestyle swimming
A two-time Olympian breaks down the 2-beat versus 6-beat freestyle kick, why ankle flexibility changes everything, and the drills that fix a dragging kick.
How to swim backstroke faster
A two-time Olympian breaks down why backstroke speed comes from body position and rotation, not arm strength, plus the hand entry, kick and drills that fix it.
What is a good SWOLF score in swimming?
What SWOLF actually measures, how to calculate it by hand, real benchmark ranges by pool length and stroke, and why a lower number is not always a win.
How to learn to swim as an adult beginner
A two-time Olympian's no-shame guide for adult beginners: realistic progressions, the fears nobody admits, and what to expect from your first ten pool visits.
How to avoid lower back pain in breaststroke
Why breaststroke loads the lower back and how to fix it: the timing, kick and head habits behind the pain, explained by a two-time Olympian in the medley.
How to get over fear of open water swimming
A practical protocol for open water fear: why your body reacts the way it does, progressive exposure steps that work, and a calm race day checklist.
How to swim without getting tired: pacing, economy and breathing
Why you gas out after two lengths even when you are fit, and the fixes that work: swim economy, pacing off your critical swim speed, and a calm exhale.
How to breathe in freestyle swimming: the complete guide
A two-time Olympian on how to breathe in freestyle: trickle exhaling, timing the breath inside your roll, bilateral breathing, and fixes for swallowing water.
Why do my legs sink when swimming? Six causes and six fixes
A two-time Olympian on why your legs sink in freestyle: the six causes, from head position to a knee-driven kick, and the specific correction for each one.
Learn to swim for triathlon: 8 week beginner plan
A two-time Olympian's 8 week plan to take a nervous beginner to a 750 meter sprint triathlon swim, with a week by week table and honest pacing advice.
Open water sighting without breaking your stroke
A two-time Olympian on how to sight in open water swimming: when to lift your eyes, how often you should sight, and what wetsuit and drafting research shows.
Freestyle body rotation: how much is too much?
How to rotate in freestyle swimming: what 45 degrees of body roll buys you in reach and power, the cost of over-rotating, and two drills to calibrate it.
The freestyle catch: why your arm slips and the fix
A two-time Olympian explains the early vertical forearm in plain language: why your pull slips through the water and the three drills I trust to fix it.
Swim training zones explained: build a practice
A plain guide to the five swim training zones from a two-time Olympian: what each one trains and how to build a week that mixes them without wrecking technique.