Swimming straight in the open water
How do I swim straight in the open water?
This is a major challenge to open water swimming (and even swimming in a pool with lane lines!), and the key lies in one of our other fun challenges in swimming: breathing!
Here’s a quick guide to swimming straight:
1. Simply doing alternate (or bi-lateral) breathing would go a long way towards making you swim in a straight. If you are comfortable with this, breathe every 3 strokes and you will be much more in line with where you want to go.
2. If you cannot get enough oxygen while breathing bilaterally, this can be a big problem on a distance swim. Practice swimming and breathing 2 strokes on the left, 2 on the right, then go to 3 breaths left, 3 right. Then try 2 on the left, 1 on the right, 3-1, etc. Find what works for in keeping you in line and stick with that plan in your race.
3. Practice sighting less often, as this will disrupt your stroke rhythm and balance.
4. Keep your strokes long and extend that arm out in front on each stroke and drive it forward.
5. Practice the One Arm Drill (in the Complete Guide), and pay attention to your arm pull, making sure you are not crossing in with your hand.
6. Practice open water swimming. Just being used to the environment will get you more comfortable, and you will intuitively pick up on
swimming straight out there.
All agreed with the above, but sometimes you are not conscious of what way you are swimming – need someone to look at your stroke and correct the basics; it maybe the body position, or the timing of the stroke, not leaving enough time to get a breath. Simple issues to correct, but difficult to ‘see’ yourself and what you are doing.
I have the use of a private pool, with flexible times for any athlete who would like to improve; probably an hour in the pool would be sufficient to speed a swimmer to their potential :)
Contact me if I may be of help to anyone in NIreland or Ireland.
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