Developing Swimming Distance Per Stroke

In this article, we will provide advice, drills, hacks and tips on developing swimming distance per stroke.

Improving a swimmer’s distance per stroke enables them to swim all competitive strokes, more efficiently, helping them to conserve energy and swim faster.

What is swimming distance per stroke?

Distance per stroke refers to how far a swimmer can swim during each stroke.
The more efficient their stroke, the fewer strokes they’ll need to complete a given distance.

Establishing swimming distance per stroke

To establish their swimming distance per stroke, swimmers should divide the number of strokes it takes them to complete a given distance.

For example, if they take 25 strokes to complete a 25-metre length/lap.
They should divide 25 strokes by 25 metres, which would give the swimmer a distance per stroke of 1 metre.

Improving a swimmer’s distance per stroke

Focusing on technique

To improve their distance per stroke swimmers should focus on all areas of their stroke technique.

This includes their breathing, their body position and the rhythm and timing of their stroke.
Regardless of which stroke a swimmer performs, there are some key areas of their stroke technique that they should focus on to help them improve their distance per stroke. These include,

Counting strokes

Swimmer’s should regularly count their strokes during training.

This will help them to focus on their distance per stroke and help to maintain a consistent stroke.
A swimmer’s stroke count is very likely to vary depending on the distance and speed swum.
Therefore, swimmers should count and monitor, their stroke counts while training at varying distances, as they may increase as they swim faster.
To find their optimum mix of the fewest strokes without the loss of speed, swimmers should regularly count their strokes during different sets in training and compare the times for those repeats (reps)

We have produced related articles, on both how to use stroke count and stroke rate and stroke count and stroke rate drills. Which you can view by clicking these links: how to use stroke count and stroke rate | stroke count and stroke rate drills.

Reducing drag

Water is approximately 800 times denser than air.

Drag is the resistance caused by the swimmer’s head, body or limbs, as they move through the water.
Without an effective stroke technique, the swimmer will increase drag and reduce their propulsion, therefore reducing their distance per stroke.
Swimmers should focus on reducing their drag by improving their head, body, arm and leg positions
They should also focus on improving their streamlining.
Many swimmers develop their core to help them improve both their body position and streamlining.

We have produced a related article on developing your swimming core. Which you can view by clicking this link: developing your swimming core

We have produced a related article on an introduction to swimming streamlining. Which you can view by clicking this link: an introduction to swimming streamlining

Improving propulsion

Propulsion is the force generated via the swimmer’s arms and legs that enables them to move through the water.

A feel for the water is the ability of a swimmer to place their hands and arms in the correct position, with the optimum force to obtain maximum propulsion.

This is developed through the consistent and persistent application of a series of swimming drills (see examples below).

We have produced a related article on developing a feel for the water. Which you can view by clicking this link: developing a feel of the water

This is one of our favourite ‘feel for the water’ development drills.

Purpose: This drill introduces the swimmer to pulling with clenched fists.

This adds extra resistance to the arm pull.
It necessitates the swimmer pulling longer and harder and using their forearms as a means of propulsion.
Often once a swimmer has completed this drill with fists when they go back to normal pulling with unclenched fists, most swimmers develop a better feel for the water and therefore some swimmers pull more effectively.

How to perform this drill: The swimmer should start this drill from a push and glide from the end of the pool in a horizontal and prone streamlined position, with clenched fists.

This drill can be conducted over repeat sets of 100m/200m or, as I prefer, conducting a ‘pyramid’ in 100m steps.
For example, 100m, 200m, 300m, 400m, 300m, 200m, 100m (steps of 50m for younger swimmers).
Emphasis should be on a great technique, with high elbows on the recovery phase and a long, strong and controlled pulling action.
Their head should be in a horizontal and prone position, in line with their body and legs, looking at the bottom of the pool, whilst pulling.
When breathing, they should have one goggle lens completely in the water and with the other goggle lens, they should look across the surface of the pool.
Their feet should be in a pointed (plantar flexion) position.
This drill can be performed with or without a pull buoy.

Variation: Once mastered the swimmer can proceed to perform a variation of this drill by performing six arm strokes with clenched fists and six strokes with normal open hands.

Sculling

Swimming sculling is often overlooked and is an undervalued key set of ‘feel for the water’ development drills.

Sculling is a series of swimming techniques, which focuses on the pitch and position of the swimmer’s hands and forearms in the water.
There are sculling drills for all competitive strokes and each part of the arm stroke, including the catch, the pull and the exit.

We have produced a related article on a guide to swimming sculling. Which you can view by clicking this link: a guide to swimming sculling

Leg kick

The leg kick during all strokes is an important but sometimes undervalued key competitive swimming skill and is key to improving a swimmer’s distance per stroke.

An effective leg kick raises the swimmer’s legs up to a horizontal/prone position, thus reducing drag.
As the leg muscles are amongst the largest in the body, having a trained, effective leg kick minimises energy and oxygen consumption, whilst maximising propulsion.
This requires the kicking technique to be persistently and consistently practised.

We have produced a related article on freestyle kicking: improving the technique. Which you can view by clicking this link: freestyle kicking: improving the technique

We have produced a related article on swim training with a kickboard. Which you can view by clicking this link: swim training with a kickboard

Swimming Publications

We produce a growing range of publications on a wide range of swimming subjects.

These include competitive swimming drill publications for backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly and freestyle.
Which are now available in both Amazon Kindle and paperback formats.
For information regarding our portfolio please follow our link: Swimming publications