Swim Smooth

Foreword by Paul Moss and Giles O'Brien vii

Preface: The 11-Year-Old Girl ix

Acknowledgements xiii

GETTING STARTED 1

Chapter 1 How to Use This Book 3

Chapter 2 Introduction to Freestyle Swimming 9

Chapter 3 Swimming Equipment 15

Chapter 4 The Three Keys to Better Freestyle Swimming 21

KEY 1 TECHNIQUE 25

Chapter 5 What Makes an Effi cient Freestyle Stroke? 27

Chapter 6 Stroke Flaws - Cause and Effect 29

Chapter 7 Breathing 31

Chapter 8 Body Position 41

Chapter 9 Leg Kick 45

Chapter 10 Posture and Alignment 53

Chapter 11 Rotation and Arm Recovery 61

Chapter 12 Hand Entry 69

Chapter 13 Catch and Pull-Through 75

Chapter 14 Stroke Rate Development 95

Chapter 15 The Science Behind an Effi cient Freestyle Stroke 101

Chapter 16 Performing Your Own Video Analysis Session 109

Chapter 17 The Swim Types System 117

Chapter 18 The Arnie 127

Chapter 19 The Bambino 131

Chapter 20 The Kicktastic 135

Chapter 21 The Overglider 139

Chapter 22 The Swinger 145

Chapter 23 The Smooth 151

KEY 2 TRAINING 157

Chapter 24 The Importance of Fitness Training 159

Chapter 25 Balancing the Different Types of Fitness Training 163

Chapter 26 A Simple Skeleton Structure for Your Swimming Month 169

Chapter 27 Finding Your Critical Swim Speed 173

Chapter 28 Pace Awareness in the Pool and Open Water 183

Chapter 29 Dry-Land Conditioning 187

Chapter 30 Prevention and Management of Shoulder Injuries 199

Chapter 31 Pool Skills 213

Chapter 32 Nutrition for Longer Sessions and Races 219

KEY 3 OPEN WATER 223

Chapter 33 The Importance of Open Water Skills 225

Chapter 34 Managing Anxiety 227

Chapter 35 Swimming Straighter 229

Chapter 36 Drafting Effectively 233

Chapter 37 Turning Around Buoys 239

Chapter 38 Better Wetsuit Swimming 241

Chapter 39 Adapting Your Stroke to a Variety of Conditions 247

APPENDICES 251

A Swim Smooth Drills 253

B Swim Type Stroke Correction Processes 277

C Training Sessions 297

Index 311