The Real Reason You’re Not Getting Faster in Swimming

Let’s just say it.

You’ve been putting in the work.

You’re showing up to practice.
You’re swimming the yards.
You’re trying harder.

And yet…

You’re not getting faster.

Frustrating, right?

Here’s the uncomfortable truth:

It’s probably not your effort. It’s your technique.

More specifically—how you interact with the water.

You’re Probably Swimming Harder… Not Better

One of the biggest mistakes swimmers make is thinking:

“If I just try harder, I’ll go faster.”

So what do they do?

• Spin their arms faster
• Kick harder
• Rush their stroke

And what happens?

They get tired… and stay the same speed.

Or worse—get slower.

Why?

Because effort without efficiency is useless in swimming.

The “Mario Kart on Ice” Problem

Imagine this.

You’re playing Mario Kart.

You hit a banana.

Your wheels are spinning like crazy…

But you’re not going anywhere.

That’s exactly what happens in the water when your technique breaks down.

Your arms are moving fast.

Your kick is going.

But you’re not actually grabbing water.

You’re slipping through it.

Distance Per Stroke: The Metric That Actually Matters

Instead of asking:

“How do I move my arms faster?”

You should be asking:

“How far do I go with each stroke?”

This is called distance per stroke (DPS).

And it’s one of the most important concepts in swimming.

If your distance per stroke improves:

• You travel farther with less effort
• You maintain speed longer
• You conserve energy

If it gets worse:

• You take more strokes
• You fatigue faster
• You slow down

It’s that simple.

Why Tempo Alone Won’t Fix Your Speed

A lot of swimmers get obsessed with tempo.

“Faster arms = faster swimming”

Not quite.

Here’s the reality:

Tempo only works if you’re holding water.

If you’re not:

You’re just spinning.

That’s why elite swimmers don’t just increase tempo randomly.

They:

1. Build strong distance per stroke
2. THEN layer tempo on top

Not the other way around.

The Real Goal: Hold Water, Then Move Faster

When your hand enters the water, it should do one thing:

Become an anchor.

Your body moves past your hand.

Not your hand ripping through the water.

If you watch elite swimmers closely, it almost looks like:

Their hands stay still…
And their body slides past them

That’s efficiency.

That’s speed.

Why Most Swimmers Plateau

Here’s what typically happens:

Early on, swimmers improve quickly.

Why?

Because:

• Basic technique improves
• Strength increases
• Coordination gets better

But then…

They hit a wall.

And that wall usually comes from:

• Poor catch mechanics
• Dropping elbows
• Slipping water
• Imbalanced stroke

At that point, more yardage doesn’t fix it.

Better technique does.

The Fix: Train With Purpose

If you want to actually get faster, your training needs to change.

Instead of just swimming laps, focus on:

1. Catch Quality

Are you holding water?
Or slipping through it?

2. Stroke Balance

Are both arms working equally?
Or is one dominating?

3. Distance Per Stroke

How far are you traveling per stroke?

4. Controlled Tempo

Can you speed up without losing form?

If you can’t answer these…

That’s your problem.

This Is Where Coaching Actually Matters

Most swimmers don’t need:

More workouts
More yardage
More suffering

They need:

Clarity.

Someone to tell them:

• What’s wrong
• Why it’s wrong
• How to fix it

That’s why:

• Private swim lessons
• Stroke clinics
• Virtual coaching

exist.

Because without feedback…

You’re just guessing.

Triathletes: You’re Especially Guilty of This

Let’s call it out.

A lot of triathletes think:

“If I just swim more, I’ll improve.”

But if your technique is off…

You’re reinforcing bad habits.

Over and over again.

That’s why so many triathletes:

• Feel exhausted in the water
• Struggle with efficiency
• Don’t see improvement

Fix the technique first.

Then build endurance.

Masters Swimmers: It’s Not Too Late

If you’re a masters swimmer thinking:

“I’ve been swimming like this for years…”

Good news.

Technique improvements don’t care about age.

In fact, improving efficiency is the fastest way to:

• Drop time
• Reduce fatigue
• Enjoy swimming more

You don’t need to work harder.

You need to work smarter.

Final Thought: Stop Spinning, Start Moving

If there’s one takeaway from all of this, it’s this:

Speed in swimming comes from how well you move water—not how fast you move your arms.

So next time you’re in the pool, don’t think:

“Go faster.”

Think:

“Go farther per stroke.”

Because once you master that…

Speed becomes a byproduct.

Not a struggle.