18 Biggest Swimming Myths (by Clay Evans)

The 18 Biggest Myths in Pool & Ocean Swimming:

1. I need more technique
2. I need more stroke drills
3. If I practice the wrong technique I will establish bad habits
4. Breathe every third stroke
5. I will draft off someone in the race
6. Swimming a straight mile lap swimming style is a good use of my workout time
7. Keep your head down and in balance
8. Fins are bad because I will get dependent on them
9. The sharks will get me
10. The under tow will get you
11. Swimming in a pool or lake is the same as swimming in the ocean
12. Swim with a buddy
13. Practice for a distance race doing non-stop swimming
14. Kicking really hard makes you go faster
15. To speed up I will rush my stroke
16. Only swim in the pool for ocean racing
17. Only swim in the ocean for ocean racing

Okay lets justify, define and explain this list. I will start with 1, 2 and 3: I go until I am blue in my face telling new swimmers get in the water and swim and you will quickly learn. When you get laps under your belt you start to feel the water, adapt motor skills, get stronger, more endurance and more confidence. Soon you will be coachable. Yes, you might learn some bad habits but what you gain from getting in is the most important – do not hesitate – I promise you will not be scared for life. SWIM! You will learn so much just being in the water. Drills are great but should be only 20% of your workout and most of those at the beginning. It is essential that you start off each swim’s very first stroke thinking about your technique.

4. Breathe on one side every second stroke in races but learn to do both sides. In an ocean swim it is best to face and see the shore but then of course there are times to look to the other side to see other swimmers, buoys or lifeguards guiding you on boards. The difference between going from every two to every three is 50% less air. No man in the longer distances in the Olympics swims every three. None. There are only a few women and they use a different stroke called the two beat kick cycle. We generally teach the “classical” long line Crawl to swimmers. 8: Fins are great. They increase ankle flexibility, strengthen legs and mimic your race speed. And for some of you newbies they make you able to cross a speed threshold that allows you to adapt and learn technique. Will you get dependent: sure – but who cares? If you are training for a triathlon you will have a wet suit on and you will be much faster. If your are out just to swim and loose calories how cares? Enjoy yourself and use what ever means helps you workout.

9. Sharks, stop it! There has yet to be a shark attach in LA County. 10. The ocean is far more treacherous than a lake with rips currents, regular currents, much bigger chop, huge waves and tsunamis. But the good thing is there are no undertows (unless you are talking about that huge wave you did not negotiate well and your are tumbling endlessly inside). There are no undertows sucking humans down out there in the water except your newbie friend that is drowning: 11. If you are new to swimming, the ocean and average over 2:00 per 100 yards of swimming do not swim with a fellow buddy because you are doubling your changes of drowning. A fellow newbie cannot save you and you cannot save him. A panicked swimmer is extremely dangerous, extremely strong and will consider you a welcome pylon to snatch, grab and hold on with all their might with all four extremities. Think of a cobra wrapping around a helpless bunny out their bobbing in the ocean. You need to be a very experienced swimmer and lifeguard to deal with this. I cringe every time I see teams, clubs and organizations say swim with a buddy. So if your new swimmer buddy starts drowning just say: “Sorry, I would love to help, but I better not”. Thank the buddy for the swim today but say: “Good by.” To make them feel better tell your friend you will tell absolutely everyone they went down gallantly in a ferocious surf fighting off a shark attach.

13: Steady no stop lap swimming is not the only way to get your swimming done. In fact it is quite inefficient use of your swim time to breaking up your swims with a variety of rests, short and long to learn pacing and increase your motivation (beating your times from last week with less rest). See our “oneline“ workouts at SWIM.net to find out the many ways a workout can be broken up into more exciting challenges. 14: The longer the race the less kicking has an impact. Thank good for the wet suit which lifts you high in the water and makes you a lot faster (of course it makes everyone else faster as well) 15: Never rush the stroke above the water nor shorten the glide. Increase your speed only by increasing the strength and speed of the under water catch only. 16 & 17: 80% of your training should be in the pool and 20% in the ocean.