How to Build a Winning Swim Team

Get the Basics Down

Specific technique varies by stroke, but several fundamentals apply universally:

• Body alignment — poor body position is the most visible indicator of poor technique.
• Catch — a strong catch for any stroke provides good propulsion while maintaining form.
• Kicks — powerful kicks push swimmers forward and prevent the lower body from sinking.
• Breathing — correct breathing avoids unnecessary head movements that disrupt alignment and speed.
• Timing — properly timed pulls, kicks, and breaths tie everything together into effective strokes.

Implement Drills

Drills are key to improving and maintaining good technique at any age or level. They isolate specific stroke components, allowing swimmers to focus on one element at a time without fatigue from the full stroke effort.

Find the area needing improvement, implement targeted drills, and supplement with equipment as needed. Start slow when applying changes to regular swimming, then gradually add speed and power to ensure swimmers don't lose form as they go faster.

Practice Consistently

Perfecting stroke technique doesn't happen in a single session. It takes repetition — at minimum several practice cycles before a correction becomes muscle memory. Even after a skill is developed, revisit it periodically through drills or targeted reminders. Good form needs maintenance alongside all the other areas you continue developing.

Has It Improved a Specific Component of the Swim?

Drills isolate specific stroke areas so swimmers can focus on one movement at a time. If a swimmer can't get the targeted movement right after several repetitions, that's a clear signal to try a different drill — not a sign the swimmer can't improve. Every athlete learns differently, and the best drill is the one that clicks for them.

Are the Improvements Transferred to Regular Strokes?

The real value of drills is only realized when improvements carry over to full-stroke swimming. Some drills target measurable metrics like distance per stroke or stroke rate; others target technique and skill. If swimmers can execute a drill correctly in isolation but revert to old patterns in full-stroke sets, the drill may need more repetition, a modified version, or supplementary equipment to bridge the gap.

What Happens When Speed Is Incorporated?

Swimmers sometimes revert to old patterns when swimming for speed — this is normal. It doesn't necessarily mean the drill failed. If stroke quality improves in moderate sets but breaks down at race pace, the solution is usually more drilling, a modified version of the drill, or an added challenge. Making a drill more demanding accelerates transfer to high-speed swimming.

Each Practice Should Have a Specific Objective, Based on a Periodized Plan

Training should be planned in advance to progressively develop swimmer capabilities throughout the season. Periodization divides the season into macrocycles, mesocycles, and microcycles — each training block builds specific skills that culminate in peak performance at championship season. Every single practice should work toward the objective of the current training phase.

Every Practice Should Follow: Warm-Up → Main Set → Cool-Down

Warm-up — prepares muscles for higher intensity work and helps swimmers get a feel for their strokes. Adding drills to the warm-up sets them up for a better main set. Even when time is tight, a few minutes of warm-up is worth it.

Main set — the primary focus of the practice. Whether it's a speed day, endurance day, or strength day, this is where the specific objectives are targeted.

Cool-down — brings heart rate back to normal and helps flush lactic acid from the muscles. Skipping it compromises short-term recovery and long-term injury prevention. Swimmers should never leave after the main set.

Practices Should Have Just Enough Variation Throughout the Season

Repetitive workouts lead to plateaus and disengagement. Vary workouts day to day, week to week, and month to month across different training zones — while keeping changes in training load gradual. Sudden spikes in volume or intensity significantly increase injury risk. Where possible, tailor workout modifications to individual swimmers' goals and capabilities without needing entirely different sessions.

Have a Long-Term Plan

Map out the season's training plan before it starts. Every practice should serve to bring swimmers and the team closer to their long-term goals. With a structured plan, workouts build on current capabilities properly — rather than keeping swimmers stalled or, worse, increasing injury risk through random programming.

Set Training Targets for Your Team — and Have Swimmers Do the Same

For every session, set micro-level training goals: target times for a set, an endurance focus, a sprint objective, or a specific technique target. Encourage swimmers to set their own personal goals for each workout. This keeps them mindful of their swimming, helps them conquer tough sets, and builds accountability for their own performance.

Provide Constructive Feedback

Swimmers can't always see or feel what's happening in their swim. A coach's feedback is one of the most valuable inputs for improvement. Be specific about what to change and why. Promote open communication — encourage swimmers to ask questions and engage more deeply in their training. When athletes understand their own performance, they apply insights more effectively.

Track Progress

The best way to know if your workout sets are working is to track results over time. Have times improved? Are metrics like distance per stroke or stroke rate trending in the right direction? Identifying what works for individual swimmers — and what doesn't — is the core of effective training plan management.

Kick Sets

Good kicks are essential to fast swimming. Kicks contribute critical propulsion during strokes and drive acceleration off starts and walls. When swimmers fatigue, the legs typically go first — training them well ensures speed is maintained through the full race distance.

Kick sets can be vertical, sprint, or distance-based; with or without boards or fins. The critical thing is that kicks are never neglected. Every practice should include leg work.

Drill Sets

Every swimmer at every level benefits from drills. Early-season practices should feature heavy drill work to build a solid technical foundation before speed and intensity ramp up. Mid-season, drills in warm-ups help swimmers find their stroke feel before the main set. They also serve as maintenance, preventing technique regression as training loads increase.

Sprint and Long-Distance Sets

Sprinters train with shorter, higher-intensity work targeting fast-twitch muscle fibers. Distance swimmers log longer sets at lower intensity to build pacing endurance. Two formats work for both groups with appropriate modification:

Descending sets — each rep must be faster than the previous. Builds race-pace discipline. Example: 8x50, descend 1 to 8.

Build sets — each individual rep increases from slow to fast finish. Develops acceleration and race-end speed. Example: 8x200, build pace through each lap.

Test Sets

Test sets measure progress throughout the season and determine whether training is on track. Every test set should have a specific purpose, and every result should produce actionable insights to guide future training. Common test types: aerobic, anaerobic, lactate, technique, efficiency, strength, and power.

Read Training Articles

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Keep Up to Date on Competition Results

SwimSwam covers most major US meets and international competitions with full race recaps, play-by-plays, and final results — plus occasional deep-analysis pieces. This is valuable for benchmarking your own athletes: how do they compare to swimmers at certain competitive levels? What trajectory are top programs on? Competition coverage can directly inform goal-setting and training adjustments.

Learn About New Swimming Technology

SwimSwam regularly features emerging swim technology. Part of becoming a better coach is staying open to new tools that can optimize training quality. However, not all swim tech adds equal value — the market is crowded. Use SwimSwam as part of your research process to make informed decisions about which technology would genuinely benefit your specific team.