Training & Performance · 6 min read
Key takeaways
- Technique improvements deliver faster results than fitness gains alone, fix your stroke first
- Consistency over intensity, regular, focused training beats occasional big sessions every time
- Your turns and underwaters are where most swimmers lose significant time without realising
- Drag reduction matters, compressive swimwear, a well-fitted silicone cap, and streamlined body position all contribute
- Recovery is training, what you do outside the water directly affects what you can do in it
Every swimmer has a moment where they realise they want more from the water. Maybe it is a time at a carnival that surprised you. Maybe it is watching a training partner pull away in a set you used to match. Maybe it is just that feeling that there is more in the tank if you could only unlock it.
The good news is that getting faster in the water is not just about putting in more hours. It is about putting in smarter ones. Here is what actually moves the needle, for squad swimmers, surf lifesavers, and anyone who wants to get more out of every session.
Why does technique matter more than fitness for swimming speed?
Swimming is one of the few sports where technique has a larger impact on speed than raw fitness. A swimmer with excellent stroke mechanics moving through the water efficiently will consistently outperform a fitter swimmer with poor technique.
This is because water is approximately 800 times denser than air. Every inefficiency in your stroke, a dropped elbow, a scissor kick, a head position that is too high, creates drag that you have to fight through with extra effort. Fix the drag first, and the fitness you already have goes further.
For a breakdown of the most common technique errors and how to fix them, read our post on common swim technique mistakes.
What are the most effective ways to get faster in the water?
1. Fix your catch and pull
The catch, the moment your hand enters the water and begins to pull, is where most swimmers lose speed without knowing it. A dropped elbow, a wide entry, or pulling past the hips all reduce the power transferred from your stroke into forward momentum.
Focus on entering fingertips first with a high elbow position, then pressing back against the water with a full arm pull from shoulder to hip. Even small improvements here create noticeable changes in how far you travel per stroke, which is the single most reliable measure of swimming efficiency.
2. Build your kick without losing your stroke
A strong kick does not mean a big, splashy kick. For freestyle, a consistent two or four beat kick provides propulsion and, more importantly, keeps your hips high and reduces drag. Kicking from the hip, not the knee, is the key distinction. A knee-driven kick creates resistance rather than propulsion and exhausts your legs without adding speed.
Kick sets with a board are valuable, but kick sets without a board, on your back or in streamline, are more transferable to your full stroke. Add them to your regular training and watch your body position improve across all strokes.
3. Make your turns faster
For pool swimmers, turns are one of the most underrated areas for time improvement. A strong tumble turn with a powerful push-off and a tight streamline can save multiple seconds per 100m, and in a race or a time trial, that adds up quickly.
The most common turn mistakes are approaching too slowly, flipping too close to or too far from the wall, and breaking streamline too early after the push-off. Practise your turns as deliberately as you practise your stroke, they are worth the investment.
4. Prioritise your underwaters
The fastest part of a race or training set is the underwater dolphin kick off every wall. Most swimmers break the surface too early and give up free speed. Extending your underwater phase, even by half a body length - and maintaining a tight, powerful dolphin kick from your core rather than your legs will consistently deliver faster times.
The limiting factor for most swimmers is breath control and comfort underwater, not kick strength. Add underwater kick sets to your training regularly and the comfort will come.
5. Train consistently rather than intensely
The swimmers who improve fastest are not always the ones doing the biggest sessions. They are the ones who show up consistently, train with focus, and recover properly between sessions. In Australian swimming culture, whether you are in a squad, training for surf lifesaving carnivals, or doing your own thing, the temptation is often to go hard when you feel good and rest when you do not.
A better model is steady, progressive loading across a training week, with deliberate recovery built in. Your body adapts during rest, not during training. Two consistent sessions done well are worth more than five haphazard ones.
Does what you wear affect swimming speed?
Yes, more than most people realise. Drag reduction is a real and measurable performance factor, and it starts with fit.
A compressive, well-fitted swimsuit reduces drag by keeping fabric flush against the body rather than billowing in the water. A suit that fits correctly on land, firm, supportive, nothing shifting, is the suit that sits correctly in the water. A loose suit that feels comfortable at the pool deck adds drag with every stroke.
JAYD Swimwear is an Australian performance swimwear brand built for women who train and compete in the water. Every JAYD suit is made with premium Italian performance fabric and a 100% PBT lining that maintains its compression session after session, so the drag reduction you get on day one is the same drag reduction you get at the end of the season.
For help choosing the right training suit for your swimming, read our guide on what to look for in a good training swimsuit.
How does open water and surf lifesaving training differ?
For surf lifesavers and ocean swimmers, speed in the water is only part of the equation. Sighting, wave reading, and the ability to maintain efficient technique in unpredictable conditions are equally important, and they require specific training that pool swimming does not replicate.
Getting into the ocean regularly, practising sighting without breaking your stroke rhythm, and learning to read current and surf conditions will improve your ocean swimming speed in ways that pool training cannot. Read our guide on the best swimwear for ocean swimming in Australia to make sure your kit is ready for open water conditions.
What does recovery have to do with swimming speed?
Everything. Training is the stimulus. Recovery is where adaptation happens.
Sleep, nutrition, and active recovery between sessions directly determine how much of each training session your body can absorb and build on. Swimmers who train hard but sleep poorly, eat inconsistently, or skip recovery between sessions will plateau faster than those who treat recovery as part of training.
If you are serious about getting faster, treat eight hours of sleep as non-negotiable, fuel your sessions with adequate carbohydrates and protein, and include at least one active recovery session per week- a light swim, a walk, or mobility work, rather than complete rest.
Dive in with confidence. The speed is in there, it just needs the right conditions to come out.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get faster at swimming?
Getting faster at swimming requires improving your stroke technique, building consistent training habits, developing a stronger kick, optimising your turns and underwaters, and reducing drag. Technique improvements typically deliver faster results than fitness gains alone, fixing inefficiencies in your stroke is the highest-value area to focus on first.
Why is swimming technique more important than fitness?
Water is approximately 800 times denser than air, which means every inefficiency in your stroke creates significant drag that you have to fight through with extra effort. A swimmer with excellent technique moving efficiently will consistently outperform a fitter swimmer with poor mechanics. Fixing drag first means the fitness you already have goes further.
How can I improve my tumble turns?
The most common turn mistakes are approaching too slowly, flipping at the wrong distance from the wall, and breaking streamline too early after the push-off. Practise approaching at race speed, flipping close enough to push off with bent knees, and holding a tight streamline with arms overhead for at least a body length before surfacing. Turns are worth practising as deliberately as your stroke.
Does swimwear actually affect swimming speed?
Yes, a compressive, well-fitted swimsuit reduces drag by keeping fabric flush against the body rather than billowing in the water. A suit that fits correctly on land is the suit that sits correctly in the water. JAYD's performance swimwear is made with Italian performance fabric and a 100% PBT lining that maintains its compression session after session, so drag reduction is consistent throughout the season.
How often should I train to get faster at swimming?
Consistency matters more than volume. Regular, focused training sessions done well are more effective than occasional high-intensity sessions. Aim for a steady, progressive training load with deliberate recovery built in, your body adapts during rest, not during training. Most Australian squad swimmers training three to five times per week will see consistent improvement with the right focus in each session.