The "Good Swimmer" Trap - and Why It Might Be Hurting Your Race Listen to Brett break this down — including how Craig Walton produced near-identical swim times but very different race outcomes depending on swim fitness. ▶️ 4-minute audio Most triathlon swim content is aimed at people who learned to swim as adults. But what about those of you who grew up in the water? Swam squad? Maybe competed at a high level? People call you "lucky", but that swim background can be just as

The correct paddle for an athlete depends on what their stroke is actually doing underwater. The only way to determine this accurately is to watch them swim. I'm looking at arm turnover, body position, body type and size, kick pattern (2-beat vs 6-beat), whether they have a good press (what most call catch) at the front, whether they're pulling their hand out before finishing the back end of the stroke, and their mechanics through the whole pull phase.

Traditional drills were designed for swimmers who grew up in water. Most of the age-groupers I coach didn't grow up swimming. They came to it as adults, and for them, traditional drills are largely a waste of time. The transfer to actual swimming is minimal.