Quality of Movement Most Important Factor in Swimming Success
What determines performance in sports? Technique? Training volume? Mechanics? When it comes to swimming, many coaches believe technique and training are the top determinants of an athlete’s success. And the belief that technique, which is taught incorrectly in most cases, coupled with swim training volume, is prevalent in today’s swimming culture. What if I told you the most important factor in swim performance success relies on quality of movement?
Most coaches measure swimming performance success using the current model of technique and training. Quality of movement is the least understood way of evaluating a swimmer, especially in age group swimming. After all, movement chains are not part of a swimming skills curriculum taught to swim coaches, in which the focus tends to be on technique, which translates to mechanical execution of technical pieces “done right.” In other words, technique correction and instruction only address a model of perceived perfection.
However, to understand why some athletes achieve greater success than others, coaches need to understand movement sequencing, and identify, guide, and encourage natural movement patterns. In swimming, quality of movement is easy to see through ease of motion in the water, mobility, strength, speed, power, balance, and coordination. When all systems align into one integration of motion, the result is a powerful system of a whole-body energy working in sync. Quality of movement combines technical concepts with overall stroke articulation, which can translate to better performance.
Let’s look at freestyle as an example. The movement chain in the freestyle stroke begins in the pelvis, where the body generates rotational power. This power gets transferred down the chain through several joints, muscles, and connective tissue to action points at the end of the chain where force is applied. Yet most coaches only consider technical pieces, usually in making changes to a swimmer’s upper body focusing on the hands and forearms. You need to look at the origin of the movement – the beginning of the entire movement chain. This is an important distinction as many coaches focus on the end point, and as such, are not able to teach their athletes how to harness their true power. Even in swimmers whose technique may look good, the result is a lackluster performance because they are not harnessing their power.
Quality of movement should serve as the foundation for every sport, be coached to every athlete. Approach swimming through sensation and exploration in the water, not form or technique. Harnessing movement quality can lead to greater efficiency in the water, and in turn reduce the overuse injuries that inevitably hit most swimmers. For more on that topic, visit my swimming and injuries blog.
