Every niche community, be it formed around a sport like swimming or another hobby, has its own code of conduct. These unwritten rules are followed by insiders, while outsiders trying to get in can stick out like a sore thumb. What I am talking about could range from special attire to body manner...

Final rating: 5/5 The sport of swimming has seen many innovations over the last few years, some of which we have covered here on the Swimator Blog. (new full-body suits, technique improvement related swimming equipment or new insights on how to swim faster). However, one aspect of swim...

If you've already mastered the basics of a good start, it's time to experiment. Without trying new things and fine-tuning the details, you will never improve. With that in mind, let’s examine the key aspects of the track start. This article assumes you are a competitive swimmer looking to build...

When it comes to the swimming track start, one of the first questions every swimmer asks is: "Which foot should I put forward?" One could assume it's based on your dominant hand, but foot dominance is often more complex as this study indicates. You could be right-handed but have a dominant lef...

Should I do a track start or a grab start? It's a question every competitive swimmer asks, and the answer is: it depends. Your ideal start depends on your body type, flexibility, power, and even the event you're swimming. Many swimmers still haven't figured out which is best for them, and some eve...

In our previous lesson, we covered the on-block mechanics of a great start: reaction time and a powerful push-off. Now, it's time to master what happens after you leave the block. A powerful dive is useless if you lose all your speed in the water. This lesson will break down the three crucial...

If you're comfortable with the basics of sitting and standing dives, it's time to focus on the details that turn a simple dive into an explosive, race-winning start. This advanced lesson will break down the two most important skills that happen on the block: how to sharpen your reaction time...

"Streamline, streamline, streamline", if I had a dollar for each time I say this word, I'd be a multi-billionaire at this stage, live in a mansion and have my own private 50-meter pool with a retractable roof. If you visit this swimming blog often, you've seen it over and over again. But what...

One of the most common and terrifying questions beginners ask is: "What should I do when I feel like I'm drowning?" The first piece of advice is always the same: don't panic. Easier said than done, right? But panic is the real enemy. It wastes your energy, disrupts your breathing, and actively...

We've all tried it: holding your breath for as long as you can. An average person can last about two minutes, but the human body is capable of so much more. The world record for static apnea (with prior oxygen breathing) is an incredible 24 minutes. But what does the extreme world of freediving ha...

In our last lesson, we covered the basics of the sitting dive and squatting dive. Now that you are comfortable with those, it's time to build on that foundation and move toward a proper start off the diving block. This lesson will guide you through the next few progressions, from a standing dive...

Over the last decade, motion-controlled video games have exploded in popularity. But can swinging your arms in your living room actually have anything to do with learning how to swim? Back in 2011, Microsoft released a game for the Xbox Kinect called "Michael Phelps: Push the Limit," one of the fi...