#428 : Swim Technique Hierarchy of Needs
5/19/20261 hr 36 min
I recently joined the That Triathlon Show Podcast with Mikael Eriksson for a deep dive into freestyle technique and what I call the "swim technique hierarchy of needs."
In this conversation, we break down the key elements of efficient swimming including breathing, body position, rotation, catch mechanics, timing, and how to adapt your stroke for open-water racing. We also discuss some of the most common mistakes triathletes make in the water, how to fix them, and why many swimmers plateau even when their technique looks good on video.
We also get into topics like kick timing, front-quadrant swimming, stroke rate, drills that actually transfer to faster swimming, open-water skills, and what it really takes to become a strong swimmer as an adult-onset triathlete.
If you're looking to swim faster, feel more efficient in the water, or better understand how to prioritize your technique work, this episode is packed with practical coaching insights you can apply right away.
03:37 A hierarchy of needs for freestyle technique
07:50 Building the frame of the body
12:20 Kick tempo and stroke rate
17:05 Training the Kick for racing options
18:40 Rotation
23:30 The catch and pull
29:32 YMCA Drill
35:10 Timing and creative freedom in racing
38:20 Speed versus stroke appearance
41:15 The importance of purposeful drills
46:05 Capturing your technique on camera
48:00 The nature of swim talent
52:46 Swim frequency and distance
57:00 Structuring swim workouts
59:01 Intensity distribution across swim sessions
01:03:30 Open water versus pool technique
01:07:20 The importance of drafting
01:08:36 Drafting and preparation for open water
01:15:50 - Racing bravely in the swim
01:18:42 -The Goggles
01:23:50 - Choosing the right lens for conditions
Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsBrenton Ford· Host0:00
[sighs] I was recently a guest on The Science and Art of Open Water Swimming, hosted by Grant Landers, and on this episode, he really asked some good in-depth questions about what you can do to become a more proficient and open water swimmer. And we also get into some of the principles that help you transition from the pool to the open water, as well as some of the things that are a little bit less tangible, some of the, uh, I, I think, philosophies of, uh, why people are attracted to open water swimming and swimming itself. So this was a, a really fun episode to do. Let's get into it.
Speaker 20:35
[upbeat music] Welcome to the Effortless Swimming Podcast, the show that helps swimmers and triathletes love the water, become a better swimmer, and live a better life. Here's your host, Brenton Ford.
Mikael Eriksson· Guest0:45
Welcome to That Triathlon Show, the podcast presented by Scientific Triathlon and hosted by me, Michael Eriksson. With me today is somebody that, uh, most listeners are probably very familiar with, Brenton Ford from Effortless Swimming. Brenton, welcome back to the show after a long time. How are you doing?
Brenton Ford· Host1:04
Yeah, good, thank you, and thanks for having me back on. I had a look back at our last episode, which was, I think it was three years ago now. Three, maybe four. So, uh, yeah, long time no chat, but I'm looking forward to it.
Mikael Eriksson· Guest1:16
Yeah. No, me too. Uh, for listeners that might not know you or be familiar with you, can you give a brief introduction to yourself and, and what you do?
Brenton Ford· Host1:24
Yeah. I'm a, uh, a swimming coach based in Australia, and I work primarily