Triathlon - Swim technique: fast vs. slow swimming

Found a lot of technique advice by searching, but not my exact issue: I'm trying to swim faster (aren't we all). I have completed a 1650 in the pool, and an open-water swim of a 1/2 mile, both at excruciatingly slow speeds, the slowness in large part due to "swimming uphill."

I also have achieved what feels like pretty decent horizontal body position when swimming at a significantly faster clip that I can hold for 100-200 yd tops. When swimming fast I feel like my whole body is very high in the water, and I don't have to turn my torso/head far at all to breathe. Naturally, kicking helps to achieve rotation and a high position in the water, but it tires me out, and I know not everyone kicks that much in triathlon.

I feel like I can achieve a decently horizontal body position when swimming slowly, but here's the big problem: I'm not "sinking," per se, but I end up traveling much lower in the water, to the point where it feels like I'm too deep to breathe properly.

I'm sure wearing a wetsuit will "fix" a lot of this problem, but I'd like to determine if I have a major technique flaw causing this that I should work on. Is riding deeper in the water likely a result of poor balance, poor stroke mechanics, maybe both? Or is it just the natural result of swimming so slowly? Should I instead worry about just improving my technique in general to where I can hold a faster pace for longer? Thanks for any suggestions.

well, a wetsuit won't exactly fix problems.

your problem is you are not buoying your body properly. next time you hit the pool try this... start off with your arms out in front of you kicking. your head should be between your shoulders, to give you an idea. now if you feel you are beginning to sink you need to almost lean on your sternum area. this is your buoy. as you do this you should feel your lower half of your body almost pivot upwards. lean or press too much and you will come out of the water and too little your legs will sink. if you don't buoy in the right area your upper body will also sink. a drill to work on this would be to do 25m lifting your head straight up to breathe. 2 or 3 laps down the pool and you should see how this works. this is what people mean when they say 'swimming downhill'. pressing your bouy correctly will keep your legs up and create a downhill feeling. when i swim slow i have to consciously focus on this as well.

then you should work on kicking with your hips. i'm guessing you kick with your knees. you should be rotating from the hips when you kick, stroke, and breathe. that buoy should rotate right along your chest, under your armpits as you stroke. it should be like an axis. combine that with using your hips to power your proulsion and you should not only be 'horizontal' but also faster.

def check out the book 'total immersion' as well. it sounds like you could benefit from a lot of the drills it provides.

well, a wetsuit won't exactly fix problems.

then you should work on kicking with your hips. i'm guessing you kick with your knees. you should be rotating from the hips when you kick, stroke, and breathe. that buoy should rotate right along your chest, under your armpits as you stroke. it should be like an axis. combine that with using your hips to power your proulsion and you should not only be 'horizontal' but also faster.


Right on the money there, in particular. I had figured out that my kick was quite wrong, but I wasn't sure what would be better. It makes sense how you put it.

Thanks for the analysis and suggestions!