Side Stroke Swimming: Tips and Technique

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Side Stroke Swimming: Tips and Technique

The side stroke is one of swimming’s most overlooked techniques — but it offers serious benefits for control, recovery, and efficiency in the water. Whether you’re training for open water, improving body rotation, or learning how to breathe with ease, sidestroke swimming builds skills that transfer across all strokes. In this guide, I’ll break down sidestroke mechanics, introduce dryland exercises to improve your mobility and stability, and walk you through my go-to swim drills — each with a video link. If you’re ready to add a powerful, low-impact stroke to your skill set, start here.

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SWOLF in Swimming: How to Calculate It and Use It to Get Faster

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SWOLF in Swimming: How to Calculate It and Use It to Get Faster

SWOLF is one of the most useful yet overlooked metrics in swimming. Short for “Swim Golf,” it combines your lap time and stroke count into a single number to track efficiency, not just speed. In this guide, Coach Dan Daly breaks down the SWOLF meaning, shows how to calculate your score, and explains what a good SWOLF looks like for different pool types and skill levels. You'll also get expert drill recommendations - including catch-up, fingertip drag, and sculling—to help you swim smarter. If you're ready to stop guessing and start training with purpose, this article is your blueprint.

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Feel the Surge: What Propulsion in Swimming Really Means

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Feel the Surge: What Propulsion in Swimming Really Means

Want to swim faster without just working harder? It all comes down to mastering propulsion. In this guide, Coach Dan Daly breaks down the science behind swimming propulsion, the difference between drag and lift forces, and how to improve your stroke for maximum speed. With targeted drills, smart use of training tools, and integrated dryland exercises, you’ll learn how to generate more forward motion with every stroke. Whether you're in the pool or open water, it’s time to feel the surge - and move smarter.

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Vasa Trainer Pro Workouts: How to Boost Swim Strength and Endurance

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Vasa Trainer Pro Workouts: How to Boost Swim Strength and Endurance

Struggling with swim endurance and strength? The Vasa Trainer Pro is the ultimate dryland tool to boost power, technique, and stamina outside the pool. In this guide, I’ll share proven Vasa Trainer workouts that I use with my athletes to develop swim-specific strength, improve efficiency, and build lasting endurance. Whether you're a competitive swimmer, triathlete, or fitness enthusiast, these structured workouts will help you train smarter. Plus, I’ll cover common mistakes to avoid and the best programming strategies for maximum results. Start training smarter today! Read more.

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Perfect Your Backstroke Flip Turn: A Coach's Proven System

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Perfect Your Backstroke Flip Turn: A Coach's Proven System

The backstroke flip turn isn't just a technical skill – it's often the difference between good and great in competitive swimming. In my 15 years of coaching, I've found the most common issue isn't physical – it's psychological. Fear of misjudging the wall or disorientation during rotation causes hesitation, robbing swimmers of efficiency. The good news? I've never met a swimmer who couldn't master this technique with the right approach. My 4-phase method breaks down this complex movement into manageable steps that build confidence and speed simultaneously.

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How to Improve Your Dolphin Kick and Swim Faster

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How to Improve Your Dolphin Kick and Swim Faster

The dolphin kick is swimming’s not-so-secret weapon—used by elite swimmers to gain serious speed off every wall. In this guide, I break down how to build a powerful, efficient dolphin kick by focusing on core strength, ankle flexibility, and technique drills that deliver real results. From shaving seconds off race times to improving efficiency during underwater phases, a well-trained dolphin kick can be a true game-changer. I’ll walk you through practical tips, videos, and training progressions to help you develop a race-winning kick - one that starts at your core and finishes with faster, smoother swims.

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Maximizing Swimming Performance in the Gym: The Myth of Sport-Specific Training

/ Train Daly/
Maximizing Swimming Performance in the Gym: The Myth of Sport-Specific Training

Discover how to boost your swimming performance with gym-specific training. Learn about the best compound exercises tailored to the unique joint actions and muscle groups used in different swimming strokes. Understand why focusing on deadlifts, squats, pull-ups, and rotation exercises can lead to significant improvements in your swimming strength and power. Whether you specialize in short axis strokes like butterfly and breaststroke, or long axis strokes such as freestyle and backstroke, this post guides you through the optimal gym workout for swimmers.

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