The Swim Smooth Coaches Are Taking Over!

Swim Smooth's proudest achievement so far is the network of coaches that we have created over the past 10 years! We have over 50 coaches in more than 15 countries around the world sharing our Swim Smooth coaching methodology and delivering Perth style squad sessions. All our coaches have been hand-selected by Paul Newsome and Adam Young and given high quality, extensive training and mentoring to develop and hone their swim coaching skills.

We know they are awesome but we want to share their awesomeness with you too! Each week a different Swim Smooth certified coach will be taking over our Instagram and Facebook stories for the day. They will be giving you an insider scoop into what life is like as a Swim Smooth coach. Be sure not to miss their expert coaching tips, advice on staying active during a lockdown and gossip about what Paul Newsome is really like!

This week we had our first takeover from Swim Smooth Louisville's Head Coach, Mike Jotautas (@coach_mike_jotautas). Based in Louisville, Kentucky, he attended the SS Certified Coaches Course in Perth in 2017 and has since set up Swim Smooth Louisville with over 150 swimmers in his squad sessions every week. If you haven't had a chance to see his takeover on instagram and facebook already, check it out by looking at the highlights reel on our instagram page or using this link:

www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/17855141287883262/

Next Wednesday, SS Coach Anna-Karin (@simcoachen) will be taking over our instagram stories from Gothenburg, Sweden. Anna-Karin is not only a fantastic coach but also represented Sweden in the 1988 olympic games in Seoul, South Korea. So make sure you follow her on instagram and send us through any questions for Anna-Karin to answer next week.

If you can't wait until then, check out last year's podcast with Anna-Karin here:
podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/swim-smooth/id1441577778?i=1000446499681 

Reply to this email to send us a question or comment below.


Swim Smooth!

Keep Calm And Just Breathe - Try These Exercises To Improve Your Swimming!

With the current global situation and the uncertainty that this brings for many people, it is likely that you are feeling anxious and worried about what the future holds. We appreciate that managing and dealing with this stress can be a challenge for many people especially if they are experiencing a nationwide lockdown. Regular breathing exercises to maintain a level of calm and set your thoughts for the day is a great way to manage anxiety and stress. Not only do these breathing exercises help your anxiety but they can also help you to improve your swimming technique whilst you can't be in the pool deck.

Breathing is the underlying cause of many stroke flaws, that is why we put such an emphasis on it in all our training plans on the Swim Smooth Guru. We have an array of drills that work on your breathing technique, including sink downs, 6/1/6 and the 6/3/6 drill. The timing and exhalation control required in these drills means they are perfect for improving your breathing in the water.

But those drills aren't very useful when you don't have access to a pool - which is the situation we are all facing at the moment. So in this blog post we are going to show you some breathing exercises that you can do from the comfort of your own home whilst you are in isolation. These exercises have been adapted from common swimming drills that we do in our Perth squad and are a great way to develop your breath control in the water. Whilst we can't be in the water to practise these, you can definitely develop better control and awareness of your breath out of the water, which will pay dividends when you finally return to the pool.

Do these exercises for around 10 minutes every day.

Find a place where you can sit comfortably and quietly without interruptions.

Repeat each exercises 4 times.

1) Take a deep breath in and a deep breath out

2) Breathe in for 3 seconds and breathe out for 3 seconds

3) Breathe in for 5 seconds and breathe out for 5 seconds

4) Breathe in for 7 seconds and breathe out for 7 seconds

5) Breathe in for 3, out for 3, breathe in for 5 and out for 5, breathe in for 7 and out for 7, breathe in for 5 and out for 5, breathe in for 3 and out for 3.

Completing these exercises 3 times a week, will develop your awareness and control of your breathing, an excellent skill for those wanting to develop their swimming stroke further!

Let us know how you get on with these exercises!

Swim Smooth!

Are You Swimming In ISOLATION? You Need 30% Off The Guru!

We know that most of you around the world are having your local pools shut and many of you are entering periods of self quarantine. As you're aware we're trying to do our bit to help you with an ongoing stream of interesting and stimulating materials and exercises during the lock down period.

BUT some of you are lucky enough to have access to your own private pool at home or your apartment block that you might well be able to continue to swim in. Previously you might have been swimming with a club or squad but have now had to start swimming in isolation - not an easy proposition from the perspective of motivation or training structure.

Fortunately that's where Swim Smooth's online coaching platform, The Guru really comes into its own. It's designed for people who swim by themselves, providing you with structured training plans, all the drills and methods you need to improve your stroke technique, and detailed feedback on your progress:

And if you're swimming in an endless pool there's a whole section on how to maximise Swim Smooth coaching in your flume:

We also know that many of you are facing financial challenges at this time, so with that in mind we are offering you 30% off an Annual Guru PRO level subscription:

To make the most of this time limited special offer, please create an account here: www.swimsmooth.guru/signup/

Or if you are a standard user, or have previously had a Guru account, sign-in and go here: www.swimsmooth.guru/changeaccount/

And then use promo code 88FS-RN9N to get 30% off 3 months PRO subscription or 25% off an annual PRO subscription.

Just reply to this email if you have any problems with that process.

Swimming isolation? Let the Guru guide you!

Take care everyone - we'll be back in contact soon,

Swim Smooth!

Stay Supple And Mobile Ready For Your Swimming Comeback

Firstly, we hope that you and your family are keeping safe and well in the current global Coronavirus outbreak. In these times of uncertainty across the world it is easy to get caught up in it all and spiral into panic. At Swim Smooth we want to offer you a more positive approach to the situation and provide you with a bit of relief from the current issues.

Let's get physical...!

For us swimming enthusiasts, the thought and reality of not being able to get into the pool to work on our swimming technique, swim fitness and let off some steam is unfathomable. At Swim Smooth we want to ease your pain slightly by introducing our BRAND NEW SERIES of FREE YouTube videos to keep you busy during your time in lockdown.

You can watch the first edition here:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUeoLWHFf6k

These videos provide at-home alternatives to educate you, help you develop your stroke technique and maintain your fitness during the time that you are in lockdown. So get your gym gear on, search for your 80s sweatband and head to our YouTube account and join Swim Smooth's Head Coach, Paul Newsome!

Our first video takes you through a 10 minute light stretching and movement routine that you can do every day to maintain a normal routine whilst you are in self-isolation. We will regularly uploading videos to keep you on the ball during this time so be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel!

Reply to this email or comment here if there are any topics that you want us to cover or any technique you would like to work on. 

Stay safe and well - and keep looking after your physical, mental and social wellbeing! 

Swim Smooth

What's In Your Swim Bag? 3 Essentials For Your Swim Bag!

As coaches, we have swimmers coming up to us all the time asking for advice on the best gear to improve their swimming. There are loads of different products out there and it can be difficult  to determine what products are worth investing in and have the biggest impact on your freestyle stroke. 

To help you with this decision, Shauqie Aziz, Swim Smooth Malaysia coach, has done all the hard graft for you and selected his top three swim bag essentials from a long list of products that he uses regularly with his Swim Smooth Squads.  

Shauqie Aziz, Swim Smooth Malaysia

"I wrote this for my squad swimmers but it is worth reading for anyone training for triathlons/open water races. These are 3 essential swim gear we use in our squad.

In choosing swim gear, one must understand the functions and know their needs for those gear. Here are my recommendations for beginner to intermediate swimmers and why we use them.

1. Finis Long Floating Fins

This is the fins that suit adult swimmers the most. Our ankles tend to be stiff and with the help of long fins, it will stretch your ankles to point (plantar flexion) while you are swimming. Improving ankle flexibility is key to an efficient leg kick.

In addition, when performing catch and upper body/core drills, such as the 6/1/6, broken arrow or advanced unco drill, these fins will give you the full support of a streamlined body position as your legs would be brought to a horizontal position with the fins.
When getting long fins, test the flexibility of the rubber, like the Finis ones. The harder, stiffer ones would hurt you more than help you.

Watch this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpLJ1_rUY5k

Buy your own set of Finis Floating Fins here: https://shop.swimsmooth.com/products/finis-floating-fins?_pos=1&_sid=f40c42207&_ss=r

2. Paddles

There are two sets of paddles that you MUST have in your bag if you are looking to get closer to a perfect stroke.

2.1 Finis Freestyler Paddles

This is the best set of paddles to start with. It guides you to have the proper fingertips entry, hence improving your overall alignment. If you are swimming with a poor technique such as with a crossover or dropped elbow, these paddles will shift and displace due to its rudder feature, thus giving you instant correction for your next stroke.


Check out more about the Freestyler here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXca7tJshRA&t=8s

Buy your own Finis Freestyler Paddles here: https://shop.swimsmooth.com/products/finis-freestyler-paddles?_pos=1&_sid=cf5b38507&_ss=r

2.2 Finis Agility Paddles

Once your hand entry and alignment have improved, the Finis Agility Paddles are the next set of paddles for you. These paddles are designed to fit your palm perfectly, giving you the most natural and strongest catch feeling in the water. It will guide your arm to be vertical to pull and push the water behind effectively. Training with larger paddles on the other hand, risk injury to your shoulder if you train with poor technique. It is wiser to improve your strength through dryland exercises than through use of big paddles in the water.


Check out more about the Agility Paddles here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0DsGRyPzMo

Buy your own Finis Agility Paddles here: https://shop.swimsmooth.com/products/finis-agility-paddles?_pos=1&_sid=9479cb0de&_ss=r

3. Pull Buoy

Swimmers who struggle to keep their legs horizontal on the surface of the water will love this. You use the pull buoy to keep your body position horizontal and to power the speed from your upper body. At the same time, you can choose to put it between your thighs to develop your upper body strength, or to put it between the ankles to improve your core balance.

We also use this pull buoy as our kickboard during a kick set – giving resistance at the front and inducing a stronger kick from the rear which strengthens the kick.


Our swimmers generally love to pair the pull buoy with the agility paddles to give them the fastest swim speed ever! 


Buy your own pull buoy here: https://shop.swimsmooth.com/products/finis-adult-pull-buoy?_pos=3&_sid=8afac2b2a&_ss=r

Of course, there are many more swim gear out there such as snorkels, short fins, kickboards, etc. to enhance your swim technique. But to kick-off your swim, these 3 are ESSENTIAL. 


So what’s your favourite gear and why do you prefer it?"

Swim Smooth

WHAT'S IN YOUR BAG? 3 ESSENTIALS FOR YOUR SWIM BAG

As coaches, we have swimmers coming up to us all the time asking for advice on the best gear to improve their swimming. There are loads of different products out there and it can be difficult  to determine what products are worth investing in and have the biggest impact on your freestyle stroke. 

To help you with this decision, Shauqie Aziz, Swim Smooth Malaysia coach, has done all the hard graft for you and selected his top three swim bag essentials from a long list of products that he uses regularly with his Swim Smooth Squads.  

Shauqie Aziz, Swim Smooth Malaysia

"I wrote this for my squad swimmers but it is worth reading for anyone training for triathlons/open water races. These are 3 essential swim gear we use in our squad.

In choosing swim gear, one must understand the functions and know their needs for those gear. Here are my recommendations for beginner to intermediate swimmers and why we use them.

1. Finis Long Floating Fins

This is the fins that suit adult swimmers the most. Our ankles tend to be stiff and with the help of long fins, it will stretch your ankles to point (plantar flexion) while you are swimming. Improving ankle flexibility is key to an efficient leg kick.

In addition, when performing catch and upper body/core drills, such as the 6/1/6, broken arrow or advanced unco drill, these fins will give you the full support of a streamlined body position as your legs would be brought to a horizontal position with the fins.
When getting long fins, test the flexibility of the rubber, like the Finis ones. The harder, stiffer ones would hurt you more than help you.

Watch this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpLJ1_rUY5k

2. Paddles

There are two sets of paddles that you MUST have in your bag if you are looking to get closer to a perfect stroke.

2.1 Finis Freestyler Paddles

This is the best set of paddles to start with. It guides you to have the proper fingertips entry, hence improving your overall alignment. If you are swimming with a poor technique such as with a crossover or dropped elbow, these paddles will shift and displace due to its rudder feature, thus giving you instant correction for your next stroke.


Check out more about the Freestyler here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXca7tJshRA&t=8s

2.2 Finis Agility Paddles

Once your hand entry and alignment have improved, the Finis Agility Paddles are the next set of paddles for you. These paddles are designed to fit your palm perfectly, giving you the most natural and strongest catch feeling in the water. It will guide your arm to be vertical to pull and push the water behind effectively. Training with larger paddles on the other hand, risk injury to your shoulder if you train with poor technique. It is wiser to improve your strength through dryland exercises than through use of big paddles in the water.

Check out more about the Agility Paddles here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0DsGRyPzMo

3. Pull Buoy

Swimmers who struggle to keep their legs horizontal on the surface of the water will love this. You use the pull buoy to keep your body position horizontal and to power the speed from your upper body. At the same time, you can choose to put it between your thighs to develop your upper body strength, or to put it between the ankles to improve your core balance.

We also use this pull buoy as our kickboard during a kick set – giving resistance at the front and inducing a stronger kick from the rear which strengthens the kick.


Our swimmers generally love to pair the pull buoy with the agility paddles to give them the fastest swim speed ever!


Of course, there are many more swim gear out there such as snorkels, short fins, kickboards, etc. to enhance your swim technique. But to kick-off your swim, these 3 are ESSENTIAL.

So what’s your favourite gear and why do you prefer it?"

Swim Smooth

Swim Smooth - We're Building *You* A Swimming Community!

Do you swim by yourself or in a group that doesn't really suit your needs (for instance a triathlete swimming in a master's team)?

At Swim Smooth we've worked relentlessly over the last 10 years to build a network of highly trained Certified Swim Smooth Coaches all over the world to provide you with the swimming community you need to flourish as a swimmer.

Of course each Swim Smooth setup works on your swimming technically and provides you with the right structured training sets to improve as an adult swimmer. But even more importantly every Swim Smooth coach works hard to provide you with a welcoming, nurturing, motivating and positive environment in which to swim.

Meet some of those squads around the world (they're packed full of swimmers just like yourself):

Many companies talk about "connecting with their community" but we're doing much more than that, we're actively building one for you!

Here's what you can expect:

- A big warm welcome from people with the same goals and outlook as yourself!

- A well organised lane suited to your ability level.

- Great camaraderie and support from the other swimmers.

- A motivating environment to work hard but have fun at the same time.

- A group of people that will inspire you to do things you never thought possible.

We're particularly proud to say that many lifelong friendships are formed in the lanes of Swim Smooth squads around the world!

Find your Swim Smooth community here:

swimsmooth.com/coaches/find-a-coach

Swim Smooth!

PS. Slightly intimidated by the term "squad"? Don't be! Swim Smooth swimmers are super friendly, we come in all shapes and sizes, and your lane will be pitched perfectly at your level. Think of our "squads" like a gym class but for swimming - lead by a highly trained expert Swim Smooth coach. So don't be intimidated, get in touch and join us today!