Q. I'm a fairly experienced swimmer but I've never used training aids such as hand paddles and don't really know where to start. What would you recommend?A. Swim training with paddles is a great way to develop upper- body strength, perfect your
Q. When Alistair Brownlee's goggles were knocked off at the ITU event in Hyde Park last year he finished the swim without them. Is it worth training without goggles to prepare for this eventuality?A. The simple answer is 'be prepared', whatever your
Q. How many swimming strokes should I be taking per minute?A. The key to any progression in swimming is to first develop an effective and sustainable technique. This means generating an efficient and powerful stroke.Powerful means ensuring a strong
Q. I recently saw someone swimming with an elastic band around their ankles. What gives?A. Swimmers and triathletes are always looking for that extra edge to improve their performance and times. As the saying goes ‘every second counts
Q. I know your arms should not cross the centre line as they hit the water, but is this also true as you're pulling through the water?A. When swimmers use their muscles to push the water backwards, that action causes a counter force that propels
Q. Why do my legs always sink after I swim about 20 metres in the pool? What drills can I do to stop this?A. Most triathletes in this country come from a non-swimming background and so many have a poor swim technique.The most likely cause
Q. I’m a strong swimmer but I struggle with sea events. Any ideas why?A. Alongside my academic work, I’ve been a beach lifeguard since the mid-90s and one major change I’ve seen is an increasing number of triathletes moving their regular swim
Q. Are there any drills to improve the pull phase of my stroke?A. This is probably the hardest part of the stroke as it often requires a change of arm position, as well as muscle memory and repeated practice. First, try to understand what you
Q. I've tried to perfect bilateral breathing but I've discovered I seem to swim faster when I breathe only on my weaker side (left). Why?A. This may seem initially puzzling but it can be explained by the fact that on your preferred breathing side
, now you can pose your questions straight to the experts as we welcome Speedo's team of swimming and triathlon experts into the triathletesworld.co.uk forums for a series of themed Q+As over the weeks ahead. Speedo works with GB swimmers, triathletes
