How to swim in a straight line!

We get asked this a lot when coaching in the open water. There is no big black line on the bottom to follow. In fact you're very lucky if you can see the bottom. Here in the UK it's not often possible if at all, but correct me if I'm wrong!

There are a few things you can do to help yourself to swim in a straight line. They range from perfecting your stroke, getting the right body and head position, bilateral breathing and of course...sighting.

Sighting

Sighting is the single biggest thing you can do to ensure you are swimming in a straight line. But what is it? Well it's the looking up from the water during your stroke to guide you in the right direction. While you are looking at the direction, you can look out for any hazards in the water. It sounds simple enough and it is once you are well practised at it! To start, differentiate between breathing and sighting. They are very different. While breathing your head is to the side, to keep your stroke smooth and streamline, when sighting you lift your head up, which causes your hips and legs to drop and create drag which can slow you down. 

How do I do it? Firstly remember to differentiate breathing and sighting. You may lift your head, look ahead and then turn to the side to breathe and then put your head down in its normal position. Or you may breathe first to the side and then turn your head to the front and then down. There is no hard and fast rule as to how you do it. It is whatever is comfortable for you. The suggestions I have made are the ones that will create less of a disruption to your stroke.  Having said that you may find it easier to do your breathing and sighting totally separate and do a couple of strokes in between. Try and keep your head as low as possible in the water, in calm waters you can sight with just your eyes above the water. However if it is a choppy sea you may have to lift your head quite markedly to see above the waves or swell. In these conditions, its always best to sight at the top of a wave. When you lift your head, do it when you are going through the catch phase of your stroke, that is when your hand and arm are pushing downwards. At this point in your stroke the downward push in the catch will enable you to lift your head much easier.

Whichever way you choose to sight, there are some ways to keep the drag to a minimum. The first is to arch your back as you lift your head. This will help your legs to stay close to the top of the water and minimise drag. Another is to kick strongly as you lift your head, this also will keep your legs to the top of the water and minimise drag.

When using bilateral breathing, its an idea to sight a couple of times on the trot to ensure that there are no hazards, and you are swimming in the right direction. After this you could leave it for 5 or 6 breaths and repeat.

The best way to get your sighting perfect for you, is to keep practising at every opportunity you get, until it becomes second nature like breathing.

Bilateral Breathing

Simply put, bilateral breathing is just breathing on both sides. Usually you take a breath on one side, put your head down for two strokes and then breath on the other side. you breathe on an odd stroke, eg: 3,5,7,9.  Quite often a swimmer feels they can only breathe to one side and I think it's fair to say that most swimmers have a more natural side. For me it's breathing to my right. However bilateral breathing does add symmetry to your stroke and in turn it helps you to glide forward in a straight line. 

Another added advantage to being able to do bilateral breathing is that you can sight to shore whilst breathing or if there are waves, wind or swell to one side of you, you can breathe to the other side, thereby eliminating the elements.

Body Position

It's important to be in a streamline position when swimming. This will make your stroke much more efficient. To help you swim in a straight line, it's important to have your head still when going through the stroke. If your head is moving around from side to side, this will give you a zigzag approach through the water. It makes sense that if you keep your head still, your body will also say still. Once you have sighted and know what you are heading for, it's important then to keep that streamlined position. Imagine a line going through your head and spine and down the centre of your back. Now when you bring your arm up and back into the water in front of you, imagine that line and don't cross it. If you cross it, you will start to veer in one direction instead of going straight. Ideally your arm should enter the water between that central line and your shoulder. Then after sighting and with your head straight, you should remain going forward in a straight line. :)

©  Solent Swim School 2021