Race Strategy

This week’s Speedo Tip of the Week comes from Russell Mark, USA Swimming’s biomechanics coordinator. Mark offers some simple advice on race strategy.

Mark’s Tip:
Many swimmers, especially age-groupers, struggle with their race strategy. Most age-groupers tend to get excited and take their races out too fast, only to fade and die on the way home. My advice is that you should take your races out as fast as you can but still have enough energy to finish strong. Don’t take your race out too easy so that you have too much left in the tank at the end of a race, but also don’t take a race out too hard so that you are helpless when other swimmers pass you on the last lap. The best racers in the world finish their races strong. Work with your coach to figure out the best speed to take out a race so that you still have very good finishing speed.