Stroke Rate and Stroke Length

Stroke rate and stroke length - and how to use them in all swimming strokes

Article by Grant Watson

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In its simplest terms, improving swimming speed is matter of increasing the stroke rate or stroke length. Swimmers will sprint faster when they can increase their average stroke rate for a race without reducing their stroke length. Conversely, their times will also be faster if they increase their average stroke length for the race without reducing their stroke rate.

Stroke rates are expressed according to the number of strokes taken per minute. Stroke length is calculated as the number of metres a swimmer moves forward during each stroke cycle. The relationship between stroke rate and stroke length is a negative one. That is stroke length decreases as stroke rate increases and vice versa. Stroke length increases as stroke rate decrease.

For every swimmer there is a combination of the two that is the optimum for each race distance.

Many inexperienced swimmers nearing the end of a race, lets say the 50 metre Freestyle in the last 15 meters will spin their wheels or in other words think its wise to really increase their arm speed or stroke rate, sacrificing stroke length and technique. And of course the opposite applies also.

I would also like to add that all of the above together with great technique, efficiency, and a background of endurance fitness, power and strength are what make a great sprinter.

So in conclusion, remember to swim fast with great technique (Which is switched on to Auto Pilot because you swim with great technique at every training session) and swimming efficiently with the correct combination of stroke length and stroke rate will bring success.

Don't forget the finish! To be continued...................................

Grant