How do you improve swimming times for a shorter swimmer?
Former Member
After a few meets this year, I feel pretty demotivated for swimming. I am a 5"7 swimmer who has huge disadvantages against taller swimmers, I did heavy off-season training and consider myself a decent to moderately fast swimmer. I go around a 57.63 100 Butterfly SCY, 53.21 100 Free and feel like i'm running into a brick wall in the past few meets. I have natural disadvantages such as small hands and size 8.5 feet but a rather large armspan around 6 foot. I wonder what I can do to improve as a shorter swimmer, and since states is around the corner and tapering is about to start. My goal is a 52-53 100 Butterfly as that will probably bring me to all-state or a 53.27 national cut would be nice. If you can add some suggestions it would be nice.
I think the best thing you could do is to let go of your height. The only way to guard against that is to grow, which you have no control over. Until you do, that will be a distraction and an excuse. (I was a short HS swimmier, so I know what it's like. Getting blown out of the water by someone shorter than me taught me this lesson.)
What you can do to hit those times is train hard, work with your coach to improve technique, guard against overtraining, and then rest up for the big meets -- the same thing the giants have to do.
And make sure you are having fun with your sport.
I think the best thing you could do is to let go of your height. The only way to guard against that is to grow, which you have no control over. Until you do, that will be a distraction and an excuse. (I was a short HS swimmier, so I know what it's like. Getting blown out of the water by someone shorter than me taught me this lesson.)
What you can do to hit those times is train hard, work with your coach to improve technique, guard against overtraining, and then rest up for the big meets -- the same thing the giants have to do.
And make sure you are having fun with your sport.
