DuoSwim Guides
A better understanding of swimming.
Practical guidance for swimmers, coaches and clubs — from planning your next session to understanding swim data and technique footage.
All Guides
55 guides
Swim Training
Freestyle Technique Guide: Swim Faster With Less Effort
Improve body position, catch timing, and breathing control so your freestyle stays smooth and fast.
Swim Training
Swimming Training Plans: How to Choose Yours
Compare swimming training plans by goal, starting level and session time. Check real workout counts and distances, from beginner training to triathlon preparation.
Swim Training
Triathlon & Open Water Swim Guide
Build confidence for starts, sighting, drafting, and pacing so race-day swims feel controlled.
Swim Training
Swim Pacing & Race Strategy Guide
Learn pacing from 100m to 1500m and use race strategy that improves splits and finishing speed.
Swim Training
Swim Strength & Recovery Guide
Use dryland, mobility, and recovery workouts that improve durability and support faster swimming.
Swim Training
Beginner Swimming Guide: Build Confidence and Endurance
Compare Beginner Bootcamp, Freestyle Foundations and Swim To 1K. Understand starting points, workout distances and the difference between lessons and training.
Swim Training
Stroke-Specific Swim Training Guide
Use targeted freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly workouts to improve speed and efficiency.
Swim Training
Open Water Swim Race Guide
Master open-water pacing, sighting, and drafting for triathlon and marathon swim race execution.
Swim Tracking
Swim Watch Setup & Gear Guide
Set up Apple Watch, Garmin, and key swim gear to improve workout execution and tracking reliability.
Swim Training
Swim Nutrition Guide: Fueling and Recovery
Plan pre-swim fueling, hydration, and post-swim recovery so you train better and recover faster.
Swim Training
How to practise the freestyle catch with Catch Scull
Follow DuoSwim’s Catch Scull drill with a pull buoy. Learn what to look for at the elbow and hand, and where to find the demonstration in the app.
Swim Tracking
How smartwatch swim workouts improve consistency
Why guided swim workouts on Apple Watch and Garmin help swimmers train consistently and pace better.
Swim Training
45-minute swim workout: structure and timing
Plan a 45-minute pool slot around a warm-up, preparation, a main set and an easy finish. A worked 4 × 100m example shows how rests change the timing.
Swim Tracking
Stroke rate vs distance per stroke: what to prioritize
Learn when to increase tempo, when to lengthen stroke, and how to balance both for race pace.
Swim Training
Swim recovery day protocol: what to do between hard workouts
A practical recovery framework for swimmers balancing intensity, shoulder health, and weekly volume.
Swim Training
Beginner plan to swim your first 1500m continuously
A step-by-step progression to build aerobic confidence and complete your first 1500m swim.
Swim Training
Drills vs main set: the right balance for faster swimming
Find the optimal split between technique drills and race-relevant main work for your level.
Swim Training
Nutrition and hydration for double-workout swim days
Simple fueling windows and hydration targets to sustain performance across two swims in one day.
Swim Tracking
Garmin and Apple Watch swim sync setup: complete checklist
Avoid failed uploads and missing workouts with a clean setup process for watch-based swim tracking.
Swim Training
Sprint set design for better 100m freestyle speed
How to structure sprint workouts that build top-end speed without trashing stroke mechanics.
Swim Training
The fastest 100m freestyle times and what swimmers can learn from them
Break down split strategy, stroke rate, and speed control from elite 100m freestyle performances.
Swim Training
5 pacing mistakes that stop swimmers hitting PBs
Most plateaus are pacing problems. Learn the common errors and simple fixes you can apply this week.
Swim Training
Best dryland exercises for swimmers to build strength
A practical dryland routine to improve body position, pull strength, and stroke durability.
Swim Training
How to stay consistent swimming 2 to 4 times per week
Use simple weekly anchors and fallback workout rules to stay consistent when life is busy.
Swim Training
Open-water sighting: how to stay straight without losing speed
A step-by-step approach to sighting in chop, crowded starts, and race fatigue.
Swim Training
Triathlon swim race week: what to do (and not do)
Nail your final week with sharpeners, rest strategy, and confidence cues for race morning.
Swim Training
How to fix freestyle breathing when you always feel rushed
Timing drills that reduce panic and help you breathe without breaking rhythm.
Swim Training
What to eat before an early morning swim
Fast, practical fuel options based on workout duration and intensity.
Coaching
How masters swimmers can structure a 12-week progression block
Build your season with clear mesocycles, benchmark sets, and recovery checkpoints.
Swim Training
Shoulder health for swimmers: warm-up sequence that works
A short pre-pool mobility flow designed for consistent swimmers and triathletes.
Swim Training
How to negative split your 400m and 800m
Pacing models and set examples to finish stronger while staying controlled.
Swim Training
From race anxiety to race focus: pre-swim mindset routine
A short pre-race mental routine to settle nerves and lock into your plan.
Swim Training
Your 7-day taper-week swim plan before race day
A practical taper template to keep feel for the water while arriving fresh for race execution.
Swim Training
Backstroke starts and turns: common errors and fast fixes
Clean up your breakout timing and turn mechanics to hold speed through every wall.
Swim Training
Breaststroke timing drills for better glide and speed
Improve pull-kick timing and reduce dead spots with drill progressions that transfer to race pace.
Swim Training
How to swim butterfly without burning out early
Build sustainable butterfly rhythm with breathing control, kick timing, and smart set design.
Swim Training
1500m pacing strategy: how to hold speed across the full distance
Use split targets and effort anchors to prevent fade and finish strong over 1500m.
Swim Training
Triathlon open-water anxiety plan: from panic to control
A stepwise confidence protocol for race starts, contact, and breathing control in open water.
Swim Training
Ironman swim cutoff strategy for steady race-day execution
A realistic pacing and effort framework to stay calm and ahead of the cutoff from start to exit.
Video Analysis
Swim technique video review checklist for faster feedback
Use this checklist to analyze body line, breathing, and catch mechanics from simple phone footage.
Swim Training
Open-water drafting basics for faster, easier race swims
Learn where to draft, how close to sit, and when to move to save energy without losing rhythm.
Swim Training
Threshold swim workouts: check the full session time
Preview three workouts from DuoSwim’s Threshold Breaker plan, compare their estimated times and distances, and check what fits your pool slot.
Swim Training
Pull buoy and paddles: when to use them (and when not to)
Avoid common equipment mistakes and use pull tools at the right times for real performance gains.
Swim Training
Kick set programming for more speed and better body position
Build smarter kick sets that improve propulsion and support stronger freestyle mechanics.
Coaching
Swim benchmark set tracking: how to measure progress properly
Choose benchmark sets you can repeat monthly and interpret changes without overreacting.
Swim Training
The best warm-up sequence for race-pace swim days
Prime your nervous system and stroke timing with a short sequence that improves set quality.
Swim Training
How to pace open water without relying on watch GPS
Use effort anchors, stroke counts, and sighting rhythm to control pace when data is unreliable.
Swim Training
Swim plateau reset: a 4-week block to start improving again
Break stagnation with a focused mesocycle that balances technique, threshold, and speed under control.
Swim Training
How to read a swim workout: sets, target times and rest
Understand swim workout notation, repeats, pool lengths and rest with worked examples and a real DuoSwim App screen.
Clubs
How to keep a useful swimming club attendance register
Build a simple attendance routine that helps coaches plan sessions, resolve missing records and review participation without turning the register into a leaderboard.
Clubs
A clearer way to communicate club schedules, changes and meets
Create one reliable schedule, write useful change notices and keep meet information easy for swimmers, parents and club volunteers to find.
Swim Tracking
Understanding swim pace, splits and stroke metrics
Learn what swim pace, splits, stroke count and SWOLF can tell you, how to compare like-for-like sessions and why one number cannot describe your technique.
Swim Tracking
How to review swim watch data without chasing every number
Use a short post-swim review to check recording errors, compare repeat sets and choose one useful next step from your watch data.
Video Analysis
How to film your swimming for useful technique feedback
Plan clear swim footage with useful camera angles, consistent effort and enough context for a coach to review what the video actually shows.
Video Analysis
Reviewing freestyle footage: turn one observation into a practice plan
Use a structured video review to separate observations from guesses, choose one technique priority and check it again during a focused swim practice.