One of the most common things I see in newer swimmers… is how flat they are in the water.

Their hips are flat, their shoulders are flat — and what ends up happening is they just spin their wheels.

They're putting in a lot of effort with the arms, kicking hard with the legs… but nothing is really connecting.

It feels like hard work — but it doesn't translate into speed.

So in today's episode, we're going to break down why swimming flat is holding you back… and how to start linking everything together so your stroke actually works as one powerful, efficient system.

You've probably heard it before — your freestyle catch is everything.

And maybe you've been working on it. You've improved the position, you feel stronger in the water, and technically… it looks better.

But here's the frustrating part — you're still not getting any faster.

So what's going on?

Today, we're breaking down exactly why improving your catch doesn't always translate into speed… and what you need to do to actually get the benefit from it.

Because recently, I worked with a swimmer who had done everything right. He sent in underwater footage, we reviewed it closely, and his catch position? Nearly perfect.

From the setup… to the moment he begins to press back and generate propulsion — everything was there.

And yet, his times hadn't improved.

When we dug deeper into the footage, we found the real issue — something subtle, but incredibly common.

He was rushing into the catch.

And that one mistake was costing him speed.

Let's break it down.

If you feel like getting faster in the water means you just have to work harder… push more… suffer more… there's a good chance you're taking the wrong approach.

Because here's what most swimmers think: if you're stuck swimming 1:45 or 1:50 per 100 freestyle, and you're aiming for 1:30… the only way to get there is by getting fitter, stronger, and grinding harder every single session.

But what if that's not true?

What if the real reason you're not getting faster isn't about effort at all… but about how you're swimming?

Today, we're breaking down the biggest misconception holding swimmers back—and how shifting your approach can unlock speed without burning yourself out.

00:27 Do You Need To Get Fitter To Get Faster?
Tendency To Cross Over The Center Line
01:57 Out Of Timing
02:21 Front Quadrant

So what does he do that 99.999% of swimmers don't? How is he able to swim this fast?

I've spent my career analyzing the best swimmers in the world, but watching Sam swim up close is a completely different experience. I've never seen anyone hold as much water as he does, even at world-record pace.

What stands out the most isn't just the speed. It's the relaxation. His recovery looks effortless, and the way he reaches forward into the catch is incredibly fluid—almost calm—despite the intensity of the pace he's holding.

When Sam shared some of his training with me, one thing surprised me. He's consistently swimming up to 80 kilometers a week. Massive volume. Huge power in the stroke. But when you ask him what really matters, he often comes back to the basics—simple things like rock-solid head position and clean fundamentals.

If you're a triathlete or an open water swimmer, Sam's power stroke isn't just impressive to watch. It's actually a blueprint for efficiency.

So today, we're breaking it all down—the sets, the technique, and the mindset around recovery that helped take him to the very top of the sport.

01:27 Sam Short Intro
01:30 How Do You Describe Your Stroke When You Race?
01:47 Developed Overtime?
2:00 Mobility And Flexibility
02:20 What Does Swimming Fell Like When You Are Swimming Well?
02:39 Any Particular Part Of Your Stroke That You Are Working On?
02:53 400 Free v.s. 10k Openwater Swim
03:12 Kicking Sets
03:28 Cues And Phrases
03:45 Stroke Rates
04:03 Head And Body Position
04:43 When Body Position Is Not Where It Should Be
05:06 Good Feel For The Water
05:28 Breathing Pattern
05:54 Rotation
06:19 Openwater
06:47 Favorite Sets
07:26 Hardest Set
07:50 Distance per Week
08:10 Taper
08:28 Sessions Per Week And Gym
08:48 Being A Smarter Athlete

Six months of consistent training.
You're showing up to the pool. You're doing the sets. You're putting in the work.

But your times… haven't moved.

You're still sitting at 1:50, maybe two minutes per hundred, and no matter how hard you train, it just doesn't seem to change. And that can be one of the most frustrating places to be as a swimmer or triathlete.

Because it feels like you're doing everything right.

You're consistent. You're committed. You're following the program.

But you're not getting faster.

So what's actually going on?

In this episode, I'm going to show you why swimmers get stuck at the same pace for months, even when they're training consistently—and more importantly, what you can do to finally break through that plateau and start dropping your times again.

00:56 Plateau of Okay
01:33 Fixing Everything At Once
01:57 Stroke Raste Too Slow
04:04 Fixing The Foundation Of The Stroke
06:13 What To Do?

Last month, a 39-year-old swimmer joined our weekly coaching members call. She was training for her first Ironman. She'd been swimming for about a year—consistent, disciplined, three sessions a week, following her program exactly as written.

But there was a problem.

She was exhausted after every session. And her pace hadn't improved in four months.

In this episode, we unpack what was really going on—because when you're doing all the "right" things but not getting faster, it's rarely about working harder. It's about working smarter. We'll talk about why consistency alone isn't enough, the hidden mistakes that keep adult swimmers stuck, and how small technical and structural changes in your training can unlock real progress.

If you're training for an Ironman—or any long-distance event—and feel like you're spinning your wheels in the water, this episode will show you what to look at, what to adjust, and how to start moving forward again.

01:19 From 2:10 to 1:55 Per Hundred
01:43 What Was Happening?
03:04 Getting A Good Catch
04:10 Think Of The Catch As The Set Up
05:53 Connect With The Water
06:54 What To Do?

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https://effortlessswimming.com/courses-membership/

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What would drive someone to voluntarily swim through the most dangerous ocean channels on the planet — no wetsuit, no cage, no way out except forward?

In this episode, we sit down with Mark Sowerby, one of the few athletes in the world to complete the Ocean's Seven — often described as the Everest of open water swimming — a feat achieved by just 36 swimmers.

His new film, Don't Be Prey, captures a decade-long pursuit across five continents and seven of the most brutal channels on Earth. From the freezing Irish Sea to the shark-patrolled waters of Hawaii, it's raw, unfiltered man versus nature — no protection, no shortcuts.

But this isn't just a story about distance or danger.

After a life-changing event leaves him searching for direction, Mark channels his anguish into purpose with the help of coach Tim Denyer. Together, they build a mindset around one simple but powerful mantra: keep the stroke steady, don't splash, keep the heart rate down — don't be prey.

We go beyond the film to explore the swims that nearly broke him, the unseen moments of doubt, and what the ocean taught him about fear, patience, resilience, and staying calm when everything around you is chaos.

This is a conversation about endurance — not just in the water, but in life.

Let's dive in.