SWIMMING GOLD

Three Key Learning Points:* First movement matters - what part of the swimmer’s body moves first usually determines the success of their first 15 metres.* The “little hole” - hands together, feet together, body in streamline before entry.* The “three kicks” - kick fast underwater, kick fast to the surface, kick INTO the stroke.There’s a lot of talk on the internet about swimming speed - what pure speed is, how to develop it, how to coach it. Feel free to go internet-deep-diving for what it’s worth. But here’s an old saying that still holds up:He or she who wins the start wins the race.In a 50, whoever wins the start usually wins the race. Sure, sometimes a swimmer’s start might be a bit ordinary and they have to pick it up over the back end of the race, finish strong and come through the field to win - but in most cases the first 15 metres decides who’s on the podium - and often who’s on top of it.So how do you actually coach a better first 15?First movement counts!!When I’m teaching coaches how to coach starts I stand on the side of the pool and we watch the swimmer closely. The question I ask coaches is: “what part of the body moved first?”If their first movement is up, chances are it’s going to be a slow first 15. They’re going up before they’re going out.But if their first movement is to push back - hands driving through the front of the blocks, feet driving through the back of the blocks - everything launches them forward in a straight line. Hands through the front, feet through the back and the body explodes forward.Chances are you’ll see a much better first 15.Make a tiny little hole.Once they’re in the air, the body has to be streamlined before it hits the water.Hands together. Feet together. Whole body in line. Try to enter through one tiny little hole rather than landing flat or wide. Less drag in = more speed out.It sounds basic but watch your age groupers in training. How many consistently enter the water through the “little hole?”.The three kicks!!!When they hit the water I talk about three kicks. Not one, two, three - three different TYPES of kicks:* Kick one: fast underwater. Fast, purposeful kicks driving them forward.* Kick two: fast towards the surface. Deliberate kicks that propel their body towards the surface, i.e. not a lazy pop-up and stop!* Kick three: kick INTO the stroke. Their kick has to launch them into the whole stroke and from there - into the whole race.I can’t tell you how many age groupers I’ve seen go kick, kick, kick - STOP - then try to start their race again from that dead stop. They slow down. They get swamped. Their first 15 falls apart.Their kick has to flow straight into their stroke as a smooth, continous, flowing action without a break or pause.Why this matters:In 50s the first 15 metres usually determines the outcome. If it doesn’t decide the winner it often decides who medals.Most coaches spend hours on the back end - fitness, power training, sprint work, “racing tired” etc. That stuff matters. But for sprinters and sprinting, the first 15 is where races are won.SummaryIf you want to improve your swimmers’ 50s start at the start. Watch their first movement. Improve their streamline. Practice and master the three kicks. The first 15 metres is very coachable - and it’s where you’ll find the greatest opportunities for improvement and success.Three Practical Applications For Your Coaching:* First Movement Audit: This week stand side-on for every dive and ask one question - what moved first? Track it for each swimmer. You’ll be amazed at the patterns.* Little Hole Practice: Set a streamline standard. Hands together, feet together, body locked in. Make it a non-negotiable on every push and every dive.* Three Kicks Set: Build a short set where they explicitly practise all three kicks - underwater, to the surface and INTO the stroke. No dead time between kick and stroke.This is Wayne Goldsmith for Swimming Gold.If you liked this post check out my Sports Thoughts Substack with new weekly content on coaching, sports parenting, athlete development and youth sport: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit swimminggold.substack.com/subscribe

Forget Bernoulli. Forget precise hand pitch angles. Forget complex angular analysis. Let’s make swimming biomechanics practical for every coach.The Problem With Traditional Biomechanics EducationCoaching courses love to throw physics at new coaches. Bernoulli’s principle. Lift versus drag propulsion. Optimal elbow angles of 127 degrees. Angular velocity calculations.Meanwhile, in the REAL world, the coach is standing alone on deck with a whistle, 20 kids in the water and no idea how any of that “hand pitch angle” stuff helps them fix little Timmy’s freestyle.We’ve made biomechanics ridiculously intimidating. It doesn’t need to be.The 5 Hs of Swimming BiomechanicsHere’s what you actually need to know. Five things. All start with H. Easy to remember on deck.1. Head Where the head goes, the body follows. Head position controls body position. Neutral head, level body. Lifted head, sinking legs. Start every technique conversation here.2. Hands Entry, catch, pull, exit. Newton’s Third Law: push water this way, body goes that way. Where the hands go - the water flows! Watch where they’re pushing water. Keep your hands SOFT so you can catch and feel and keep pressure on the water throughout your stroke. That’s 90% of propulsion sorted. Forget all that rubbish about albatross wings and how human arms are like the wings of an eagle. (Ask me one day about several conversations with Fluid Dynamics experts who laughed when I told them about Bernoulli and swimming). Keep it simple!3. Hips The engine room. Hip rotation drives freestyle and backstroke. Hip position determines body line in breaststroke and butterfly. If the hips are wrong, everything else has to compensate. The relationship between the head and the hips is critical in all strokes.4. Heels (Feet) Kick from the hips, not the knees. Ankles relaxed. Toes pointed but soft, loose and relaxed. Heels should just break the surface in freestyle. If you can see knees breaking the water, the kick is wrong.5. Huff (Breathing) You’re thinking - why include breathing in a post about biomechanics? Breath control affects everything. Holding your breath creates tension and tightness. Poor breathing disrupts stroke rhythm and flow. Poor breathing often means swimmers have to lift their heads too high and for too long resulting in a breakdown of their technique and skills.Breathing is a skill; train it like one.Your Best Biomechanics ToolYou don’t need a $50,000 underwater camera system.Your phone and / or your tablet are all you need. Slow motion video and importantly…. immediate playback on deck to facilitate better learning.Record. Replay. Show the swimmer right here and right now: “See that? That’s what your head is doing.”Or even better, ASK the swimmer a question about their technique. “What’s happening when you do that?”“What does it feel like?” “What do you think would happen if you lifted your head a little?”Real-time feedback. Best coaching tool you’ll ever own.That’s biomechanics made simple.Which of the 5 Hs do your swimmers struggle with most?Coming Next Week: Part 3 of the Simple Science Series; Test Sets for Age Group SwimmersIf you’re finding value in this series, share it with a colleague. And if you’re not yet a paid subscriber, join us; click subscribe below. Simple science, practical coaching, every week. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit swimminggold.substack.com/subscribe

We’ve overcomplicated training zones for beginner coaches and it’s time to fix it.The Problem With Current ModelsMost coaching education programs throw 6 or 7 different training zones at first year coaches. Threshold, VO2 max, lactate tolerance, aerobic endurance, race pace, recovery, anaerobic power; the list goes on and on.Here’s the reality: you’ve got 25 kids in the pool, three lanes, two hours, and you’re trying to remember the difference between Zone 4a and Zone 4b.It doesn’t work. It’s not practical. And it’s not necessary; especially for coaches working with age group swimmers.The PACE ModelI’ve developed a simpler approach. Four zones. Easy to remember. Easy to apply. Easy to teach.P: Preparation Pace This is warm-up, cool-down and recovery swimming. Low intensity. Technical focus. Getting the body ready or bringing it back down. No stress. No pressure. Easy, relaxed, rhythm and flow.A: Aerobic Pace The foundation work. Building the engine. Conversational intensity; they could talk if they needed to. This is where most of your yardage lives. Sustainable, repeatable, technique-focused. And…Easy, relaxed, rhythm and flow.C: Competition Speed Pace This is where we connect skills to race conditions. Not quite flat out, but close. Focus is on maintaining great stroke mechanics and race quality skills at higher speeds. Think of it as “controlled fast.”E: Electric Pace Maximum speed (i.e. not effort - because we should aim for effortless speed). Race pace or faster. Short reps. Full recovery. This is genuine speed work; not sort-of fast, actually fast. It is important that we coach swimmers to marry the concept of speed and relaxation, i.e. maximum speed but relaxed and smooth.Why PACE WorksFour zones. One word. Every coach can remember it.As coaches grow and develop, they can add complexity. For example, PACES adds a fifth zone: S for Sub-Race Pace or Threshold. But start simple. Master PACE first.The practicalities of coaching age group swimmers; multiple kids, limited lanes, varying abilities; demand simplicity. Save the complex periodisation models for later. Right now, teach them PACE.What training zone model do you use? Is it working for you?Coming Next: Part 2 of the Simple Science Series; Biomechanics Made SimpleIf you’re enjoying this series and you’re not yet a paid subscriber, why not join us? Click the subscribe button below. And if you know another coach looking for simpler, smarter ways to integrate sports science into their program, share this with them. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit swimminggold.substack.com/subscribe

By Wayne GoldsmithIntroduction:Every swimming coach does drills and skills work at the same time in their practices. We can do it differently and better!Three Critical Learning Points:* The typical structure — drills and skills first, main set second — means technique is generally practised when swimmers are fresh.* Skills that only work when rested aren’t race-ready skills.* The fix: integrate drills and technique work DURING your main sets, not before them.Time to Change!Here’s what I see at pools all over the world.Warm-up. Then drill work — catch-up, fingertip drag, six-kick switch, whatever your favourites are. Nice and controlled. Good feedback. Technical focus.Then the main set. Now it’s about fitness. Physiology. Pushing through. Technique? That was earlier.Here’s the problem.When your swimmers are doing their drills, they’re fresh. Rested. Focused. Heart rate is low. Breathing is easy. Everything is controlled.Then they get into the main set and all of that technique work goes out the window.Why? Because they’ve (we’ve) never connected those skills to fatigue.Skills that only work when rested aren’t race-ready skills.In a race, when does technique matter most?The last 25 of a 200. The third lap of a 200 fly. The back half of a distance event.That’s when technique falls apart — because we never trained it to hold together under fatigue.So here’s what I want you to try.Stop separating drills from main sets. Integrate them.Example: 10 x 100 — but every 4th one is a technique-focused 100 at controlled pace. Swimmers reset their form, refocus on one technical cue, then carry that into the next hard reps.Example: mid-set 50m drill to reset focus and form. Right in the middle of the hard work. Not before it. During it.Connect skills to fatigue. Connect technique to pressure.That’s where race-ready skills are built.Final Thoughts:We’ve been doing it backwards. Drills first, then fitness — as if they’re separate worlds. They’re not. The pool doesn’t care when you learned the skill. It only cares if you can execute it when you’re dying. Train accordingly.Two Practical Application Tips:* Insert a “technique 100” every 4th rep in your main sets. Swimmers drop the pace, focus on one technical element, then return to race pace. Keeps the skill connection alive under fatigue.* Add a mid-set drill reset. Halfway through your main set, stop and do 50m of your most important drill. Then continue. This teaches swimmers to find their technique when they’ve lost it — which is exactly what racing demands.Thanks.Wayne This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit swimminggold.substack.com/subscribe

Introduction:The non-stop main set is a relic of 1980s thinking — and it’s producing mediocre swimming disguised as hard work.Three Critical Learning Points:* Pushing straight through a 20 x 100 set often means technique collapses, bad habits are reinforced and swimmers just swim to survive.* Splitting the main set into two parts — with a purposeful break in the middle — restores quality skills execution and protects technique.* We should be chasing consistency of great technique under fatigue, not just pushing kids to mediocrity in the interest of hitting goal times and heart rates.Why Do We Accept Mediocre Skills and Technique Just to Hit Times and Heart Rates?Here’s the old school approach.20 x 100 on 1:30. Straight through. No breaks. Push through the pain. Physiology first.Sounds tough. Sounds like proper training.But watch what actually happens.* First 8 reps — technique is good. Splits are consistent. Swimmers are engaged.* Reps 9 to 14 — technique starts to slip. Stroke count goes up. Efficiency goes down. Swimmers are just getting through.* Reps 15 to 20 — technique has collapsed. Bad habits are being reinforced with every stroke. Swimmers are breathing on their first stroke off the wall, not kicking efficiently underwater, “circling” the lanes and breathing inside the flags on their finishes. Swimmers are surviving, not training.And we call this a great main set?We’re not building fitness. We’re building mediocrity.Here’s what I’m seeing from smart coaches around the world.They’re splitting their main sets.Example: 12 x 100 — then a 10-minute break — then 8 x 100.During that 10-minute break:* Snack to refuel — keep the fuel tank topped up* Drink to hydrate — don’t let dehydration compromise the second half* Pressure point or acupressure work — reduce injury risk, release tension* Mental refocus — reset the technical cues, clear the mind* Reconnect with the coach!!!Then return for part two with quality restored.The total volume is the same. But the quality is transformed.We’re not just chasing physiological adaptation. We’re chasing consistency of great technique under fatigue.Physiology matters — but not at the expense of everything else.The swimmers who win aren’t the ones who can survive a 20 x 100. They don’t win races because they can hold their heart rates at 185 bpm for 40 minutes. They’re the ones who can hold their technique together when it matters.Isn’t it time we looked at main sets differently?Final Thoughts:The non-stop main set was designed in an era when we thought more suffering meant more adaptation. We know better now. Quality matters. Technique matters. It’s about accuracy and precision under pressure and fatigue.And a strategic break in the middle of your main set might be the smartest thing you do all week.Two Practical Application Tips:* Split your next main set in two. Whatever you were planning to do straight through — break it at the 60% mark. Give swimmers 8-10 minutes. Fuel, hydrate, refocus. Then complete the set. Compare the quality of the second half to what you usually see.* Use the break for mental reset, not just physical recovery. Have swimmers identify ONE technical focus for part two. Write it on the whiteboard. Make the break purposeful — not just rest, but preparation.Thanks - let me know how it goes.Wayne This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit swimminggold.substack.com/subscribe

By Wayne GoldsmithEvery swimming coach does some form of skills practice in their training sessions every day.For the most part, coaches focus on learning and practicing skills — but rarely test whether those skills are actually race-ready.The challenge is that there’s a big gap between doing a skill well in training and executing it under race conditions.Here are four steps to bridge that gap:1. Learn the skill — Understand the movement. Get the basics right.2. Practice the skill — Repeat it. Refine it. Build consistency.3. Test the skill — Add speed. Add fatigue. Add pressure. Can they still do it?4. Race the skill — Execute it in competition conditions - both simulated racing in training and actual races in Meets. That’s the real test.Most coaches live in steps 1 and 2. The best coaches make sure their swimmers get to steps 3 and 4.I’d be interested to know — how do you make sure your swimmers’ skills are race-ready?Wayne This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit swimminggold.substack.com/subscribe

By Wayne GoldsmithOne of the hottest topics in swimming is always Dryland Training.When I speak at conferences, it’s inevitably a question from the audience. Swimming coaches have more opinions about dryland than just about anything else.Here are the three most commonly asked questions:* What are the best dryland exercises and programs?* When should we do dryland — before or after pool workouts?* At what age should young swimmers start strength training?My answers:1. Best exercises / best programsIt doesn’t matter as much as you think.Free weights, machines, body weight, pilates, yoga, a hybrid of everything — the method is less important than the outcome.The key is to vary your dryland program so that:* The swimmers enjoy it* They complete it with the same focus and commitment as pool trainingA program they hate is a program they won’t do properly.2. Timing — before or after pool?Simple answer: it depends on your focus.If you’re doing a precise, accurate, speed or technique-focused pool session — it makes no sense to fatigue swimmers with heavy dryland beforehand.Match the dryland timing to the pool session goals.3. Age to start drylandIt doesn’t matter what age. It matters what they do.Seven year olds can start a dryland program — IF it’s age and stage appropriate.Running. Jumping. Throwing a light medicine ball. Body weight exercises like lunges and step-ups. Seeing how high they can jump.Not heavy weights. Movement. Fun. Foundation.Watch the video and let me know — what are YOUR answers to dryland training’s three hottest topics?Wayne Goldsmith This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit swimminggold.substack.com/subscribe

By Wayne GoldsmithLet’s get this right from the start:There are NO 7 year old backstrokers.There are NO 9 year old freestylers.There are NO 10 year old IMers.There are just kids who swim — who, at that point in their development, swim one specific stroke a little better than the other strokes.Now I know coaches and parents everywhere are reading this and thinking “He’s wrong. Johnny the 8 year old just broke the club record for 50 backstroke. He’s a backstroker.”WRONG x A MILLION.Little Johnny is just an eight year old kid who, for whatever reason, happens to swim backstroke faster than the other eight year old kids.Coaches — we need to stop referring to young kids as stroke specialists.Why?Because parents and swimmers develop the expectation that:a. My child / I am a “champion” backstroker or freestyler or breaststroker — and there are NO 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 year old champions.b. My child / I don’t need to do the other strokes or learn the other events because I’m a “backstroker” or “freestyler.”The truth is this.A young swimmer could be brilliant at freestyle this year. Then they grow, their limb lengths change, and POW — they can’t swim freestyle very well anymore.Happens over and over all around the world. We know this. As coaches we’ve seen it a million times. Yet it keeps happening.My friends — here are five practical tips:* Do not refer to any swimmer under about 14 as “the butterflyer” or any single stroke specialisation.* Take a balanced approach to development — all strokes, all events, speed training, aerobic work, great skills, underwater kicking, dives, starts, turns, finishes. Balanced.* Discourage parents from entering their kids only in specialist stroke events at meets. “My 8 year old is a breaststroker so we’re only entering 50 and 100 breaststroke” — no.* Build an overall stroke development philosophy in your team. Focus on events like:* 50 metres all strokes (develops real speed)* 200 IM (develops all strokes, turning skills, endurance)* 400 freestyle (develops endurance, sustained speed, discipline)* Relays (fun, team spirit, speed development)* Educate parents and swimmers. Prepare them for the reality that bodies and minds change year by year — and it’s perfectly normal to change stroke focus right up until mid-teens.The bottom line?Don’t build a 9 year old backstroker.Build a 9 year old who loves swimming, learns everything, and becomes whatever they’re meant to become — when they’re ready.That’s how you develop swimmers for the long game.Swimming coaches — if you want to develop swimmers this way but need help making it work in your program, that’s exactly what I do in CoachTED.One-on-one mentoring for swimming coaches who want to coach for the long game — not just the next meet.Contact me through Swimming Gold or email [email protected] Goldsmith This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit swimminggold.substack.com/subscribe

By popular demand — let’s talk about speed.There’s a lot written about it. A lot talked about it. And a lot of confusion about how to actually develop it.Here are my five fundamentals of going fast, fast, fast:1. Forget “throw your arms”I’m not a fan of that old drill where kids get on their back and just throw their arms as fast as possible. Some call it overspeed training.I don’t buy it — physiologically, biomechanically or from a skill learning perspective.It doesn’t teach anything except throwing your arms really fast.And our sport isn’t just about moving your arms quickly. It’s about moving your arms quickly with great technique and good skill — under fatigue, under pressure, in competition.All of those things together.Just thrashing your arms isn’t speed development. It’s just thrashing.2. Speed is relaxationHere’s a core principle I believe in deeply:The faster you want to go, the more relaxed you have to be.So how does a coach apply this day to day?When you’re at the end of the pool about to send them off for a fast 50 — watch your language.Don’t say: “50 metres hard.”Don’t say: “All out effort.”Why? Because we want speed to feel effortless. Easy. Smooth.Try this instead:“This one — as fast as you can go, but easy, smooth and relaxed.”“Maximum speed, no effort, totally relaxed.”You’re marrying two concepts: maximum speed and maximum relaxation.Look at anything that moves fast in the animal kingdom. Look at track and field sprinters. The ones who move really quickly are loose, relaxed, smooth.You can’t swim faster by trying harder.Swimming isn’t an effort sport. It’s a technique sport. A skill sport. A relaxation sport.3. Speed is speed is speedJust because you’re doing 25s or 50s doesn’t mean you’re doing a speed workout.It’s all about the rest. And the intensity.A real speed set might look like:* 8 x 25 on 3:00 - longer rest if needed.* 6 x 50 on 3:30 - longer rest if needed.Complete rest. Easy, relaxed recovery — static or dynamic, your choice.Short distances. Maximum speed. Lots of rest.Speed is speed is speed.Yes, there’s a case for doing speed work at the end of a session when they’re tired — technique under fatigue. That’s real. That’s what heats and finals feel like.But if you’re trying to develop genuine speed — short distances, long rest, not too many of them, great speed.4. Fast + Long = BestWhen kids are starting out, we think about moving arms quickly. Fine.But as they develop, we need them to move their arms quickly with maximum distance per stroke.It’s no good if they can thrash their arms really fast but they’re taking 30 strokes per 50.We’re looking for the combination: fast and long.Fast is good. Long is good. Fast and long is best.Long strokes at maximum speed. Pressure on the water throughout the stroke. Maintaining length while moving quickly.That’s what we’re chasing.5. Speed work all year roundThis might be the most important one.I see coaches around the world obsessed with what I call exclusion blocks. The first seven weeks of the season — endurance only. Then pre-competition — a bit of speed, lots of threshold. Then they throw speed in at the end and hope it comes back.I totally disagree.Speed is the most precious thing in our sport.Nobody lies in bed at night dreaming of doing 40 x 100. Kids are lying in bed thinking: how do I go faster?Olympic gold medals. World records. PBs. Qualifying for the next level.This whole sport is about going faster.It makes no sense to kill speed off for months with huge volumes of training and then hope it magically returns.Wishing, hoping and prayer do not represent a solid strategy.Do speed work at least two or three times a week. All year round. Even in the middle of your so-called endurance block.More and more coaches around the world are moving away from exclusion blocks toward holistic, balanced programs that include deliberate speed work throughout the year.The One-Second TestHere’s my rule of thumb:Swimmers should never be more than one second slower than their PB 50 time — at any point in the year.Middle of an endurance block? They should still be able to touch speed.If you kill it off and just hope it comes back — chances are, one day it won’t.Speed is the most precious thing in this sport. Protect it.Over to youWhat are your favourite speed sessions?How do you talk to your swimmers about going fast?How do you generate real speed in your workouts?I’d love to hear from you. Drop a comment below.Wayne Goldsmith This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit swimminggold.substack.com/subscribe

By Wayne GoldsmithA lot of coaches, when they start out, focus on one thing: physiology. The body. The physical elements of swimming.They spend years looking for drills, workouts, training programs, session plans. They go to conferences. An elite coach stands up and talks about their sets and reps, their periodisation. Everyone writes it down or takes a photo of the PowerPoint. Everyone’s looking for the secret formula, the magic pill, the quick fix that’s going to turn their program into a high-performance machine.Colleagues, that’s not where your advantage is going to come from.Because of the internet and AI, you can get anything, anytime, anywhere — mostly for free. Type “top 10 freestyle drills for age group swimmers” into ChatGPT or Google and you’ll get solid answers in seconds. That stuff is everywhere now. There was a time when coaches guarded their best drills and workouts. Not anymore.You are no longer limited by your knowledge of the sport. You are no longer limited by what drills you know or how much you understand about heart rate or lactate. Those things are not limits anymore because everybody knows what everybody knows.There are no secrets.When I travel, people ask me: “What’s the secret to the Australian program? What are they doing differently?” The answer is nothing. Everybody is doing more or less what everybody else is doing.The one thing that will give you an advantage is YOU.Your coaching. The way you connect with your swimmers. The way you build relationships. The people factors are more important than ever.There is no app, no drill, no download that’s going to fix every problem you’ve got. There is no coach in the world — regardless of how many Olympic gold medals they’ve won — who holds secrets in their workouts. That is not the secret to success.Your edge is your ability to connect with kids. To put smiles on faces. To make them fall in love with the experience of swimming. To create friendship groups so they keep coming back.Some coaches hear this and say I’m getting soft. I’m not. If swimmers love what they do, they work harder at it. They come more often. They commit more fully to training and competition.Measuring VO2 or counting laps is nowhere near as important as you think it is. Coaching is far more important than you think it is.Believe in your coaching. Believe in yourself. Believe in your way of doing things.It’s your relationships, your personality, your energy, your character, your values. The things you already have.Not equipment. Not apps. Not downloads. Not AI.The difference is you.What do you do to connect and inspire the swimmers in your program?Wayne Goldsmith This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit swimminggold.substack.com/subscribe

By Wayne GoldsmithCoaches and parents often ask me: “How do I help my swimmer develop confidence?”Here’s the equation I use:Confidence = Belief × EvidenceThink of confidence as a can — the Confidence Can.Our job as coaches — and as swimmers — is to fill that can with experiences. Evidence that proves “I CAN do this.”Every quality training session. Every race where they held their technique under pressure. Every time they got back on the blocks after a disappointing swim. Every early morning they showed up when they didn’t feel like it.That’s evidence. And evidence fills the ‘can.But here’s what most people miss: evidence alone isn’t enough.The other half of the equation — Belief — is what parents bring.Your unconditional love. Your complete acceptance of your child, win or lose, PB or DQ. Your child needs to know — with absolute certainty — that they are loved for who they are, not for what they achieve in the pool.Belief × Evidence.When coaches and swimmers fill the Confidence Can with great experiences, consistent training, quality recovery and healthy habits — AND parents provide that most powerful gift of all, unconditional love — something magical happens.Your swimmer stands behind the blocks, in any pool, at any meet, and thinks:I can. I can. I can.Know a swim coach or swimming parent who'd find this useful? Share this post or send them to swimminggold.substack.comWayne Goldsmith This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit swimminggold.substack.com/subscribe

By Wayne GoldsmithI often get asked to do pool deck sessions with swim teams when I travel.Most of the time it’s drills and skills practices or “motivation” talks, attitude talks etc.But there’s one session I love to do because it’s so important: Straight Line Swimming.Swimming is a straight line sport.We start in a straight line: it’s called Streamlining.We swim in a straight line and avoid the lane ropes if we can.We turn straight! We come to the middle of the lane to then accelerate into the turn so we can turn and push off in a straight line.And we finish straight. We come to the middle of the lane and kick powefully to the wall to touch right in the centre of the lane.We start straight - we swim straight - we turn straight - we finish straight. When you think about it, we start and finish in streamline - as every great finish is Head forward, hips high, full kick and full stroke position on the wall.Coaches it is important you teach and continually reinforce straight line swimming.Why?Because under the pressure of competition, swimmers will do what they've practised.If we don’t teach them to start, swim, turn and finish in straight lines, then - when it really matters - they’ll be swimming in circles!Swimming. It’s a straight line sport.Know a swim coach who'd find this useful? Share this post or send them to swimminggold.substack.comWayne This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit swimminggold.substack.com/subscribe

By Wayne GoldsmithNo matter what stroke.No matter the age of the squad swimmer.From “Minis to Masters” - there’s 7 Technique Tips that I guarantee will improve the swimming technique of every swimmer you coach.* Soft hands;* Loose feet;* Head and hips relationship;* Breathing;* Slow to fast;* Relax Relax Relax;* Feel - Connect - Pull.I promise you - these Magnificent 7 work every time!Wayne GoldsmithP.S. Paid subscribers will get a much longer and more detailed video on the “Magnificent 7” next week. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit swimminggold.substack.com/subscribe

Write a training session for yourself, coach!We all write workouts for our athletes. We know the repeats, the drills, the distances, the times. We prepare everything in advance for our swimmers.But what about YOUR plan?Add a column to your workout that says: “How I Will Coach.”So when the swimmers’ workout says “10 x ABC Drill” — yours says “Be energetic. Give individual feedback. Change the speed three times.”When their workout says “Cool-down and stretch” — yours says “Connect 1:1 with two swimmers. Ask how they’re feeling.”Plan their workout. Plan YOUR coaching. Then coach WITH them.What would be on YOUR coaching plan today?Wayne Goldsmith This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit swimminggold.substack.com/subscribe

What would you do if you had ONE session with a team you don’t know, in a place you’ve never been, sometimes in a language you don’t speak, in a culture you don’t understand?I have the best job in the world. I get to travel around the globe spending time with swimming coaches, swimmers and swimming families everywhere.When I travel, coaches will often ask me to come and visit their pool and spend some time with their swim team. Sometimes they ask me to take a session. Other times it’s a talk on pool deck about attitude, motivation, team work or choosing to be exceptional. Or sometimes the coach will ask me to just walk up and down the pool with them talking about coaching, technique, skills and training.But no matter what they ask me to do, I challenge myself around this one question: What can I do in two hours that can make a real and lasting impact on their swimming careers? Here’s my answer: I make them feel good about themselves.I can’t improve their physiology in one session — so I don’t try.I can’t fix their technique in a single workout — so I don’t waste their time or mine.What I CAN do is inspire them to believe in themselves — just a little. Be a spark in their hearts that could change everything.I coach the Power of Choice.Coaches — our job, above all else, is to inspire people to believe in themselves and that anything is possible.Yes, we coach technique, tactics, speed, strength. But the effectiveness of our coaching comes down to one thing: our ability to inspire everyone we coach to believe in themselves — and in us.Wayne Goldsmith This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit swimminggold.substack.com/subscribe

By Wayne GoldsmithThis is without doubt my favorite story to tell when I do Club visits, swimming parents workshops and coaching clinics: The 5 a.m. In A Swimming Household story.Please share this with every swimming parent you know.It is a funny story - but in my experience - having done hundreds of swimming club visits all over the world - it’s also very very true.The bottom line - the key message to all swimming parents is this: STOP HELPING YOUR KIDS.What I mean by that is continue to love them unconditionally, support them, accept them for who they are and value them the same regardless of their swimming performances BUT - stop:* Packing and unpacking their swim bags* Filling and cleaning their water bottles* Washing and drying their towels and swimming gear* Setting the morning alarm in your room and letting them sleep in* Carrying their swim bagBelieve me - please trust me - you are NOT helping them by doing these things. I know you think you’re helping them. I know you love them. But please stop doing it.We want your kids to be independent, self-responsible and accountable.Want more information - check out my book:The Talent Myth: Why Character Beats Genetics Every timeNow on Amazon!Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GKDC4NQ4Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Talent-Myth-Character-Beats-Genetics/dp/0987155792/Wayne Goldsmith This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit swimminggold.substack.com/subscribe

By Wayne GoldsmithI’ve been to over 1000 swimming pools.Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Fiji Islands, USA, South Korea, Zimbabwe, South Africa, England, The Isle of Man, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Germany, France, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, The Netherlands, The Philippines, Greece and Italy - and a few more places I’ve probably forgotten.And the “default” version of coaching swimming is the same in 90% of the places I visit: Coaches standing at the end of the pool yelling numbers and orders at kids!“1:20, 1:23, 1:21”….“Take your marks GO, Take your marks GO, Take your marks GO”…..“44 strokes, 39 strokes, 41 strokes”….“Finish on the wall, don’t breathe inside the flags, stop pulling on the lane ropes”….It’s like we’ve decided that there’s only one way to coach swimming and it’s replicated over and over and over all around the world.Coaches - here’s the great news: You don’t have to do it this way.You don’t have to be just another “telling and yelling” coach standing at the end of the pool screaming numbers at kids and calling it coaching.What is it the coaches do?WE COACH!And what is coaching?It’s connecting with, engaging with and inspiring the hearts and minds of everyone we coach.In this video I talk about how you can coach more effectively, more engagingly and have a lot more fun - and success in the process.Wayne Goldsmith This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit swimminggold.substack.com/subscribe

Coaching is moments that matter.I was coaching a 14 year old.He looked sad and flat and tired and I asked him how he was going.He said, “I’m ok. I just wish I was more talented like Steve. He doesn’t train much and yet he keeps kicking my butt in races. It’s not fair.”.I replied, “From where I’m standing, when I see you I see a tough young man, who never gives up, who always tries his best, who encourages his team mates, who turns up even when he’s tired and who works harder than any athlete I’ve ever known”.He just smiled and walked away and started training.25 years later I received a letter.“Coach Wayne. You may not remember me but when I was 14 and was about to give up swimming, you told me how amazing you thought I was. I never really thanked you. You were the only person who believed in me. I have never forgotten you or your words.”. My friends - THIS IS COACHING. We change lives.We are all focused on helping kids to learn, to improve, to get better and to be successful in sport. That’s the nuts and bolts of coaching.But do you know what’s even better? Having the opportunity to say to a kid “I believe in you”.In my long experience, sometimes you might be the only person in their lives who is giving them that message. You might be the one person in their entire life who makes them feel that anything really is possible if they just believe it is so. Have you changed a life today?Wayne Goldsmith This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit swimminggold.substack.com/subscribe

I was in Zimbabwe doing a swimming clinic in 1996 for WORLD AQUATICS - FINA as it was.The hosts took me to a local swimming program. Run down pool, no lane ropes, no backstroke flags, no starting blocks. Cold water. The sides of the pool had green scum on them. One of the kids told me they were toad eggs and they had to be careful not to swallow them. Coach - a very good guy - was a butcher - very limited high level swimming coaching knowledge but a very decent, hard working, dedicated coach.Overall pretty terrible environment.In one lane however was an 11 year old skinny little blonde kid. She just plowed up and down the pool relentlessly. She swam like she was angry at the water: she just worked and worked and worked. In between repeats she smiled, laughed, joked with her friends - then boom - back into it - lap after lap after lap to a standard that would have seen her fit in nicely to any age group program in Australia, USA, UK - anywhere.At the end of the session the coach introduced her to me and me to her. “Coach Wayne. I’d like you to meet Kirsty Coventry”.That’s Kirsty “First Woman IOC President, 7 medals (2 Gold, 4 Silver, 1 Bronze) across five Olympics (2000-2016)” Coventry.Environment doesn’t make champions. Character does.Toad eggs, green scum, no lane ropes. Seven Olympic medals. Tell me again that being great at sport is all about facilities.Wayne Goldsmith This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit swimminggold.substack.com/subscribe

By Wayne Goldsmithir Alex Ferguson would stop training to talk one-on-one with players. In that moment, they were the only person who mattered.Laurie Lawrence told me: “Don’t put heart rate before heart.” If you see a moment to inspire an athlete — grab it. They can always do more reps later.Phil King, Olympic gold medal coach, put it this way: think about the impact of missing coaching opportunities.Three coaches. Same message.Physiology matters. Periodization matters. But none of it matters more than the moments when you can truly connect with an athlete and change the way they see themselves.Who cares if their heart rate drops for two minutes? That conversation - just swimming coach and swimmer - might change their career forever.Stop training. Start coaching.How do you balance the science with the human moments?Wayne Goldsmith This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit swimminggold.substack.com/subscribe

There are two types of swimmers: Pacers and Racers.Alex Popov — multiple Olympic Gold medalist, world record holder — told me this years ago. It stuck.Pacers train to hit a time. They race to a plan, trying to control the controllables.Racers learn competitive skills that equip them to meet any challenge. They change pace, adjust technique, adapt to whatever the race demands.If you’re training athletes to WIN when it matters, train them to be Racers.Which are you coaching?Wayne Goldsmith This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit swimminggold.substack.com/subscribe

One of the most common questions I get from coaches: “How do I motivate my swimmers to work harder?”My response: “You can’t. Don’t try.”You can’t motivate anyone to do something they don’t already want to do. It’s not your job to make them do it — it’s your job to create an environment where they can be all they choose to be.In this video, I’ll show you how to connect with, engage with and inspire the hearts and minds of every swimmer you coach.Wayne GoldsmithIf you found this useful, hit subscribe — it's free. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit swimminggold.substack.com/subscribe

By Wayne GoldsmithOne of the most confusing parts of learning about swimming coaching is training zones. When you attend your first ever swimming coaching course or when you open a swimming coaching textbook for the first time, you’ll see a table full of words like “alactic” and “aerobic” and “anaerobic” and percentages, sample heart rates and effort ratings.Often there will be six, seven or even more different training zones listed on those tables and the course presenter will tell you that it’s important you learn the training zones and apply them in your training programs precisely to help your swimmers develop specific physiological adaptations like speed, endurance, VO2 max etc.The current models of training zones are impractical, overly complex and most importantly not workable for the majority of age group coaching programs where one or two coaches are coaching 10, 20, 30 or more swimmers at any one time.Coaches - it is unrealistic - bordering on impossible - that you, me or any coach - can know for certain what training zone 30 kids are working in at any one time with any degree of accuracy or precision.When I teach training zones to swimming coaches, I start with big, simple, easy to coach zones e.g.* EASY, RELAXED, WARM UP PACE* AEROBIC PACE* RACE PACE* SPEED DEVELOPMENT / MAX SPEED PACEI then encourage coaches to “play” with the precision of the zones and add training zones if / where they need to make the training paces and workloads more accurate. In this video - a must watch for all swimming coaches - I suggest an alternate way of applying a common sense approach to training zones in your coaching programs.Wayne GoldsmithCOPYRIGHT WAYNE GOLDSMITH - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.SWIMMING GOLD is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit swimminggold.substack.com/subscribe

By Wayne GoldsmithEvery swimming coach will tell you that kicking is important and that they include kicking practice in all their practice sessions.Every swimming coach will also tell you that it’s difficult to inspire kids to complete kicking practice with a high level of engagement, intensity, accuracy and precision.I was talking with an elite coach over a coffee and he asked me an interesting question “How do you make kicking practice (in his words)“sexy”? TO BE VERY CLEAR - in this context using the word “sexy” - he meant how can swimming coaches make kicking practice interesting, engaging, enjoyable and fun so that they do it well: so that they do it with the same accuracy and precision as they complete their swim sets.Today’s video is all about making kick practice the highlight of every swimming workout.In short - use the C.I.C. (Kick) model:* Competition specific;* Intensity relative to a goal;* Competitive.If you’ve got other ideas about making kicking practice “sexy” that work in your program, please share them with our Swimming Gold Community in the comments.Wayne GoldsmithCOPYRIGHT WAYNE GOLDSMITH - ALL RIGHTS RESERVEDSWIMMING GOLD is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit swimminggold.substack.com/subscribe

By Wayne GoldsmithOne of the most common questions I get asked by coaches is how to inspire swimmers to complete their workouts with the precision, accuracy and attention to detail that the coach feels is important - i.e. don’t count the laps, make the laps count.My answer is YOU DON’T AND YOU CAN’T.What I mean by that is, you are wasting your time if you believe you can stand at the end of the pool yelling at your team and make them / force them / motivate them to do the workout exceptionally well. A far better option is to coach the swimmers to look at THE workout and choose to make it THEIR workout. In this video, I share a story about the late and great coach John Carew and the lessons I learnt from him early one morning while he was coaching the brilliant Olympic Gold medalist, World champion and World record holder Kieren Perkins.The bottom line is this colleagues: Coach your swimmers to choose to swim their practice exceptionally well - make it all about them - and inspire them - believe in them - to take ownership of and responsibility for the standards of their own workouts and your world - and theirs - will change forever.Wayne GoldsmithCOPYRIGHT WAYNE GOLDSMITH - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.SWIMMING GOLD is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit swimminggold.substack.com/subscribe

By Wayne GoldsmithSWIMMING GOLD is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.One of the most common issues I get asked to comment on is Aerobic Base development in young swimmers. To be honest - I don’t remember ever meeting any coach or any sports scientist who’s got a definitive answer on how much to do at what age at what intensity for how long. Lots of people think they know but most of it is based on their own experience and coaching beliefs.From my perspective - I think we waste way too much time arguing and talking about aerobic base development when there’s a far greater issue to deal with - teenage drop out rates.The only swimmer who can’t get better is the one who’s not coming.How many kids do you know who were “champions” at ten years of age (and my friends there is no such thing as a champion 10 year old), and who did lots of aerobic base training that are now, as teenagers, sitting at home playing with their mobile devices, hanging out with their friends and who never want to swim again? Who cares how many capillaries they’ve got - if they hate the sport.Who cares how amazing their VO2 max is - if they never want to come to training.We have all got to move past this obsession with developing the right physiology and realize that if we don’t coach exceptionally, if we don’t build great relationships with kids and families and if we don’t inspire kids with interesting, engaging training environments, then this alarming rate of teenage drop out will continue.Let me know what you think.Subscribe if you’d like to - but please keep watching! The future of this remarkable sport is in our hands. Wayne GoldsmithThanks for reading SWIMMING GOLD! This post is public so feel free to share it. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit swimminggold.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to 2026 and welcome to Swimming Gold.This year I’ve made a commitment to do a lot more video. There’s a lot of Ai generated text out there - and a lot of it is rubbish. So in response, I’ve decided it’s time for me to record videos most days and strive to help more coaches, more teachers, more swimmers and more swimming parents around the world.I believe our sport is at a cross-roads. There’s no way to spin it: in many places around the world, the number of kids in organized, competitive swimming is on the decline as it has been for well over a decade.We can look blame a lot of things for this decline…Covid…Pool closures…the cost of being involved in the sport…Meet formats… and 100 other things, but in the end - as coaches and as teachers - let’s focus on one thing - the one thing WE can control: how can we do what we do better.If you’re still standing at the end of the pool yelling numbers at kids for two hours morning and night five days a week and wondering “Where have all the swimmers gone?” - this is the year to re-think and change the way you coach.I strongly believe the future of this sport is in the hands of coaches and teachers. If we do what we do better, if we coach with energy, passion, enthusiasm, engagement and if we do all we can to inspire the hearts and minds of every kid we coach, this sport will grow and flourish for another 100 years. If we don’t - if we stand back and wait for more pools to be built, for the Federations to change Meet formats, for the sport to become cheaper to be involved with - my friends - we’re in trouble.Let’s make 2026 the year when we grab hold of the destiny of this remarkable sport, lift our coaching every day in every thing we do to extra-ordinary levels and together inspire every child in the world to fall in love with the experience of being in and around water. We can do it!SWIMMING GOLD is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit swimminggold.substack.com/subscribe

By Wayne GoldsmithSWIMMING GOLD is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Three Important Things to Remember:* Traditional “400m easy” type warm-ups prepare swimmers for mediocrity, not excellence;* Your warm-up should activate the skills you're about to practice, not just the muscles;* Elite swimmers warm up their technique first, their fitness second.Many swimming sessions in the world starts the same way: "400 easy swim, mix your strokes." Twenty minutes later, swimmers are "warmed up" but their technique is scratchy, their focus is scattered and their stroke feel is non-existent.Your warm-up should prepare swimmers for what's coming next, not just get their heart rate up. If you're working on underwater dolphin kick in the practice, warm up with some underwater dolphin kick. If it's stroke technique day, warm up with stroke technique work.I've worked with great swimmers who spend their warm-up finding their stroke rhythm, connecting with the water and activating their technique. They leave the pool knowing exactly how their stroke feels and what they need to work on.Meanwhile, most swimmers complete their warm-up knowing they swam 400 meters at a slow speed with little or no thinking involved. That's it.Your warm-up is your first coaching opportunity of every session. Use it to prepare minds and technique, not just bodies. Make every stroke count from stroke one.Summary: Effective warm-ups activate technique and focus, not just the cardiovascular system and muscles. Start the way you want to finish!Two Practical Tips:* Technique Activation: Include 50-100m of stroke technique focus in every warm-up - underwater dolphin, catch work, body position drills.* Progressive Preparation: Structure warm-ups to gradually prepare swimmers for the main set's demands, not just general movementWayne GoldsmithCOPYRIGHT WAYNE GOLDSMITH - ALL RIGHTS RESERVEDCheck out Wayne's new book THE TALENT MYTH - WHY TALENT ISN'T WORTH SH&T - available now on AMAZON BOOKS https://www.amazon.com/Talent-Myth-Isnt-Worth-S**t/dp/0987155733/ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit swimminggold.substack.com/subscribe

By Wayne Goldsmith.SWIMMING GOLD is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.If you’re a swimming coach - you probably love it.Sure there’s early mornings, difficult parents, long slow boring days at swim Meets and your feet that always seem to be cold and wet - but - for the most part - working with young athletes every day and helping them realize their potential while pursuing their dreams is a pretty good way to earn a living.You’d do anything to help your swimmers and you encourage them to eat well, rehydrate, get plenty of quality sleep, rest and recover on weekends, take care of their mental health and generally live a healthy lifestyle.But do you expect and demand the same of yourself?If you’re like most swimming coaches I know, the answer is no.Legend Coach and good friend Bill Sweetenham tells the “transfer of energy” story.Bill says, “In the morning, the kids walk in to the pool - generally moving slowly and quietly. The coach on the other hand is upbeat, full of energy, greeting swimmers, joking with parents….setting the scene for a great workout. The swimmers eventually get moving and reluctantly jump into the pool, while the coach is running around, organizing lanes, encouraging kids, writing fine details of the workout on the board and trying to lift and inspire everyone and everything. For two hours the coach never stops - walking, moving, running, talking, yelling, inspiring, giving feedback - giving everything they’ve got to everyone. Then at the end of workout, the swimmers are all upbeat, positive, motivated and excited and high five the coach on the way out of the pool……and moments after the final swimmer leaves practice….the coach slumps into a chair completely exhausted and drained because they’ve transferred their energy, their happiness and their passion to each and every member of the team”. Coaches - we need you.The sport needs you.Your team needs you.And your family need you. Your friends need you and YOU need you.You can’t keep giving everything you’ve got to everyone else and not take care of your own physical and mental health. It is not sustainable.This video is one I’ve been wanted to do for a long time. I’ve outlined some practical, real-world ways you can take care of yourself and give as much time and energy to your own wellbeing as you do to that of the people you coach. Take care of yourself my friends.Wayne GoldsmithCOPYRIGHT WAYNE GOLDSMITH - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit swimminggold.substack.com/subscribe

By Wayne GoldsmithSWIMMING GOLD is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.You know how swimming coaches love repetition?Say this to yourself 100 times…“Swimming is a straight line sport”.“Swimming is a straight line sport”.“Swimming is a straight line sport”….you get the idea.In this sport, in training - and of course in competition, you dive and start straight, swim straight, turn straight, push off straight and finish straight….everything about swimming is straight lines.Yet, I often see swimmers in practice dive, start, swim, turn, push off and finish in “circles”, owing to the fact that most swim teams have to squeeze many swimmers into each lane and avoiding colliding with each other is of paramount importance.However, in competition, being able to swim in straight lines is a critical swimming skill and it contributes significantly to achieving PBs and swimming fast.Here’s three practical tips for straight line swimming:* As much as possible dive, start, swim, turn, push off and finish in straight lines. It’s not always possible - but try to remember to keep coming to the middle of lane throughout practice as often as it’s safe to do so.* When swimming multiple laps, as soon as you’ve passed the feet of the last swimmer in your lane, come to the centre of the lane and practice turning, pushing off and finishing in a straight line.* Try to avoid pushing off in diagonals! If necessary give swimmers a little more distance between each other so that when they get to the flags at each end, they can come to the centre of the lane and practice turning and pushing off straight!Safety is of course our number 1 priority! There will be times when the lanes are full and it’s almost impossible to swim straight - but try to create training environments which prepare swimmers to be successful in competition and a big part of that is learning to swim in straight lines. Wayne Goldsmith.Copyright Wayne Goldsmith. All Rights Reserved. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit swimminggold.substack.com/subscribe

By Wayne GoldsmithA lot of coaches get to a point in their coaching where they want to lift the standards of their teams, become more performance orientated and reach for higher and higher goals in the sport.A common scenario is where a Club coach decides that the team could achieve success at State or National level championships and to do that, the team needs to train harder more often. This leads to the coach considering the introduction of “minimum attendance rules” - e.g. to be in the National Age Group team you must attend a minimum of 6 sessions per week.A coach recently wrote to me and expressed his frustration in trying to introduce new attendance standards in his team. He said, “It’s (minimum attendance rules) caused me a lot of headaches. Kids want to skip sessions but still be in the top squad. I don’t know what to do”.Here’s a few suggestions if you decide you want to strive for success in your program:* COLLABORATE! Discuss your vision and goals with your swimmers, their families, your club committee, staff and everyone connected with the team. Take them through what you’re trying to do, how you’re going to do it and MOST importantly WHY you’re looking to introduce minimum attendance standards.* COMMUNICATE! Once you’ve got the support of the swimmers, families and the club to implement the changes you’d like to make - communicate clearly how it’s all going to work.* CONSISTENCY. The single biggest problem you will face if you go down the performance path and introduce minimum attendance standards is swimmers and parents wanting flexibility for their specific circumstances. For example, it’s highly likely a parent will approach you and say something like “My daughter plays basketball and also does gymnastics. She can’t make the minimum attendance requirements to be in the National Age squad but she should still be in it”. When this happens (not if it happens - because IT WILL HAPPEN) - you need to apply a consistent approach and policy to every member of the team. In a perfect world, there would be no need for minimum attendance standards in swim teams - but our world is far from perfect. Ideally swimmers, coaches and families work together as a team with a clear focus on helping every swimmer realize their potential because they’re passionate, committed, dedicated and share a common focus on the achievement of excellence.This is a very common challenge many swimming coaches around the world have faced and continue to face. How successful you are at introducing change depends on your ability to lead through collaboration, communication and consistency. Wayne GoldsmithCopyright Wayne Goldsmith. All Rights Reserved. SWIMMING GOLD is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit swimminggold.substack.com/subscribe

By Wayne GoldsmithSWIMMING GOLD is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.This is a special video.I’ve recorded it for COACHES to play to, forward to and share with SWIMMING PARENTS.It’s a plea for parents / carers to work with their child’s coach: to form a partnership - a “team” - who are committed and dedicated to a single purpose: helping each and every child be all they choose to be.I do a lot of swimming coach mentoring. Included in my mentoring program are one-on-one sessions where the coach can decide what topic they’d like to cover in our session.In almost 75% of those discussions, coaches want to talk about their challenges and difficulties with swimming parents.I thought I’d record something that coaches can share with the parents of the swimmers in their team so that an independent voice can talk with them about what it takes to be an outstanding, supportive swimming parent.Wayne GoldsmithCopyright Wayne Goldsmith - All Rights Reserved. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit swimminggold.substack.com/subscribe

Drills, drills, drills. Every swimming coach has a tool-box full of drills.Drills for arms and stroke technique.Drills for legs and kicking.Drills for timing.Drill for breathing.Drills for dives, for turns, for finishes, for underwater…….But here’s the thing: having more drills than your local hardware store doesn’t make you a better coach or improve the ability of your swimmers to perform at their best when and where it matters.In this video I talk about swimming drills and suggest ways for you to connect the drills you do to the ability of your swimmers to maintain great technique and skills at high speed, under the fatigue and pressure environment of competition. Wayne GoldsmithCopyright Wayne Goldsmith. All Rights Reserved. SWIMMING GOLD is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit swimminggold.substack.com/subscribe

By Wayne GoldsmithThis is a subscriber only post.I often get asked “I am just starting out in swimming coaching. What are the most important things I need to do to be successful?”* Master the technology! Technology is rapidly becoming one of the most dominant elements in swimming coaching. Learn as much as possible - and as quickly as possible about video, performance analysis, Ai and social media - because….the kids you coach are already masters of technology and they have an expectation that you can and will provide them with coaching that is tech-rich!* Don’t get overawed by sports science, periodization, workout design etc. That stuff is easy to find online. You can generate brilliant workouts on Ai. You can go to YouTube and watch free videos from some of the world’s best coaches and swimming scientists talking about their craft. Don’t get sucked into the rabbit hole by being overly focused on the science of swimming and the vagaries of workout design. For the most part, all you need is available free - anytime - online.* MASTER THE ART OF COACHING!! This sport - now - more than ever is about relationships. About connection. About engaging with kids. About inspiring the hearts and minds of swimmers. Your ability to coach has never been more important.* Create a learning environment - a commitment to continuous improvement - around you. We expect swimmers to learn, grow and improve every day. We have to expect the same from ourselves. Everyday, at the end of your coaching session ask yourself three simple but powerful questions:* Did I coach at my best today? We want each swimmer to give us the best they can on any given day. We need to demand the same standards of ourselves.* Did I make a difference today? Did I connect with, engage with an inspire just one swimmer - did I touch just one heart today?* What did I learn today - from my swimmers and from my own coaching that will make me a better coach tomorrow?They’re my four things for beginning swimming coaches to focus on. What’s yours?WayneSWIMMING GOLD is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit swimminggold.substack.com/subscribe

By Wayne GoldsmithSWIMMING GOLD is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.This is special just for my subscribers on Swimming Gold.Three Key Concepts* Anyone can write a workout, but success comes from coaching the actual swimmer standing in front of you, not the theoretical one in your plan* Age group swimmers have multiple "swimmanalities" - i.e. swimming personalities - they're different people every day based on school, fatigue, social dynamics and adolescent changes* Smart coaches fit the program to the athlete using connect-engage-inspire and individual checking speeds, rather than forcing athletes into rigid plansWhen you start your coaching journey, you get obsessed with the science. Energy systems, training zones, biomechanics, force and power. You learn to write detailed, scientifically sound and overly complicated training plans. Then you believe that precision planning equals coaching success.Here's the massive problem with that thinking.You're coaching the plan instead of coaching the swimmer. Anyone can write a workout. If you like you can ask ChatGPT to design you a 1000 training sessions. You can buy programs online. That stuff is everywhere. But what separates great coaches from plan-followers is this: they coach the human being who walks through the door.Your perfectly designed aerobic threshold session means absolutely nothing when your swimmer shows up after playing football all day at a school tournament. They're tired, dehydrated, glycogen-depleted and mentally flat. Forcing them through your prescribed workout because "it's Monday and this is what we do on Mondays" is coaching madness.Age group swimmers are walking chaos.They're adolescents dealing with everything life throws at developing humans. Physical changes, emotional swings, social drama, academic pressure, growth spurts and hormonal fluctuations. The swimmer you coached yesterday isn't the same person who walks in today. They have multiple "swimmanalities" depending on what's happened in the 24 hours since you last saw them.Here's what works: Content and Intent.Content is what you've written - the workout on paper. Intent is the energy, focus and execution quality you need from that workout. If swimmers are flat and fatigued, they can't deliver the intent that makes your content effective. Content is the science of swimming. Intent is the art of coaching.Start every practice with Connect-Engage-Inspire. Look them in the eyes. Use their names. Ask how they're going. Listen to the answers. If a kid tells you they've had cross-country training, exams all day and haven't eaten, that's not the day for high-intensity work.Use Individual Checking Speed early in your warm-up. Get them swimming a 200-400 freestyle at even pace, 5-10 seconds slower than PB pace per 100. Watch their stroke mechanics, heart rate and stroke count. Compare it to last week or the last time you did the test. If they're working harder to maintain the same speed, you're dealing with a fatigued swimmer.Ask them directly: "Rate how you feel?” - i.e. with 10 out of 10 feeling fantastic. Listen carefully to their response.Smart coaches fit the program to the athlete, not the other way around.Summary: Great coaching happens when you adapt your well-planned program to meet the real swimmer who shows up, using connection, observation and flexible thinking rather than the rigid adherence to written workouts.Three Practical Exercises:* Daily Check-In Protocol: Start every practice with name recognition, eye contact and genuine questions about their day. Listen actively to their responses before proceeding.* Warm-Up Assessment: Include a 200-400m even-pace freestyle swim early in practice, monitoring heart rate, stroke count and mechanics compared to previous sessions.* Energy Rating System: Ask swimmers to rate their energy/readiness on a 1-10 scale after warm-up and adjust workout intensity accordingly rather than forcing predetermined plans.There's a lot more coming soon, including plans, programs, learn to swim schedules and a whole lot more videos and posts as well.If you haven't subscribed, please go ahead and do it now.I look forward to sharing some more sessions with you soon.Checkout my new book THE TALENT MYTH – WHY TALENT ISN’T WORTH S**T available now on AMAZON https://www.amazon.com/Talent-Myth-Isnt-Worth-S**t/dp/0987155717Copyright Wayne Goldsmith. All Rights Reserved. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit swimminggold.substack.com/subscribe

I hear swimming coaches all over the world complain about all the things that are wrong with the sport. These include:* Declining numbers of kids in competitive swimming / club level swimming.* Administrators who don’t understand the sport.* Not enough pool space.* No real investment in rural and regional swimming.* Meets that are poorly attended.* Teenage drop out rates continuing to worsen.* Overly invested swimming parents causing stress and frustration.And the coaches are right. All of these problems exist to a greater or lessor degree in swimming in all countries.However, in reality, the only thing any coach can do to change and improve any of these big swimming problems is - to coach better.Ask yourself this question - and try to answer honestly.Is it really coaching to stand at the end of a pool yelling numbers at a group of kids for 2 hours twice a day? Think about the kids we coach.What do they want from the experience of sport?* To feel like they belong* To enjoy the experience* To feel safe* To feel connected to the coach* To feel like they’re learning and improving* To have friends* To feel part of something that’s relevant and meaningful to their lives.So how is standing at the end of the pool yelling “1:20, 1:24, 1:27” and “Take your marks - GO” for hours and hours each week delivering any of the experiences that kids are craving?The great Laurie Lawrence said once, “If the kids are swimming 6 kilometres, you walk 10 kilometres. Give them more than you ask from them.”Swimming coaching is not easy. Swimming coaches are some of the most wonderful, caring, hard working, professional people I know.But complaining about what the National Body doesn’t do or how terrible it is that there’s no 16 year olds at Meets isn’t going to fix anything.As deliverers of the experience of this sport, the ONLY people who can make this sport better - are coaches.Are you up to the challenge? I believe - without doubt - you are!Wayne GoldsmithSWIMMING GOLD is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit swimminggold.substack.com/subscribe

By Wayne GoldsmithSWIMMING GOLD is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.By Wayne GoldsmithThree Key Concepts* Traditional 1-1-1-1 periodization (1 week, 1 month, 1 quarter, 1 year) is calendar convenience, not biological reality* Expecting all swimmers to adapt to training loads by Sunday night for Monday morning progression is coaching insanity* Bold coaches create periodization around adaptation timelines, not calendar constraintsWe've brainwashed an entire generation of swimming coaches into believing that periodization must follow the calendar. One week microcycles. One month macrocycles. One quarter phases. One year seasons. The sacred 1-1-1-1 model that every coaching course teaches as gospel.Here's the problem: human adaptation doesn't follow a calendar.Your swimmers don't magically recover and adapt to training loads because it's Sunday night and you need them ready for a new training phase on Monday morning. Biology doesn't care about your neat weekly schedule or monthly planning charts.Think about what we're actually expecting here. You've got swimmers with different birth dates, ages, genetics, recovery rates, nutrition habits, sleep patterns, stress levels, and training backgrounds. Yet we teach coaches that ALL of these athletes will adapt to the same training stimulus in exactly seven days, allowing for seamless progression to the next phase.This is dumb in the extreme.Some swimmers need ten days to adapt to a training block. Others might need fourteen. Some might be ready in five. Your 13-year-old developmental swimmer and your 17-year-old senior don't operate on the same biological timeline just because they're both in Tuesday's practice.Here's what bold coaches do: they throw out the calendar and follow the adaptation.Why not ten-day microcycles? Why not thirteen-session cycles that take as long as they take to create the changes you're seeking? Why not base your periodization on how your swimmers are actually responding rather than what date appears on your planning calendar?I've worked with coaches who run nine-day cycles, others who use fifteen-session blocks regardless of how many calendar days that requires. They watch their swimmers, assess their adaptation and progress when biology says they're ready—not when the calendar demands it.Stop forcing your swimmers to fit into arbitrary time constraints. Start designing periodization around the reality of human adaptation.Summary: True periodization follows biological adaptation timelines, not calendar convenience. Bold coaches create training cycles based on how swimmers actually respond to training loads.Three Practical Exercises:* Adaptation Assessment: Instead of automatic weekly progressions, evaluate swimmer readiness through stroke mechanics, energy levels, and training response before advancing phases.* Flexible Cycles: Experiment with 9, 10, or 13-day microcycles based on training response rather than calendar weeks—track adaptation quality over time adherence.* Session-Based Planning: Design training blocks around specific session counts (e.g., 15 sessions) that progress when adaptation occurs, regardless of calendar timeframe.SWIMMING GOLD is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.VIDEOS RECORDED AT BEAUTIFUL EVANS HEAD AQUATIC CENTRE, NSW, AUSTRALIA with the kind courtesy of RICHMOND VALLEY AQUATICS.https://richmondvalleyaquatics.com.au/Copyright Wayne Goldsmith. All Rights Reserved. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit swimminggold.substack.com/subscribe

By Wayne GoldsmithSWIMMING GOLD is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Three Key Concepts:* How swimmers approach a workout matters infinitely more than what's written on the whiteboard* Successful athletes transform THE workout into THEIR workout through conscious choice* Coaches obsess over physiology while missing the psychology that drives performanceHere's the dirty little secret about swimming coaching that nobody wants to admit: you're probably overthinking your workout design.I've watched coaches spend hours crafting the "perfect" training session—calculating exact rest intervals, debating lactate thresholds, obsessing over stroke counts and split times. They'll analyze heart rate data, study periodization charts, and lose sleep over whether swimmers should hold 1:15 or 1:18 on a main set.Meanwhile, their swimmers show up and completely miss the point.Two athletes can do the exact same workout and get completely different results. Same pool, same coach, same workout written on the board. One swimmer transforms into a champion. The other treads water in mediocrity. The difference isn't in the physiology—it's in the psychology. It’s attitude. It’s in the choices the swimmer makes on how to do the workout that matters.The swimmers who excel understand something their coaches often miss: THE workout becomes THEIR workout the moment they decide how they're going to approach it. Every push-off is a choice. Every breath is a decision. Every wall attack is an opportunity to own their development or coast through another meaningless lap.I've seen swimmers turn basic 10x100 freestyle sets into breakthrough sessions because they chose to focus on perfection in every detail. I've also seen swimmers waste brilliant, scientifically-designed workouts because they approached them with minimum effort and maximum excuses.Stop obsessing over the training variables you can control on paper and start focusing on the human variables that actually determine success. The magic isn't in your workout design—it's in how your swimmers choose to execute what you've designed.Summary: Successful swimming comes from athletes who transform THE workout into THEIR workout through conscious choices about effort, focus, and execution.Three Practical Exercises:* Choice Awareness Sessions: Before each main set, ask swimmers to identify three specific choices they'll make—streamline tightness, breathing pattern, wall finish—and rate their execution afterward.* Ownership Conversations: After practice, ask "How did you make today's workout yours?" instead of "How did the workout feel?" Focus on their choices, not your design.* Execution Excellence: Spend less time explaining workout physiology and more time teaching athletes how to approach every repeat with championship mindset and maximum standards.SWIMMING GOLD is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.VIDEOS RECORDED AT BEAUTIFUL EVANS HEAD AQUATIC CENTRE, NSW, AUSTRALIA with the kind courtesy of RICHMOND VALLEY AQUATICS.https://richmondvalleyaquatics.com.au/Copyright Wayne Goldsmith. All Rights Reserved. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit swimminggold.substack.com/subscribe

By Wayne GoldsmithSWIMMING GOLD is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Three Key Concepts* Complex training zone systems are theoretical perfection but practical insanity* Individual variables make precise zone targeting impossible with groups of swimmers* Simplicity and clarity beat complexity and confusion every single timeHere's what drives me absolutely crazy about modern swimming coaching education: we're teaching young coaches that they need to master 5, 6, or 7 different training zones to be successful.Lactate threshold. VO2 max. Anaerobic power. Neuromuscular power. Critical speed. Maximum lactate steady state. Aerobic capacity. We throw around these terms like they're coaching gospel, creating elaborate zone charts with precise heart rate ranges and blood lactate values.Then we send these coaches out to the pool deck with 30 age group swimmers and expect them to accurately determine which specific training zone each swimmer is working in during a main set.This is insanity.You've got a 12-year-old who stayed up until midnight playing video games training next to a 16-year-old who's been tapering for two weeks. One swimmer had three energy drinks for breakfast, another is fighting off a cold. Different genetics, different training backgrounds, different stress levels, different everything.And we expect coaches to know that swimmer A is training in Zone 3 while swimmer B is hitting Zone 5? Even with all the wearable technology in the world, this level of precision is a fantasy that exists only in coaching textbooks and laboratory conditions.Here's what actually works: SIMPLIFY. CLARIFY. Start young coaches with four training zones maximum, with big, obvious gaps between them:* Low Intensity Aerobic: Easy, relaxed pace swimming that builds base fitness * High Intensity Aerobic: Challenging but sustainable pace that develops aerobic power* Race Pace Specific: Training at the speeds swimmers will race at competition while maintaining race quality skills and technique* Speed Development: Maximum velocity work for neuromuscular adaptationMaster these four. Understand what each zone accomplishes. Learn to recognize them in your swimmers. Then, after years of experience, maybe—maybe—add another zone if it genuinely helps your athletes reach their potential.The best coaches I know keep training simple enough that their swimmers can execute it brilliantly, rather than making it so complex that nobody understands what they're supposed to be doing.Summary: Training zone complexity creates confusion and imprecision—smart coaches should start with four simple zones and master the art of practical application before adding unnecessary complexity.Three Practical Exercises:* Zone Recognition Drill: Practice identifying the four basic zones by observing swimmer behavior, breathing patterns and stroke mechanics rather than relying on technology.* Simplicity Challenge: For one month, design all workouts using only the four basic zones—master simple before attempting complex.* Individual Awareness: Learn to recognize how different swimmers respond to the same training stimulus rather than assuming everyone hits identical zones.SWIMMING GOLD is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.VIDEOS RECORDED AT BEAUTIFUL EVANS HEAD AQUATIC CENTRE, NSW, AUSTRALIA with the kind courtesy of RICHMOND VALLEY AQUATICS.https://richmondvalleyaquatics.com.au/Copyright Wayne Goldsmith. All Rights Reserved. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit swimminggold.substack.com/subscribe

By Wayne GoldsmithSWIMMING GOLD is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Three Key Concepts:* Most coaches obsess over volume, intensity, and frequency while completely ignoring the brain* Mental skills training must be integrated into every workout, not treated as an optional add-on* The fourth variable—training the brain—often determines who reaches their potential and who doesn'tEvery coaching textbook teaches the same three variables: Volume (how much), Intensity (how hard), Frequency (how often). Walk into any pool and you'll hear coaches discussing meters per week, lactate threshold sets and training sessions per day.But here's what's missing from 95% of workout plans worldwide: training the brain.I've spent three decades watching coaches meticulously plan every physiological detail of their sessions—calculating precise rest intervals, monitoring heart rates, periodizing training loads—while completely ignoring the most powerful performance variable of all: the space between their swimmers' ears.Think about your last workout. Did you plan how to challenge your swimmers' mental resilience? Did you include exercises to improve their focus under pressure? Did you design opportunities to practice emotional control when fatigue sets in? Or did you just write "8 x 100 on 1:20" and call it coaching?The swimmers who reach the podium at major championships aren't just physiologically superior—they're mentally trained. They've practiced staying calm when their race plan falls apart. They've rehearsed positive self-talk when lactate floods their system. They've trained their brains to make smart tactical decisions when oxygen debt clouds their thinking.Yet most coaches treat mental skills like an afterthought. "We'll do some visualization next week." "I should probably talk to them about goal setting sometime." Meanwhile, they spend hours calculating training zones and periodization charts.Here's the reality: Volume, Intensity, and Frequency without Brain training creates fast practice swimmers who crumble under competition pressure. But when you integrate mental skills into every session—when you make brain training as systematic as your lactate sets—you develop complete swimmers who perform when it matters most.Summary: Coaches must move beyond the traditional three training variables (volume, intensity, frequency) to include systematic brain training as the fourth essential element of complete swimmer development.Three Practical Exercises* Mental Skills Integration: In every workout, include one specific mental challenge—racing simulation with distraction, pressure breathing exercises, or focus tasks during fatigue.* Brain Training Planning: When writing workouts, ask "How am I training volume today? Intensity? Frequency? And what mental skill am I developing?" Plan all four variables deliberately.* Competition Mindset Practice: Create training scenarios that replicate competition stress—noisy environments, unexpected changes, equipment problems—and teach swimmers to maintain performance standards.SWIMMING GOLD is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.VIDEOS RECORDED AT BEAUTIFUL EVANS HEAD AQUATIC CENTRE, NSW, AUSTRALIA with the kind courtesy of RICHMOND VALLEY AQUATICS.https://richmondvalleyaquatics.com.au/Copyright Wayne Goldsmith. All Rights Reserved. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit swimminggold.substack.com/subscribe

By Wayne GoldsmithSWIMMING GOLD is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Three Key Concepts* The traditional workout formula is limiting your swimmers' potential* Creative, adaptive coaching beats cookie-cutter programs every time* Modern swimming demands purposeful, individualized training approachesStop me if this sounds familiar: Warm-up, kick set, pull set, drills and skills, main set, simulators, swim down. Repeat tomorrow. Repeat next week. Repeat for the entire season.Here's the uncomfortable truth: if your workouts follow the same predictable pattern session after session, you're not coaching—you're photocopying.I've visited hundreds of pools across six continents, and the sight is depressingly similar. Coaches standing at the end of lanes, clipboard in hand, running swimmers through the exact same workout structure they learned in their Level 1 coaching course twenty years ago. It's swimming by formula, coaching by default, and it's killing creativity and limiting potential.The greatest coaches I've worked with—the ones who develop Olympic champions and world record holders—don't follow templates. They craft experiences. They look at their swimmers on any given day and ask: "What do these athletes need right now? What will challenge them? What will inspire them? What will make them better?"Maybe today your sprint group needs 45 minutes of pure speed work with no warm-up because they're sharp and ready to fly. Maybe your distance swimmers need a technical session that's 80% drills because their stroke fell apart yesterday. Maybe your entire team needs a game-based practice because they're mentally flat and need to rediscover why they love this sport.The old model assumes every swimmer needs the same thing at the same time in the same order. The new model recognizes that swimming is becoming more accurate, more purposeful, more deliberate—and our coaching must evolve accordingly.Summary: Modern swimming coaching requires breaking free from traditional workout formulas to create purposeful, adaptive sessions that meet the specific needs of individual swimmers and groups.Three Practical Exercises* Needs Assessment Check: Before writing any workout, ask three questions: "What do my swimmers need physically today? What do they need mentally? What do they need technically?"* Formula-Free Friday: Once per week, design a completely non-traditional practice structure—start with main set, end with warm-up, or create an entirely game-based session.* Swimmer Input Sessions: Monthly, ask your swimmers what type of practice would challenge and motivate them most, then design creative sessions around their feedback.SWIMMING GOLD is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.VIDEOS RECORDED AT BEAUTIFUL EVANS HEAD AQUATIC CENTRE, NSW, AUSTRALIA with the kind courtesy of RICHMOND VALLEY AQUATICS.https://richmondvalleyaquatics.com.au/Copyright Wayne Goldsmith. All Rights Reserved. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit swimminggold.substack.com/subscribe

SWIMMING GOLD is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.THREE KEY CONCEPTS:* Perfect technique doesn’t exist — there’s only what works for you.* Fundamentals matter — but so does flexibility, feel, and flow.* Individuality is the secret weapon — not something to be corrected.Let’s get something straight:There is no such thing as perfect swimming technique.There. I said it.The swimming world is obsessed with this mythical idea of perfection — the flawless stroke, the textbook kick and the robotic symmetry that would make a biomechanist cry tears of joy.But here’s the truth: perfect technique is a myth.What matters is effective technique — for you.Just like every kindergartener learns to write the letter “a” a little differently — a little taller, a little rounder, a little wonkier — every swimmer learns to move through water in their own way.And that’s not a flaw. That’s the beauty of it.Great coaches don’t build clones.They build swimmers who understand how their body moves best through water — and how to refine that movement without losing their natural rhythm, feel, and personal style.Sure, there are technical fundamentals we all need to consider including:* Soft hands* Loose feet* Head-hips alignment* Control under pressure* Rhythm, relaxation, and timingBut trying to cram every swimmer into the same narrow technical box is like trying to make every child write their letters the exact same way: it might look neat… but it kills creativity and confidence.Elite swimmers? They own their style.Popov wasn’t Phelps. Phelps wasn’t Ledecky. Ledecky isn’t Titmus.You need to find the technique that works for your physiology, your mindset, your experience — and develop that with purpose.So no, we’re not chasing “perfect.”We’re chasing personal bests, efficiency, feel, and freedom.THREE PRACTICAL EXERCISES FOR COACHES, SWIMMERS & TRIATHLETES:1. Video Mirror Drill. Film swimmers from front and side. Watch it back. Ask:“What do I notice about my rhythm, timing, and movement?”Not “what’s wrong?” but “what feels right and what could flow better?”2. Alphabet Stroke Series. Assign letters of the alphabet to body parts (e.g. A = Arms, B = Breathing, C = Core). Pick three each session and ask swimmers to tune into their feel and awareness in those areas — their own alphabet of improvement.3. Write Your Own 'a' Sets. Let swimmers design a short set (3x50 or 4x25) where the only instruction is: “Swim how it feels best.” Then discuss it. Self-awareness is the foundation of individual technique development.💡 Final Thought:Don’t aim for someone else’s version of perfection.Discover your own version of excellence — and swim into it with confidence.SWIMMING GOLD is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.VIDEOS RECORDED AT BEAUTIFUL EVANS HEAD AQUATIC CENTRE, NSW, AUSTRALIA with the kind courtesy of RICHMOND VALLEY AQUATICS. https://richmondvalleyaquatics.com.au/Copyright Wayne Goldsmith. All Rights Reserved. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit swimminggold.substack.com/subscribe

By Wayne GoldsmithTHREE KEY CONCEPTS:* There's a direct relationship between swimming fast and staying relaxed* Speed comes from moving better, not trying harder* Practice relaxation and speed together—they're inseparable skillsWith so much talk about 50s - I thought I’d record a video about our need for speed!Want to swim faster? Stop trying so hard.This sounds counterintuitive, but it's the secret every elite swimmer discovers: the faster you want to go, the more relaxed you need to be.Watch any world record swim. Notice what you don't see—tension, strain, or swimmers fighting the water. Instead, you see fluid power, effortless speed, and athletes who look like they're barely working.Here's the physics: tension kills speed.When swimmers try harder, muscles tighten. Tight muscles move slower. Tight shoulders create drag. Tight breathing creates panic. Tight thinking creates poor decisions.The swimmers who breakthrough to their next level understand this paradox: speed comes from smoothness, not strength.During your next speed set, resist the urge to attack the water. Instead, focus on moving through it like you're swimming through silk. Think "smooth and easy" instead of "hard and fast."Coaches, stop yelling "Go faster!" Start coaching "Stay smooth!" The speed will follow naturally when swimmers learn to maintain relaxation under intensity.This takes practice. Most swimmers have been conditioned to equate effort with tension. Breaking this pattern requires deliberate training of relaxation and speed together.Try this: during sprint sets, give swimmers two focuses—hit the target time AND stay visibly relaxed. Teach them that these aren't competing goals—they're complementary skills.Elite swimmers don't swim fast despite being relaxed. They swim fast because they're relaxed.Water rewards efficiency, not effort. The swimmers who learn to stay loose while moving fast unlock a level of performance that pure strength can never achieve.SUMMARY: Speed and relaxation aren't opposites—they're partners. Train them together. Teach swimmers to move faster by staying smoother, not by trying harder. Effortless speed beats effortful struggle every time.THREE PRACTICAL EXERCISES:* Smooth Speed Sets: During sprint training, coach swimmers to maintain visible relaxation—loose shoulders, controlled breathing, fluid movements* Effort vs. Efficiency: Have swimmers swim the same distance at race pace twice—once "trying hard," once "staying smooth"—compare times and feelings* Relaxation Cues: Develop simple phrases like "silk and speed" or "smooth and strong" that swimmers can use during fast swimming to maintain the right mindsetSWIMMING GOLD is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.VIDEOS RECORDED AT BEAUTIFUL EVANS HEAD AQUATIC CENTRE, NSW, AUSTRALIA with the kind courtesy of RICHMOND VALLEY AQUATICS. https://richmondvalleyaquatics.com.au/Copyright Wayne Goldsmith - All rights reserved. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit swimminggold.substack.com/subscribe

By Wayne GoldsmithSWIMMING GOLD is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.THREE KEY CONCEPTS:* Writing the workout is only step one—coaching the choice is everything* Swimmers must take ownership of their training standards, not just complete distances* Excellence is chosen moment by moment, stroke by strokeHere's the brutal truth: your training program doesn't make swimmers fast. How swimmers choose to execute your training program makes them fast.You can write the most brilliant workout in the world—perfect intervals, ideal progressions, scientifically designed sets. But if swimmers approach it with a "just get through it" mentality, you're wasting everyone's time.The magic happens when swimmers shift from completing workouts to owning workouts.Every stroke presents a choice. Execute with precision or settle for sloppy. Maintain technique under fatigue or let it fall apart. Stay mentally engaged or drift into autopilot.Champions understand this. They don't just swim 20 x 100 freestyle—they choose to swim 20 x 100 with perfect streamlines, controlled breathing, and unwavering focus on their catch.As coaches, our job isn't finished when we write the session on the whiteboard. That's when our real work begins—teaching swimmers to think critically about how they approach each set.Ask better questions: "How are you going to attack this set?" "What's your technical focus?" "What does success look like beyond just making the time?"Triathletes, this applies to you too. Your pool sessions aren't just about fitness—they're about developing the mental discipline to maintain form when your body wants to quit.Stop measuring success by meters completed. Start measuring success by standards maintained.When swimmers take ownership of their training quality, everything changes. They become partners in their development, not passive recipients of your program.SUMMARY:Transform swimmers from lap counters into standard setters. Coach the choice, not just the workout. When athletes own their training quality, they unlock their true potential.THREE PRACTICAL EXERCISES:Choice Check-In: Before each set, ask swimmers to verbally commit to one specific standard they'll maintain (technique, effort, focus)Quality Scale: After tough sets, have swimmers rate their execution quality 1-10—build awareness of their performance standardsOwnership Questions: Replace "Did you make the time?" with "How did you choose to execute that set?" Shift focus from completion to executionSWIMMING GOLD is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.VIDEOS RECORDED AT BEAUTIFUL EVANS HEAD AQUATIC CENTRE, NSW, AUSTRALIA with the kind courtesy of RICHMOND VALLEY AQUATICS. https://richmondvalleyaquatics.com.au/Copyright Wayne Goldsmith - All rights reserved. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit swimminggold.substack.com/subscribe

SWIMMING GOLD is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.By Wayne GoldsmithTHREE KEY CONCEPTS:* Warm-up sets the mental and emotional tone for the entire workout* Mindful swimming from the first stroke creates better technique patterns* Physical preparation and mental engagement must happen simultaneouslyMost coaches think warm-up is about raising body temperature and minimizing injury risk. They're missing the point entirely.Your warm-up is your golden opportunity to connect mind and body before the real work begins. It's when swimmers transition from the chaos of daily life into the focused world of purposeful training.Start the way you want to finish.If you want swimmers to be mindful of technique during main sets, make them mindful during warm-up. If you want smooth, efficient strokes under pressure, practice smooth, efficient strokes from stroke one.Too many warm-ups look like this: swimmers dive in, chat with friends, and mindlessly churn through easy laps while their coach sets up equipment. Meanwhile, their minds are still at school, work, or scrolling through social media.Try this instead: make your warm-up an active engagement process. Ask swimmers to focus on one specific element—perhaps their breathing rhythm or their hand entry. Give them something to think about, not just something to do.The swimmers who learn to engage their minds during warm-up become the swimmers who can access that focus when it matters most—during race preparation and competition.Your warm-up should warm up three things: body, mind, and intention.Physical preparation without mental preparation is just swimming laps. Mental preparation without physical preparation leaves swimmers flat. But when you combine both from the very first stroke, something magical happens—swimmers become present, purposeful, and ready to learn.SUMMARY:Transform warm-up from mindless lapping into mindful preparation. Engage body and mind simultaneously. Set the tone for excellence from stroke one, and watch that intention carry through your entire session.THREE PRACTICAL EXERCISES:Focus Cue Warm-Up: Give swimmers one specific technique focus for each 100m of warm-up (breathing, catch, rotation)Mindful Transition: Start each warm-up with 30 seconds of stillness—swimmers stand quietly and set their intention for the sessionQuality Check: After warm-up, ask swimmers to rate their focus level 1-10—build awareness of their mental engagementSWIMMING GOLD is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.VIDEOS RECORDED AT BEAUTIFUL EVANS HEAD AQUATIC CENTRE, NSW, AUSTRALIA with the kind courtesy of RICHMOND VALLEY AQUATICS. https://richmondvalleyaquatics.com.au/Copyright Wayne Goldsmith - All rights reserved. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit swimminggold.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to Swimming Gold – Where Water Meets Wisdom!G'day swimmers, coaches, teachers, and water lovers!I'm Wayne Goldsmith, and I'm absolutely thrilled to welcome you to Swimming Gold – your new home for everything that happens in, on, and around the water.Whether you're teaching a nervous 5-year-old to blow bubbles, coaching the next Olympic champion or trying to figure out why your freestyle feels like you're wrestling with an octopus – you're in the right place.Here's what Swimming Gold is all about:🏊‍♀️ Real-world swimming wisdom that actually works in the pool🏊‍♂️ Practical coaching tips you can use at your very next session💡 Simple solutions to complex swimming problems🌊 Building water confidence from babies to masters swimmers🏃‍♀️ Swimming for triathletes who want to love the water leg📚 Teaching insights that turn struggling swimmers into water loversNo fluff. No complicated theories. Just proven ideas that help people swim better, teach better, and coach better.I've spent over 30 years working with swimmers from their first splash to the Olympic podium. I've seen what works, what doesn't and what makes the difference between sinking and soaring.Every post will give you something you can use immediately. A technique tip for tomorrow's session. A confidence-building strategy for nervous swimmers. A coaching insight that transforms your approach. A teaching method that creates breakthrough moments.Swimming Gold is for everyone who believes that being in water should be joyful, not stressful. Whether you're a swim coach in Sydney, a learn-to-swim teacher in Sacramento, a triathlete in Toronto, or a swimming parent anywhere in the world – we're going to make your aquatic journey better together.Ready to dive in?Your first golden nugget is coming next week. Until then, jump in those comments and tell me: what's your biggest swimming challenge right now? Coaching question? Teaching dilemma? Technique trouble?Let's make some waves together! 🌊WayneP.S. Hit that subscribe button – trust me, you'll want these insights landing in your inbox regularly. And if you know someone who'd benefit from Swimming Gold, share the love. Great swimming knowledge should spread like ripples across a pool.VIDEOS RECORDED AT BEAUTIFUL EVANS HEAD AQUATIC CENTRE, NSW, AUSTRALIA with the kind courtesy of RICHMOND VALLEY AQUATICS. https://richmondvalleyaquatics.com.au/SWIMMING GOLD is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit swimminggold.substack.com/subscribe