Boost stroke length at speed with this smart set that teaches you to hold more water and stay powerful while swimming fast.
Stroke length is one of the keys to fast swimming. Swimmers that can hold more water with each stroke are going to get to the other side of the pool more quickly. Simple enough.
But working distance per stroke (i.e. stroke length) can be a challenge. Coaches and swimmers will lob different drills at it—closed fist freestyle, long dog drill, various types of sculling to enhance feel—in the hopes that we’ll squeeze a few more inches with each stroke.
One of my favorite ways to challenge distance per stroke and get swimmers to go strong and long is blending resisted short burst efforts with a descending stroke count.
This deceptively simple set is also a lot of fun—it’s high-intensity and high-focus swimming.
The Potentiation and Stroke Count Set
The set pairs potentiation (short, heavy resisted efforts) and fast swimming with stroke counts.
The resistance “wakes up” the muscles without overly fatiguing them, and then the descending stroke count forces your body to organize itself to hit the target stroke count.
After doing your warm-up, it’s time for the main course:
PART 1 – Set the baseline
2×25 swim fast – Note your time and stroke count
- For example, 12 strokes
PART 2 – Potentiation and Stroke Counts
2-3 rounds:
2x15m swim at ~90% effort with heavy resistance
- Use a drag chute, power rack, or resistance tubing to generate load
- Rest 90s
25m swim fast at baseline speed with target stroke rate minus one
- Example: 12 strokes > 11 strokes
2x15m swim at ~90% effort with medium resistance
- Rest 90s
25m swim fast at baseline speed with target stroke count minus two
- Example: 12 strokes > 10 strokes
100-200 easy between rounds
And that’s it.
Short, focused, and very demanding in a fun way.
Why This Set Works
The resisted efforts potentiate the muscles, so when the resistance comes off, your nervous system is ready to go to PB-town.
And by chasing the reduced stroke count without sacrificing speed (i.e. not adding heaps of body roll to artificially decrease stroke count) you’ll naturally see some positive technical re-organization.
- Cleaner line through the water
- Faster hand speed under the body
- Stronger pressure on the water, less spinning
Every aspect of the stroke gets cranked up to “big” when we box ourselves in with stroke counts and speed targets.
Enjoy!
ABOUT OLIVIER POIRIER-LEROY
Olivier Poirier-Leroy is a former national level swimmer, 2x Olympic Trials qualifier, and author of several books for swimmers, including YourSwimBook, Conquer the Pool, The Dolphin Kick Manual, and most recently, The 50 Freestyle Blueprint.
The book is a beastly 220+ pages of evidence-based insights and practical tips for improving freestyle sprint speed.
It details everything from how to master stroke rate, technique, build a thundering freestyle kick, improve your start and underwaters, and much more.
The 50 Freestyle Blueprint also includes 20 sprint sets to get you started and a bonus guide on how to master the 100 freestyle to complete your sprint preparation.
👉 Learn more about The 50 Freestyle Blueprint today.
It is the quiet, yet painful effort that grows the sport. The technical solution to what may ail the individual. Profundity above the noise, seeking excellence at the surface. Of course it will draw envy and fill the lane.
Calmer and practical heads always prevail.
Thank you coach!