10 ways to swim straighter

We’ve all done it. You decide on a swim course, eye up the markers and execute what you think is the perfect swim.

All good, until you check your stats and find out that the 500m loop was actually more like 550m… Or 600m…!

So what’s going on? Especially in a race, the course is usually marked pretty accurately, so chances are there’s something going on with your swimming.

The main factor here is usually a flaw in your technique that means you’re not swimming in a straight line – either veering off or snaking – which means continual correction and more distance than intended.

In open water, though, especially when racing, there are added factors. Waves, current and dodging round other swimmers can push you off course or mean that even the most technically accomplished swimmer ends up swimming further than planned.

How to swim straight

So what to do? Well firstly, working on your technique will help.

Second, make sure you always have a real awareness of every course you’re swimming and of any sighting points around you, which can tell you sooner if something’s gone wrong. That’s the fundamentals.

Now, you can elevate this part of your swimming to a whole new level thanks to tech; in other words, the ‘SwimStraight’ function on Form’s new Smart Swim goggles (versions 1 and 2).

Incorporating a first-of-its-kind digital compass, SwimStraight enhances open-water swim confidence by enabling you to follow in-goggle directional headings.

This reduces course deviations and improves overall swim efficiency. And, best of all, this technology is approved by all races governed by World Triathlon, USAT, PTO and supertri.

Enter USAT level 3 coach Kris Swarthout, who’s used the technology both himself and with his athletes, to tell us more.

“I think in the sport of triathlon and open-water swimming, it’s the largest advancement for athletes since the invention of the wetsuit for triathlon.

“The Form goggles allow you to keep your head and neck in a neutral position, rather than having to disrupt this by sighting – plus they allow you to swim in a straight line in open water, as if following the line in the pool.”

With all that said, below, Kris Swarthout and 220 Triathlon editor Helen Webster share their top recommendations on how you can swim straighter…

• How Form’s smart goggles changed training forever

10 ways to swim straighter

1. Reap the rewards

 I often tell athletes that if you can swim straighter – not necessarily faster, but straighter – that is more advantageous than anything else.

Tacking back and forth like a sailboat causes you to swim longer, plus if you’re stopping to reposition and sight many times, it causes you to run into people, which loses further time. Think about technique in every session. KS

2. Pool practice

So many athletes only think about sighting practise when they’re in open water, but you should refine in the pool first.

When sighting you want to be taking a tiny peek forward (think ‘crocodile eyes’).

To be most efficient, do this just before or after turning your head to breathe. The goal is to disrupt your body position as little as possible. HW

3. Seeking balance

The most common reasons for not swimming straight is an imbalance in propulsion or trajectory.

If you think about the swimmer as a tank, a tank goes straight when both tracks are moving in the same direction at the same speed.

If a track on the right-hand side goes a little bit faster, then the tank is going to move to the left. If it’s going a little bit slower, it’s going to move to the right.

In the same way, if you’re drawing the same velocity in the same direction on both sides, then you’re going to swim straight. KS

4. Beware of crossover

Most athletes have a dominant side, which is why crossing the arms at the front of the stroke is a common reason for not swimming straight.

You then pull across, rather than back, on one hand, which will push the water across and push the body in the opposite direction.

By small increments, you’ll then find you’re not swimming in a straight line anymore. KS

5. Time for a test

A good tip to help you visualise this? Jump into a pool lane, take off your goggles or close your eyes (so you can’t see the black line) and see how far you go before you hit the lane rope!

You’re going to lose probably a fingernail or two because those lane lines are not user-friendly, but it does allow you to see what’s going on with your direction! KS

6. The importance of technique

The other thing that can happen is when you breathe many times, the timing of that and the amount of time that you take to return to centre can be offsetting and it creates a differential in the offside stroke.

To help with this I really like the Head Coach function on the Form Smart Swim 2 goggles, which records your head pitch and how long it takes you to return your head to centre after breathing.

This allows you to make big improvements on an element of your swimming that’s hard to measure yourself, unless you have a coach right there on deck. KS

7.  Recce the swim course

Preparation is key when swimming in an open-water race (if you aren’t lucky enough to have the Form goggles!).

I always try to get to a swim venue in advance of the race, but after the course has been set up.

That way I can check out the buoys, gauge the angles and look for any sighting points on the shore that might be easier than trying to spot the buoys (e.g. a telegraph pole or tall tree). HW

8. Make use of top tech

The SwimStraight function is within the open-water function of the goggles. It’s a virtual compass that sits in front of you within the lens you’re using for data, and which moves as your head moves.

So all you do to use it is look at the point you want to swim to, note the number on the compass, then as you swim make sure the pointer keeps returning to that number.

So long as you correct it if it changes, you’ll swim to the target. KS

9. Keep on top of things

It’s better to do micro corrections as you swim rather than macro corrections less frequently when you may have gone way off course.

This is why we’ll sight more in rough swim conditions, or if you’re a weaker or less confident swimmer.

Using the goggles completely takes away the need to sight – unless you want to see who’s around you in the water. KS

10. Do what’s best for you

Think about your positioning in a pack in a swim event. You might swim further if you’re to the side of the pack, but this may mean you have a more comfortable swim as you don’t get bumped and can find clear water.

Swimming in the most direct line from buoy to buoy is faster distance-wise, but can bring other challenges, so do what is right for your level of ability. HW 

Meet the experts

Kris Swarthout

USAT Level 3 coach Kris has been a competitive presence in triathlon since 2001, first as an athlete, now as a coach. Kris is currently assisting with the Paratriathlon National Team.

Helen Webster

As well as being 220’s editor, Helen is a Level 2 Open Water Swimming coach and RLSS UK Open Water Lifeguard trainer. She runs regular workshops at the South West Maritime Academy, near Bristol.

Want to learn what else Form’s smart swimming goggles can do for you? Here’s how they can help you to use heart rate in your swim training.