Hey Swimmers,

There’s a particular feeling that settles over the pool before a proper Red Mist session begins.

You know the one.

Swimmers suddenly become very interested in adjusting their goggles. Conversations go quiet. Someone asks hopefully if the set has changed. Another looks at the clock calculating whether they can “accidentally” leave early for work.

And yet, week after week, these are the sessions people keep coming back for.

Why?

Because deep down, swimmers know these sessions change them.

At Swim Smooth, we’ve always believed there’s a huge difference between simply completing distance and learning how to sustain quality under pressure. That’s where sessions like Red Mist really come into their own. They’re not about sprinting. They’re not about heroics. They’re about rhythm, discipline, pacing and learning how to stay composed when your mind starts trying to negotiate with you.

Back in my days training with the British Triathlon Squad at Bath University, sessions like this were a staple. Not because they looked impressive on paper, but because they exposed everything. Poor pacing. Loss of concentration. Technique breakdown. Negative self-talk. You couldn’t hide from any of it.

The irony is that the swimmers who perform best in these sessions are rarely the toughest-looking athletes on pool deck. More often, it’s the swimmers who stay calm. Relaxed. Economical. Controlled.

That’s why we often say Red Mist isn’t really a fitness session. It’s a decision-making session.

Can you hold yourself together technically when you get tired?

Can you resist surging too hard early on?

Can you keep your stroke long and composed while others around you unravel?

One of my favourite things about our Perth squads is watching swimmers gradually redefine what they believe they’re capable of. A swimmer who once dreaded 400m repeats suddenly finds themselves comfortably holding pace through a 5km set. Not because they magically became fitter overnight, but because they learned restraint, rhythm and confidence.

The beauty of structured endurance training is that it carries over into everything else. Open water racing becomes calmer. Triathlon swims feel less chaotic. Even technique improves because you learn how to maintain form under fatigue rather than only swimming well when fresh.

A classic starting point might be:

• 6 x 400m on a consistent cycle

• Holding around CSS +3 to +5 seconds per 100m

• Focusing on smooth pacing and controlled breathing

Simple. Brutal. Effective.

The key is consistency, not destruction.

Anyone can smash themselves for one repeat. The real art is holding quality all the way to the end.

And strangely enough, once swimmers start embracing that process, they often begin enjoying these sessions far more than they ever expected.

Maybe not during the session.

But definitely afterwards.

Join a Swim Smooth Squad Near YOU!

Thanks for reading, your coach, Paul.

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Hey Swimmers,

There’s a moment from 2010 that has always stayed with me.

We were filming underwater footage of Shelley Taylor-Smith, a seven-time world marathon swimming champion and five-time winner of the Manhattan Island Marathon Swim. A swimmer who, at her peak, set the standard for consistency, resilience, and world-class endurance.

And yet her first …

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Hey Swimmers,

You’ve done the work all winter. The metres are banked. The pace is there. And yet, as the summer season approaches up there in the northern hemisphere, many swimmers still feel a quiet uncertainty… will it show up when it counts?

I’ve felt that myself more times than I care to admit.

In fact, in just 10 days I’ll be jumping on a plane to join many of you in the northern hemisphere for a month of coaching and racing. I’ll be at the Best Centre in Mallorca from 15 May to 7 June, and lining up again at BestFest. It’s one of my favourite weeks of the year… but it hasn’t always gone to plan.

Back in 2017, I kicked things off with what can only be described as a disastrous 5km swim along the stunning Es Trenc beach. The setting was incredible. The energy was high. But I got it wrong. My fitness simply didn’t match my attitude at the start. I went out too hard, and within minutes I’d blown up.

And just like that, my state unraveled.

The stroke tightened. The breathing became forced. Mentally, it was a battle just to keep moving forward. I got to the finish, but it wasn’t pretty. More importantly, it left a dent.

But here’s the key part.

Over the next few days, I didn’t try to magically improve my fitness. That wasn’t going to happen. Instead, I focused on recomposing. Resetting my mindset. Getting my pacing, rhythm, and internal dialogue back under control.

By the time the 10km race came around at the end of the week, when others were starting to feel the fatigue and let their guard down, I felt calm, composed, and ready. It turned into one of my strongest swims of the week.

Same body. Same fitness.

Different state.

That’s the piece most swimmers miss.

In our squads, we see it all the time. A swimmer nails every session in training, then tightens up in a key swim. Not because they’ve lost fitness, but because they haven’t prepared how they want to show up.

This is where sessions like Red Mist Endurance play such an important role.

They’re not just about hitting splits. They’re about learning to stay composed as the pressure builds. Swimming to a Red Mist Cycle teaches you to trust your pacing, to sit just ahead of discomfort, and to earn your rest. You’re training your mind as much as your body.

You start to recognise that feeling of control.

And crucially, how to return to it when things wobble.

As you head into your summer races, don’t just think about what you need to do. Think about who you need to be.

Because performance isn’t just physical.

It’s how consistently you can access your best self when it matters.

Train the body but tune the mindset and this is how you’ll truly prepare the performance.

See you on pool deck… or maybe on the start line in Mallorca.

Your coach, Paul.

P.S. I’ve put together a little Red Mist session for you to try this week - all of our squads around the world are tapping into it and giving it a go - see if it helps you: we’re calling it “Countdown to Lift Off!” - here’s the whiteboard, but if you follow the link below you’ll be able to get all your CSS paces and Red Mist Cycles dialled in specifically for you with helpful videos to make sure you really nail this session!

Follow the Session on GURU

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Hey Swimmers,

I share this not to focus on me, but because it’s a simple, real example of what consistency can do when you give it time.

Each Monday morning at just before 7am, I repeat the same benchmark set: 10 x 400 with 15 seconds rest between each done as:

• 4 at CSS+6

• 3 at CSS+5

• 2 at CSS+4

• 1 at CSS+3

It’s not glamorous, and at times it can feel repetitive, but that’s exactly why it works. It keeps me honest, measurable, and accountable to the goal of showing up in my best possible shape. If I can get through this on a Monday morning, I can get through anything that the week throws at me.

The average pace across that set has moved from 1:22.75 to 1:20.22 per 100m over the last 6 weeks. That’s just 2.53 seconds per 100m, but over 4km it adds up to 1:41 faster. Over 10km, it’s 4:13 quicker, around a 3.1% improvement.

Training is the same. The gains feel invisible in the moment, but they are quietly stacking in the background.

With Best Fest 10km on 28 May, if this trajectory continues, there’s potentially another 2 to 3 minutes to be found. Nothing guaranteed, just the compounding effect of showing up and doing the work.

It’s not rocket science. It’s just consistency, done well. It’s what our Swim Smooth Coaches live and breathe in their own squads:

Get Consistent With Your Coach

So go on, get swimming!

Your Coach, Paul.

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Hey Swimmers,

You know the song. “I’m in love with the shape of you…” It’s catchy, memorable, and in Tom’s case this week, surprisingly relevant to his freestyle.

Because when we looked closely at his stroke during a recent video analysis session, one thing stood out immediately: the shape of his hand entry and catch. Not his fitness. Not his body position. In fact, both of those were excellent. But the shape of his stroke at the front? That was the limiter.

And here’s the interesting part… Tom’s shape was almost the inverse of what we’re looking for:

The Hidden Cost of “Chasing Glide”

Many swimmers are told to “lengthen out” or “glide more”. It sounds logical. Travel further per stroke, right?

But what often happens is this:
The fingertips sit higher than the wrist, the wrist higher than the elbow, and instead of catching water, the swimmer presses down on it.

That downward press might help lift the head to breathe, but it comes at a cost. It creates drag, disrupts rhythm, and most importantly, it fails to generate forward propulsion.

In Tom’s case, this was particularly pronounced on his left side, especially when breathing. The hand entered thumb-first, internally rotated, and then braced against the water. Not only was that slowing him down, it was also contributing to his shoulder issues.

So rather than moving forwards efficiently, a portion of each stroke was effectively wasted.

What Should the Shape Look Like?

See the SHAPE of Your Stroke

Think of the ideal shape like this:

• Fingertips below the wrist

• Wrist below the elbow

• Elbow relaxed and supported, not forced high

You may have heard that cue before. In fact, if you watched our original Catch Masterclass (released back in 2010), you’d have heard it about… 47 times!

Watch the Full Catch Masterclass

So frequently repeated, in fact, that there were rumours of swimmers turning it into a drinking game. I’ll let you decide how accurate that is…

But the reason we emphasised it then, and still do now, is simple:
Get the shape right, and everything else starts to fall into place.

The 3-Step Process to Fix Your Catch

Get a Video Analysis with a Coach

One of the biggest mistakes swimmers make is jumping straight to “high elbow catch” without building the foundations.

In the Catch Masterclass (now streaming in full on the Swim Smooth GURU), we break this down into three simple stages:

1. Fix the Hand Entry
This is where it all begins. Fingertips first, neutral wrist, no excessive rotation. If the entry is off, the rest of the stroke has no chance.

2. Shape the Catch and Pull
Once the hand is entering cleanly, we can then focus on tipping the fingertips down and bending the elbow naturally. This engages the bigger muscle groups, the lats and pecs, rather than overloading the shoulder.

3. Restore Rhythm and Flow
A better catch means less time pressing down and more time moving water backwards. The stroke naturally becomes smoother, quicker, and more continuous.

Low Hanging Fruit for Performance

What excited me most with Tom wasn’t just the issue, it was the opportunity.

At around 1:38 per 100m, he’s already swimming well. But with his excellent body position and efficient kick, there’s clear potential to unlock more speed simply by improving this front-end shape.

We’re not talking marginal gains here. A well-executed catch can be worth 6–8 seconds per 100m at this level.

And just as importantly, it reduces strain on the shoulders, making training more consistent and enjoyable.

Bringing It Back to “Shape”

So yes, Ed Sheeran might not have had freestyle technique in mind when he wrote that song… but the message fits.

Fall in love with the shape of your stroke.

Because when you get that right, everything else, speed, efficiency, and longevity, starts to follow.

And that’s where the real magic happens.

Thanks for reading, your Coach, Paul.

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Hey Swimmers,

Last week’s blog, “It’s Really Not That Hard!”1, really seemed to strike a chord.

We’ve had hundreds of swimmers get in touch by email and through our social channels to say thank you for the clarity around how to use the Tempo Trainer PRO, and more importantly, not to be afraid to get it out of their kit bag and actually use it.

What’s been especially pleasing is hearing that many of you have taken that article straight back to your regular social swimming groups and started encouraging your buddies to join you on a swim using the beeper. That is brilliant. But of course,

there is a catch. Concepts like CSS and Red Mist cycles can still sound pretty alien to the uninitiated. So no matter how much we talk about the virtues of training with objective pacing, and no matter how excited you become about the rationale, there is still going to be a learning curve for your mates.

But don’t fret. This is exactly why I’ve been fastidiously writing this blog every week for over 20 years: to educate, simplify, and spread the word about how to improve the time you spend swimming. If you found last week’s article useful, the best thing you can do for yourself, your training partners, and for us, is simply share it in your WhatsApp group or wherever your swimming tribe chats away off deck.

Get a discussion going. When everyone arrives with just a little more understanding of why you are doing what we suggest, everything flows better. Sometimes it’s hard for us to know quite how much this work is helping, but if you want to support our mission of helping the world swim better, sharing our work with your mates is one of the best things you can do. Thank you 🙏.

Lessons from the Tour de France

The title of this week’s blog comes from one of my favourite sporting voices of all time: Phil Liggett commentating on the Tour de France.

Every year, as the race heads into the Alps and Pyrenees, the peloton starts to split apart and some crestfallen hero inevitably gets dropped on a steep climb. Liggett, in those wonderfully measured tones, often points out that the best thing that rider can do now is not fight the fact they have been dropped, but simply settle into their own best steady tempo and limit the losses.

I think about this a lot with my own swimming.

When the Pace Starts to Slip

The very nature of training at or around your CSS pace is that you are eventually going to get to a point where you are not quite sure if you can keep making the targets. A little like the Tour de France rider on a long climb, you may start to fall off the pace. So what do you do? Panic? Give up? Or recognise one of three things?

1. Adjust the Target, Not Your Confidence

First, perhaps your CSS pace is just a little too fast. The fix is simple: use the CSS Tweaker in the Swim Smooth GURU and dial it back a smidgen after the session. Over time, this helps you narrow in on where you actually are. Equally, if you are constantly beating the beeper, it might be time to stretch yourself a bit and tweak things the other way.

This week I started all flamboyant, knowing I’m racing at Best Fest in Mallorca in six weeks’ time. Unashamed plug: we’ve now got a Get Fit Quick Training Plan specifically for Best Fest in the GURU.

Get the BestFest Plan

With that in mind, I decided to do my 10 x 400 based off 1:16/100m long course pace. I made the first 8 x 400 perfectly, missed number 9 by 1.5 seconds, and number 10 by 6 seconds. My initial response was disappointment. But when you stop and think about it, missing the targets by less than 8 seconds over 4000m really is not that bad. Nonetheless, I dialled my CSS back to 1:17/100m for Wednesday’s CSS session.

2. Manage Fatigue Like a Pro

Second, perhaps you’ve just been training hard and you are a little flat today. That’s ok. Despite everyone’s penchant these days for calling each other a “legend”, sometimes you’re not, and that is perfectly fine.

With the same enthusiasm for Best Fest, my last seven days have looked like this:

• Thursday, 3.4km hard CSS session;

• Friday, rest day;

• Saturday, 4.0km open water in amazing conditions and at a good pace;

• Sunday, 4.0km on the same course but in terrible conditions and three minutes slower;

• Monday, 10 x 400 off 1:16;

• Tuesday, 5.0km in some rather sharky waters at exactly the midpoint pace between Saturday and Sunday’s swims;

• Wednesday, 3.0km Goldilocks CSS set.

That’s 23.4km of very solid swimming in seven days. No world records, obviously, and a lot less total volume than many of my peers, but a training week I’ve been very happy with.

It also featured the hardest session last: Goldilocks based off 1:17/100m. Did I make all the times? No. I missed the 300, Momma Bear, by 1 second and the 400, Daddy Bear, by 3 seconds. Was it a fail? No. I’m just a bit tired, as you’d expect. Had I not tweaked my CSS after Monday, I suspect I would have been much further off the pace and much more negative about the session. Instead, I went in knowing it would be tough, dialled the expectations back just a touch, and followed the advice of the great Phil Liggett: settle into your own tempo on that given day.

3. Know When to Step Away

Third, perhaps you are just having an off day and are not in the mood. It happens. Go treat yourself to a coffee and a muffin and come back next time. Again, you’re not a “legend” every day.

Timing Matters: A Lesson from the Pool

That theme came back to me again this week while swimming my Goldilocks set at one of my favourite pools, the Mandurah Aquatic Centre in Western Australia. I was sharing a lane with a gentleman wearing flippers and a snorkel in the “fast” lane, swimming about 2:30/100m. I’d just started my main set of 4 x 100, 1 x 200, 4 x 100, 1 x 300, 4 x 100, 1 x 400 off 1:17/100m with 15 seconds rest between each interval when he removed his snorkel and, during one of my 15-second breaks,

He somehow squeezed all of that in between my first set of 100s.

All I could do was politely thank him for his observations and carry on. The trouble was, it was then all I could think about for the next 600 metres. Was he right? Maybe. Could his observation help me? Perhaps. Was it the right time to deliver it? Absolutely not.

Why Structure and Context Are Everything

This is one of the fundamental philosophies I share with our coaches. Give detailed, expert advice, of course, but only at a time-appropriate opportunity, not in the middle of a CSS development set when the swimmer’s focus needs to be on pacing, composure and execution. This is precisely why every Swim Smooth session has a clear purpose, whether that’s Pure Technique, Red Mist Endurance, or something else, and why we outline the type of feedback you’re likely to receive during that session.

See What Your Local Coach Has To Help

Of course, this gentleman was almost certainly just trying to be helpful, but given where my focus was at, it was anything but. And for that very reason, you’ll rarely hear me give a big technical pointer during a key set. During a Pure Technique session, absolutely. But during a high-focus CSS set, much less so. This is exactly why we and our coaches offer dedicated 1-to-1 video analysis and stroke correction sessions. They give you the time, headspace and structure to properly dissect your stroke, understand what needs changing, and then work on that correction with intent. It is far more beneficial, and it makes the tiny reminders we do give on pool deck during harder sessions far more meaningful and easier to understand than a random call of, “You’ve got a real problem with that right leg of yours!”

Settle Into Your Tempo

So, when you fall off the pace, and you will, don’t panic. Settle into your tempo, be honest about why it is happening, and keep moving forward. That is where real progress is made.

Thanks for reading, your coach, Paul.

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Hey Swimmers,

Let’s start with a confession I hear all the time.

“I bought a Tempo Trainer… but I’ve never actually used it.”

More often than not, it’s still sitting unopened in a kit bag. The reason? A quiet fear that it’s somehow complicated or too technical.

Here’s the reality.

This little yellow gadget has been around for well over 20 years. It predates …

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Hey Swimmers,

During my recent trip to Lanzarote and the marathon journey it took to get there and back, I was reminded of a question many swimmers wrestle with:

There’s no simple answer, but there are some very clear trade-offs.

The Power of the Squad

A well-run squad environment is hard to beat. The motivation, camaraderie, and shared energy lift your performance in a way that’s difficult to replicate alone. Time passes quickly, there’s a real sense of connection, and quite simply, it’s more fun.

From a coaching perspective, structured sessions can comfortably accommodate 12 to 15 swimmers per lane when speeds are grouped sensibly. Using shared CSS or Red Mist Cycle pacing, swimmers work together, rotate leaders, and “share the love.” Yes, there’s a compromise in specificity and the occasional bit of drafting, but the overall experience is highly effective and enjoyable.

Another major advantage is the environment itself. Dedicated lanes, clear etiquette, and swimmers of similar ability make for a smooth, purposeful session.

The Reality of Solo Swimming

Contrast that with many public sessions. Swimmers ranging from 1:15 to 3:00 per 100m in the same lane, inconsistent etiquette, and restrictions on equipment can make structured training difficult.

I experienced this firsthand in Lanzarote. Despite a beautiful 50m pool, only two public lanes were available. The result? Chaos. Most days I simply swam 2 to 3km continuously because trying to hit intervals or drills was impractical. Motivation dipped, procrastination crept in, and sessions felt long.

That said, solo swimming does offer precision. When you have a clear lane, your CSS, and a tempo trainer, you can execute highly specific sessions with exact pacing and send-offs. This is invaluable when preparing for key events.

A Middle Ground

Interestingly, smaller group environments, like training camps, can present their own challenges. With a wide spread of abilities and individual tempo trainers, even 5 to 6 swimmers per lane can feel more chaotic than a larger, well-grouped squad.

So, What’s Best?

In truth, the ideal approach is a blend, and all Swim Smooth Coaches offer the facility to both provide you with a top-notch Squad environment as well as being able to provide guided access to the Swim Smooth GURU’s vast library of sessions and training plans when a little extra focus is needed.

Use squads for motivation, connection, and consistency. Lean into the energy of the group. Then complement this with occasional solo sessions where you can focus on precision and pacing, provided you have the right environment.

Find a Swim Smooth Coach

And if you find yourself in a busy squad, don’t sit at the back. Step up, lead the lane, and take control of your session. It’s often the best of both worlds.

Thanks for reading,

Your Coach, Paul.

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Hey Swimmers,

Firstly, a quick apology from me for this week’s slightly delayed post. After wrapping up three fantastic weeks in Lanzarote, my journey home took me via London, Helsinki and Bangkok before finally landing back in Perth, a journey that stretched to nearly four days given the need to avoid the Middle East.

Somewhere between time zones and airport lounges, one story cut through loud and clear: Cameron McEvoy has just etched his name into swimming history.

At the China Swimming Open in Shenzhen, the reigning Olympic and World Champion stopped the clock at 20.88 seconds in the 50m freestyle, breaking a 17-year-old world record previously held by César Cielo. What makes this even more remarkable is that Cielo’s record was set in the era of high-tech suits in 2009, long since banned from the sport.

To go faster now, in textile suits, is nothing short of extraordinary.

But as always, the headlines only tell part of the story.

“Less Is More”… or Is It?

You’ll likely have seen the narrative doing the rounds:

Reports of his ultra-low volume, sometimes as little as 1,300m per week in the water, have sparked plenty of debate.

It’s a compelling idea. Train less, swim faster.

But it’s also a dangerous oversimplification.

What McEvoy is really demonstrating isn’t that less is more, but that specificity is everything.

Sprint swimming has, for decades, often been approached with surprisingly high volume. McEvoy has flipped that on its head, focusing intensely on the precise demands of the 50m freestyle: power, speed, neuromuscular sharpness, and recovery. His training is minimal in volume, yes, but incredibly rich in purpose.

A Familiar Pattern

This isn’t entirely new.

Back in my days at the University of Bath, I trained alongside Mark Foster, who held the world record in the 50m butterfly. Mark was often labelled “lazy” by those who didn’t understand his approach. His volume was low, but his training was laser-focused on sprint performance.

Sound familiar?

Both Foster and McEvoy show us that when training aligns perfectly with the demands of the event, it can be incredibly effective, even if it looks unconventional from the outside.

Context Matters

In my own swimming, I now complete around half the volume I did 25 years ago, yet I’m still holding similar speeds. But again, it’s not the reduction in volume that’s made the difference. It’s the specificity forced upon me by a busy coaching schedule and family life. Every session has to count.

And that’s the key point.

If you’re a distance swimmer or triathlete, McEvoy’s program doesn’t translate. Dropping your volume dramatically won’t suddenly make you faster over 1500m or in open water. In fact, it’s more likely to have the opposite effect.

The Takeaway

Celebrate McEvoy’s achievement. It’s one of the great performances in modern swimming.

But don’t copy it blindly (and certainly don’t nag your distance freestyle swim coach to drop their volume by 90%, because it ain’t happening!).

Instead, take the real lesson: train with intent, align your sessions with your goals, and focus on what matters most for your event.

Because it’s not about doing less.

It’s about doing what matters most, exceptionally well.

Thanks for reading - we’ll be back on the usual schedule this Thursday.

Your Coach, Paul.

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Hey Swimmers,

One of the most interesting aspects of modern swim training is how technology can complement great coaching.

Recently, Joanna shared a thoughtful piece of feedback about her experience using the Swim Smooth GURU alongside regular video analysis sessions with Swim Smooth Coach Lucy Lloyd-Roach in Manchester. Her story is a great example of how these two approaches can work together to help swimmers make meaningful progress between coaching sessions.

The Challenge Identified on Video

Over the past few years, Joanna has been attending regular sessions with Lucy, including periodic video analysis. During a session in early 2025, Lucy identified two key areas for improvement in Joanna’s stroke. The main issues were the position of her left arm and the timing of the stroke.

In particular, Joanna had developed a noticeable pause at the front of the stroke with her left arm. This pause was linked to over-rotation to the right when breathing, which disrupted the rhythm of the stroke and caused the arm to linger too long out in front.

As Joanna herself put it:

“Last year, key areas identified included the position of my left arm and stroke timing, where I had a significant pause at the front of the stroke with the left arm due to over-rotating to my right on the breathing stroke.”

Like many swimmers, Joanna often attends coached sessions where the structure of the workout is guided but the coach cannot always watch every length closely. The focus is on completing the session, reporting how it felt, and then moving on to the next one.

That structure works well for building training consistency, but it can mean that stroke feedback isn’t always immediate.

Bridging the Gap with the GURU

Curious to see whether the Swim Smooth GURU could help bridge that gap between video analysis sessions, Joanna began using the app to monitor her stroke metrics.

At the time of her 2025 video analysis, the GURU data clearly reflected the issues Lucy had identified. Metrics around pull-through and stroke timing highlighted a difference between the left and right sides, and the data also suggested a thumb-first entry on the left hand.

Initially, Joanna tried to make some adjustments but didn’t see obvious improvement.

“To be honest, it felt like I was swimming with my hand in the right place, but the watch didn’t agree.”

Through the summer months she focused more on open water swimming and longer distances. Then later in the year she made a conscious decision to try something different.

Try the GURU free for 7-days

…using the Apple Watch or Garmin device you likely already own…

Trusting the Process

In Joanna’s words, she had a rare moment where she decided to simply trust the feedback the GURU was giving her.

“In a rare moment I handed over control to the Guru App and decided to just trust the Guru!”

This meant deliberately changing her hand position to something that initially felt very unnatural.

“I consciously changed my hand position to one which felt very wrong, but the Guru said it was better. After a while, I was able to feel that it was better.”

Gradually the movement started to feel more natural, and the stroke metrics began to improve.

By January 2026 the GURU data was showing noticeable improvements across several of the previously flagged areas.

When the Data Meets the Eye

The real test came during Joanna’s most recent annual video analysis session with Lucy.

Comparing the new footage with the previous year, the changes were clear. The left arm position had improved both during normal strokes and while breathing. The pause at the front of the stroke had reduced, and Joanna was rolling back more effectively after breathing to the right.

In other words, the improvements that the GURU had been detecting in the data were now clearly visible in the video analysis too.

Of course, as with any swimmer, new areas for improvement quickly emerged. That’s simply part of the ongoing process of refining technique.

But for Joanna, the most satisfying part was confirming that the progress measured by the GURU was real.

It’s a powerful reminder that when great coaching and smart technology work together, swimmers can receive meaningful feedback not just during occasional analysis sessions, but throughout their everyday training.

And often, that steady stream of feedback is exactly what helps swimmers turn small changes into lasting improvements.

🙏 Thanks again to Joanna for sharing such thoughtful feedback with us.

And don’t forget, only Swim Smooth Certified Coaches have the power to gift their 1-to-1 Video Analysis & Stroke Correction swimmers with up to 90 days of free access to the Swim Smooth GURU and it’s patented Stroke Insights technology - ensuring maximum development of your stroke technique between sessions. To book a session with a Swim Smooth coach, head to:

Get Coached

Thanks for reading, your coach Paul.

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Hey Swimmers,

It has been hard to ignore the events unfolding in the Middle East this week. Beyond the headlines, the ripple effect has been significant. Flights grounded. Routes diverted. Plans disrupted. Thousands of people suddenly forced to pivot.

I found myself caught up in it on Sunday.

I was due to fly Perth to Doha, then London, then onward to Lanz…

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Hey Swimmers,

Well… that was a week.

Thirteen hours before the gun was due to go, the 2026 Rottnest Channel Swim was officially cancelled.

If you were tapering, carb-loading, laying out your kit, nervously checking Windy every 20 minutes… you’ll know exactly how that felt.

Flat.
Frustrating.
A bit surreal.

And yet — hand on heart — it was the right call.

Let’s unpack it properly.

The What: How Bad Was It Really?

I’ve got a weather heatmap here showing how the forecast deteriorated the closer swimmers would have got to Rottnest. The further west you went, the more it ramped up. Not marginal. Not “a bit lumpy.” Properly building.

Saturday’s Suck!

The Saturday 21 Feb forecast showed winds strengthening right through the morning. And interestingly, when you look at this coming Saturday 28 Feb, the pattern is almost identical:

That’s the thing with Perth in late February — you often get that same build pattern week after week.

So pushing it back a full weekend? Logistically horrendous for interstate and overseas swimmers… and not necessarily any better.

Could a day either side have worked? Possibly. But that’s where the shipping channel closures, marine logistics, and cost realities come into play.

I’ve spoken before — including in that Instagram video from 2024 when the race was stopped after 8km — about contingency planning:

Three ideas I still stand by:

1️⃣ Build flexibility into event dates. Listen to experienced marathon swimmers and meteorologists. If it means a $100–$250 surcharge to create a weather window buffer, I reckon most swimmers would cop that for greater certainty.

2️⃣ GPS tracking for every swimmer and paddler. Safety first. And imagine the buzz at Thomson Bay watching your loved one live on the big screen.

3️⃣ Start slower solo swimmers first. Conditions almost always worsen as the day goes on. Data-driven start waves would make it fairer and safer.

…and…potentially bringing the race forwards to the end of January - our Shore-2-Shore event has had idyllic conditions for the last 3 years in a row…not for 1 day, or 2, but all 3 days, 3 years in succession. Just a thought.

These ideas aren’t theoretical. They are born from years of watching how quickly the channel can turn.

The Why: Why This Year Was Different

Some people have asked, “Was it really that bad?”

Go and watch Mike Harlan’s Facebook video set to Enter Sandman. It’s not dramatic music for effect. The footage speaks for itself. White caps. Confused seas. Boats pitching:

See the full video here - it’s terrifying!

Now layer in 1,000 boats.

Not planing at speed.
Not manoeuvring freely.
But idling. Drifting. Correcting. Avoiding each other.

That’s the risk multiplier.

I swam the English Channel in 2011 in similar conditions. Fourteen degrees. Double the distance. It was brutal and three hours slower than I expected:

But I was one boat. One swimmer. Clear water around me.

That is very different to a flotilla of 1,000 vessels trying to hold course in deteriorating conditions.

Which is why — much as I would have preferred the call to be made on Thursday — I was deeply relieved when Race Director Rob Herkes fronted up at 4pm Friday with that heartfelt video explaining the decision:

Rob’s PR that afternoon was exactly what the event needed. Honest. Measured. Human.

All week, there had been tension. Interviews that felt cautious, ambiguous and even verging on ‘politician-like’:

Concerns about launching a thousand boats only to potentially abort. It was all simmering. The ABC news channel ran with it and it even made front page news on the West Australian newspaper on Friday.

And for the first time in 25 years of coaching thousands for this event, I wasn’t the usual voice of “we’ll be right.”

I was quietly worried.

My son was due to skipper for a duo from Bondi — the Bondi Salt Sisters. Our little boat would not have handled those conditions. I’ll admit it: I spent the week fretting.

When the cancellation came, disappointment and relief arrived in equal measure.

The Proof: The Route Optimiser Doesn’t Lie

One tool that proved invaluable this year was the official Rottnest Channel Swim Route Optimiser.

I’ve talked about it before on this blog. It’s brilliant.

You plug in:

• Starting speed

• Midway speed

• Start time

And it overlays weather and current predictions to generate the optimal GPS trace and predicted finish time.

When we ran the numbers for the Bondi Salt Sisters at their projected pace, the Optimiser showed they likely wouldn’t have reached the island inside the 10h30m cutoff.

Contrast that with 2018 — a notoriously good year — where the same inputs predicted sub-5h45m crossings.

That’s the difference conditions make.

This wasn’t just “a bit harder.”

It was potentially unfinishable for many — and dangerous for some.

The Bigger Picture

Interestingly, Port to Pub next month is now at full capacity, having benefitted from the cancellation. They also offer optional insurance on entries — a clever move in an increasingly competitive event landscape.

These are realities event organisers now face.

Swimmers are investing serious money. Travel. Accommodation. Boats. Training.

Which is why these conversations around flexibility, forecasting, and insurance aren’t trivial — they’re strategic.

The Rough… and the Smooth

Now, let’s talk about you.

Because that’s what matters.

If you trained for months:

• Early mornings

• Cold swims

• Long Saturdays

• Missed social events

• Dialled-in nutrition

That work is not wasted.

I re-posted that slightly tongue-in-cheek Instagram video about reframing after a DNF or cancellation. There’s truth in humour:

Here’s the reality:

You are fitter.
Stronger.
More resilient.
More disciplined.

The event didn’t happen.
But the transformation did.

And right now, at the tail end of open water season in WA, the worst thing you can do is slam the door shut emotionally and physically.

If you’re not doing Port to Pub, the smartest move is this:

Maintain momentum.

Not full throttle.
Not another taper.

Just enough structure to carry what you’ve built into winter.

Because 2027 will come around quicker than you think.

And when it does, you’ll either be rebuilding from scratch… or building from strength.

My Candid Take

Was I disappointed? Of course.

Would I have preferred an earlier call? Yes.

But standing there on pool deck this week, I also felt proud.

Proud of swimmers who handled it with maturity.
Proud of crews who made safety the priority.
Proud of a community that, by and large, understood that sometimes the ocean wins.

You’ve got to take the rough with the smooth.

That’s not just a catchy line.

It’s the essence of open water swimming.

The tide turns.
The wind shifts.
Plans change.

But character? That’s forged in weeks like this.

So regroup.

Watch the footage.
Learn from it.
Keep perspective.

And remember — your best swim might still be ahead of you.

Get swimming. Your coach, Paul.

Read more

Hey Swimmers,

If you’re staring at the forecast for this weekend and feeling that familiar sinking feeling about the Rottnest Channel Swim, I want you to pause.

Breathe.

And remember this: a cancelled swim is not a cancelled dream.

Sometimes the water says no.

And sometimes that “no” is simply redirecting you to a better, stronger, more meaningful “yes” down the track.

On Monday at 3:45am, in pitch black conditions at New Norfolk in Hobart, two women from our Swim Smooth Perth Squad slipped into the Derwent River to begin a 34km journey under strict English Channel rules. No touching the boat. Feeds every 30 minutes. Darkness for the first two and a half hours.

Nine hours and eight minutes later, they swam beneath the Tasman Bridge.

Yolanda Carstens and Simone Blaser are now among only 151 people to have completed this swim since it began in 1973.

Let that sink in.

The Swim They Said They Wouldn’t Do

Simone will tell you she once said she’d never do the Derwent.

• Too cold.

• Too expensive.

• Too far away.

But good friends have a way of nudging you beyond your comfort zone. After ticking off two legs of the Australian Triple Crown, she teamed up with Yolanda and committed to the iconic 34km swim as a tandem.

They booked a year in advance.

Cold showers. Ice baths. Winter Swan River swims in Perth.

Six sessions a week through summer.

Long ocean miles. Squad sessions. Shore-2-Shore. Christmas 10km.

And then Tasmania.

The swim was postponed by a day. Just enough to stir nerves.

Sound familiar?

If Rottnest doesn’t go ahead this weekend, you’re not alone in that emotional space.

But here’s where Yolanda’s story really matters.

False Bay Didn’t Happen

Yolanda had been building towards a 34km False Bay swim in South Africa for months.

• Solo ocean kilometres.

• 16 degree pool sessions without lanes.

• 10 degree ocean swims.

• A 24km qualifier.

• Night swims.

• Weeks of waiting for a weather window.

• Six weeks.

And then… nothing.

Relentless 40km winds. No start. No swim.

She came home heartbroken. Demotivated. Questioning the point of it all.

That is the part we don’t talk about enough in marathon swimming. The quiet resilience required when the ocean simply refuses to cooperate.

But something shifted.

Instead of staying stuck in disappointment, she reframed.

Derwent became the new focus.

Training resumed. Consistently. Relentlessly. Six sessions a week. 27 to 35km per week. No skipped sets. Plenty of hard conversations in lane 2 when fatigue set in.

And on Monday morning, in that tranquil black water, it all came together.

Bubble. Bubble. Breathe.

They swam side by side the entire 34km.

Boat on Simone’s right.

Yolanda on the left.

Christmas lights strung on their support boat “Meow”.

Feeds on the half hour. Honey and rooibos tea. Baby food. Gels. Real Coke.

For the first few hours, Yolanda counted strokes.

Sixty strokes.

Five times.

Feed.

When doubt crept in, she went back to the basics we talk about all the time: hand entry, rotation, push back not down, one goggle out.

The sun rose.

They passed Bridgewater Bridge at halfway. Friends had flown in from Perth and threw flowers from above. A surprise coffee appeared for the skipper mid-river. Laughter cut through fatigue.

After the halfway mark, the current arrived.

And then came the words every marathon swimmer longs to hear:

Nine hours and eight minutes after starting, they swam under the Tasman Bridge. Relief. Pride. Tears held back. A proper hug at the finish.

Water temperatures between 18 and 19 degrees, dipping to 16 in places. The cold training had worked.

The program had worked.

No injuries. No niggles.

Just two very happy swimmers.

And Here’s the Part That Matters Most

Yolanda is 60.

And she swam the best swim of her life.

Better, she says with a wink, than Rottnest.

False Bay didn’t happen. That still hurts.

But without that disappointment, without that forced patience, without that waiting game, Derwent might not have unfolded the way it did.

So if you’re feeling flat about this weekend’s forecast, please hear this clearly:

The training is not wasted.

The early mornings still count.

The cold swims still count.

The kilometres are still in the bank.

The ocean does not owe us perfect conditions. But it often gives us something else in return: resilience.

For every 60-year-old woman who doubts her ability.

For every swimmer who thinks the window has passed.

For anyone who feels derailed by a cancelled event.

Sixty is just a number.

And a postponed swim might just be the beginning of your best one yet.

Stay patient.

Your Derwent is coming.

Thanks for reading,

Yolanda’s, Simone’s and Your Coach, Paul

Read more

Hey Swimmers

Around 80 percent of swimmers will experience enough shoulder pain at some point to miss a few days in the water. Could this be you? Frustrating, isn’t it?

For years we were told that was normal. “Swimmer’s shoulder.” Just part of the deal.

It isn’t.

In almost every case, shoulder pain is your stroke tapping you on the shoulder and saying, “Something’s off.”

Here are the four classic culprits I still see week in, week out.

1. Thumb-First Entry.

If your thumb is slicing in first with the palm turned outwards, you are internally rotating the shoulder and loading the joint heavily.

It might look smooth.

It isn’t shoulder-friendly.

Fingertips first. Palm facing down. Keep the shoulder neutral and set yourself up for a clean catch.

2. Stroke Crossover.

If your hand crosses the centre line in front of your head, you are stressing the joint.

Pain is often felt at the front of the shoulder as impingement, or as a stretched, numb feeling at the back.

Your middle finger should extend forward in line with the same shoulder. Not across your body.

Combine crossover with a thumb-first entry and you have the perfect recipe for trouble.

3. Pushing Down At The Catch.

This is the classic “I feel loads of pressure on the water so it must be good” mistake.

You reach long and then push down hard with a straight arm.

It feels powerful.

It lifts your front end, drops your legs and places huge stress on the shoulder.

Press back. Not down. It should feel controlled, not forced.

4. Straight-Arm Pull Through.

Pulling wide. Pulling straight. Crossing under the body.

All increase shoulder load.

Bend the elbow under the body. Bring the hand directly beneath the shoulder. “Bending It Like Becky” is not just catchy, it protects you.

A Lesson From The English Channel.

In 2011, during my English Channel swim, we were battling a brutal cross headwind from the south west, gusting up to 30 knots.

The boat decided to shelter me by sitting on my right shoulder so I could swim in the lee.

Sounds sensible.

Except it meant I was breathing mostly to my right to keep an eye on the crew.

Three hours in, my left shoulder was flaring badly.

Why?

My rotation to the left had flattened off. I was likely crossing over slightly with the left arm as I breathed right. Subtle. But thousands of repetitions in rough water add up quickly.

I told the crew I wanted to swim on the other side of the boat.

They thought I was mad. It was chaotic over there.

I switched anyway.

It was rough. Horrible.

But I was forced to breathe left. My rotation evened up. The crossover disappeared.

The shoulder pain vanished almost immediately.

That decision helped get me to France in 12 hours 14 minutes. Fastest time that day on what was awarded by the Channel Swimming Association as the worst conditions of the entire 2011 season.

Small technical tweaks. Big consequences.

Monitoring Shoulder Stress in 2026.

Today, we don’t have to rely purely on feel.

Follow Interactive Tutorial

With these specific 3 of 6 patented Stroke Insights on Apple or Garmin, you can track the very metrics that influence shoulder load:

1. Hand Entry Angle.

Flags thumb-first tendencies and excessive internal rotation.

2. Hand Entry Position.

Reveals crossover or overly wide entry.

3. Pull-Through Path

Highlights straight-arm pulls or crossing under the body.

Test Your Injury Likelihood

If those numbers drift during a long swim like Rottnest, that is your early warning system.

Managing Shoulder Fatigue On The Fly (Rottnest Channel Swim Edition for next weekend)

Good luck all competitors for this iconic event with some 3,000 participants taking on 20km from Cottesloe Beach to Thomson’s Bay).

In long swims like Rottnest, some shoulder fatigue is common. The savvy swimmer prepares solutions.

If soreness starts:

1. Check entry immediately. Ensure fingertips first. No crossover.

2. Breathe more often to the sore side for 15–20 minutes. This encourages better rotation and reduces pressure on that shoulder.

3. Let your paddler navigate. Excessive sighting, especially in rough water, adds repetitive lift stress to the shoulders.

4. Shorten the stroke slightly and lift stroke rate a touch. Avoid over-gliding and leaving the lead arm extended too long.

5. Relax the recovery. Slightly straighter, looser recovery can reduce strain.

6. In extreme cases, easing the load by slightly opening the fingers during the pull can reduce stress, even if it costs a little speed.

Shoulder pain is rarely random. It is feedback. Listen early. Adjust quickly.

Prevention is always better than cure.

Swim Smooth.

Thanks for reading, your coach, Paul.

Want to Join Us on a Camp in 2026 to Work on Your Speed & Making You More Injury Robust?

We’re now down to only a few places remaining on our various Swim Smooth Experiences in 2026. For the full run-down of events where I’ll be coaching, head to:

Boost my Swim in 2026!

And There’s More!

All of our Swim Smooth Coaches also offer their own experiences, squads, camps and clinics and can be reached here:

Get Me Some Swim Smooth Magic!

Here’s some highlights from our awesome Coaches:

• Lanzarote 🇪🇸 with Coach Alison 🇬🇧 15-22 March here

• Croatia 🇭🇷 with Coach Marieke 🇧🇪 12-14 May here

• Italy 🇮🇹 with Coach Fiona 🇬🇧 27 May to 3 June here

• Italy 🇮🇹 with Coach Fiona 🇬🇧 2-9 September here

• Canada 🇨🇦 with Coach Mary 🇺🇸 7-11 May here

• Greece 🇬🇷 with Coach Lorna 🇬🇧 6-13 September here

• Mallorca 🇪🇸 with Coach Tim 🇬🇧 4-8 May here

Read more

Last Sunday arvo, I was at a BBQ with a group of people I’d never met before. Standard stuff. Snags on the barbie. Someone holding a cold drink. Someone else asking what I do for work.

It never fails.

Or, if they clock my accent first:

Cue laughter.

But then the tone always shifts. Every single time.

Someone leans in. Drops their voice a bit. And says something like,

I’ve heard it hundreds of times. Probably thousands.

And lately, with so many people training for the Busselton half Ironman, I’ve heard a slightly different version:

Here’s the thing. Swimming is meant to feel freeing. Relaxing. Empowering. Not like a frustrating, necessary evil.

And it doesn’t have to be.

Now here’s the irony.

If you’re reading this, chances are you love swimming. You might not think you’re amazing at it, but if you can swim multiple laps without stopping, you’re already accomplished in the eyes of most non-swimmers.

So why am I writing a blog about helping someone swim a single lap?

Because of last week’s massive response to the Shore-2-Shore community swim. Three days. Eighteen kilometres. Every swimmer paired with a buddy. No one left behind.

It reminded me how powerful swimming becomes when we do it together.

A Call to Arms: Help Your Mate Swim a Lap!

So here’s a little call to arms.

Next time you’re at a BBQ, dinner party, or chatting with workmates, don’t just talk about swimming. Help someone start.

Last week I worked with Rob from Ireland. Absolute powerhouse. Strong as an ox. Training for a full Ironman this December.

He jumped in the deep end. Literally and figuratively.

And despite all that strength, he couldn’t swim one length of freestyle continuously.

Sound familiar? You probably know someone exactly like Rob.

The first step is figuring out where your mate sits on the swimming journey.

Some people are genuinely starting from scratch. They’re nervous putting their face in the water. They hold their breath. They panic when they try to breathe.

If that’s them, the best thing you can do is point them towards our Learn to Swim from Scratch Course inside the Swim Smooth GURU.

There’s a free 7-day trial, and it walks swimmers through everything step-by-step:

Learn to Swim From Scratch

Two of the most important skills we teach early on are the “sinkdown” exercise and the classic “bubble bubble breathe” routine.

They might sound simple. They are simple. But they’re game changers. They teach relaxation and breathing rhythm, which immediately reduce drag and panic:

Once swimmers understand those fundamentals, everything starts to click - watch Scott doing exactly this at 11:14 into our 1st video in the Stroke Correction Hierarchy series:

The Awkward / Frustrating ‘Tween Stage

Then there’s another group. The tricky one. I call it the ‘Tween Stage.

They can swim… sort of.

They can make it across the pool once or twice. But joining a squad feels intimidating. Swimming continuously feels impossible. They feel stuck in no man’s land.

If your mate is in that zone, our free ‘Tween Stage video and downloadable guide can be a brilliant bridge. It explains why swimming feels so hard at that stage and gives a simple roadmap to move forward:

Get the 'Tween Stage Program

They’ll also likely benefit from our most popular YouTube video of recent years showing you how to get your bum higher in the water:

You Have the Ability to Help!

Here’s the bigger picture though.

Swimming has enormous physical and mental health benefits. We all know that. But access to those benefits often hinges on one simple milestone: swimming one continuous lap comfortably.

You have the ability to help someone unlock that.

Not by coaching them perfectly. Not by turning into their personal trainer. Just by encouraging them. Pointing them in the right direction. Maybe even jumping in the pool with them.

Shore-2-Shore showed us what happens when swimmers support each other.

So next time someone says,

That’s your cue.

Help your mate swim a lap.

Thanks for reading,

Your Coach, Paul

P.S - if you want a bit of a trip down memory lane, here’s our first promo for the Learn to Swim Freestyle from Scratch DVD way back in 2008 - enjoy!

Want to Join Us on a Camp in 2026 to Improve Your Swim?

We’re now down to only a few places remaining on our various Swim Smooth Experiences in 2026. For the full run-down of events where I’ll be coaching, head to:

Boost my Swim in 2026!

And There’s More!

All of our Swim Smooth Coaches also offer their own experiences, squads, camps and clinics and can be reached here:

Get Me Some Swim Smooth Magic!

Here’s some highlights from our awesome Coaches:

• Lanzarote 🇪🇸 with Coach Alison 🇬🇧 15-22 March here

• Croatia 🇭🇷 with Coach Marieke 🇧🇪 12-14 May here

• Italy 🇮🇹 with Coach Fiona 🇬🇧 27 May to 3 June here

• Italy 🇮🇹 with Coach Fiona 🇬🇧 2-9 September here

• Canada 🇨🇦 with Coach Mary 🇺🇸 7-11 May here

• Greece 🇬🇷 with Coach Lorna 🇬🇧 6-13 September here

• Mallorca 🇪🇸 with Coach Tim 🇬🇧 4-8 May here

Read more

Hey Swimmers

Sorry for the slightly tardy release of last week’s blog! I’ve been a tad busy!

Last weekend marked the 3rd annual Shore-2-Shore here in Perth, Western Australia, and once again it delivered exactly what it set out to do: bring people together for three unforgettable days of open water swimming, shared effort, and genuine enjoyment.

Shore-2-Sh…

Read more

Hey up Swimmers!

If I had my way we’d have an infinite number of lanes and a Tempo Trainer for everyone to ensure that everyone is operating specifically at a pace best designed for them.

But we don’t.

We’ve got finite water, finite lanes, and a whole bunch of humans ranging from teenagers to nonagenarians, all wanting to swim better, fitter, happier. So we do what any sensible Swim Smooth Certified Coach does. We reduce the chaos to one simple number.

CSS.

Critical Swim Speed.

Every coach knows it. Every session is built around it. And once you know each swimmer’s CSS, you can rank a squad accurately. Not by ego. Not by who swam fastest on a good day. But by repeatable, honest ability.

In a typical Swim Smooth session, that gives us 2 or 3 groups per lane. Across the whole pool, that can mean up to 12 distinct speed groups, from around one 14 per 100 metres right through to two 30 plus. Ages from 14 to 90. Same session. Same purpose.

That spread demands structure. It demands precision. And it demands a clear answer to a question swimmers ask me all the time.

Am I better leading a slower lane, or hanging on in a faster one?

Here’s the reality. Each group usually spans about 4 to 8 seconds per 100 metres from front to back. Not everyone can lead. So most swimmers follow.

If you choose to follow a faster group, you want to be roughly 4 to 6 seconds per 100 slower than the leader if you were swimming side by side. Any closer and you are not building the true gains your watch might suggest you are. Any further back and you are likely swimming well above the intended effort for that set.

Drafting can reduce energy cost by up to 38 percent. Even if you leave a polite 5 to 10 second gap, you are still getting towed along. Your watch looks great. Your ego feels terrific. Your fitness gains might be quietly stalling.

Which is why my recommendation is simple.

Lead whenever you get the opportunity.

A few years back we ran what turned out to be a failed “social experiment” - we had some new reversible Swim Smooth caps made up: if you wore the cap with the blue facing out, this was designed to tell me you were happy to give it a go and lead the group; if you wore the cap with the orange facing out, this meant you were happy to follow at the back.

And there’s honestly nothing wrong with following - someone has to do it.

But the point was, that whenever you got the inkling or urge to be bold and brave, you’d flip that cap to the blue side and it’d be an instant indication to me that you were ready to give it a go. No fanfare. No big pressure. Just a subtle message that you were ready.

But alas, it ultimately failed - most people just wore the cap with the colour that best matched their bathers!

But joking aside, that so called pressure of leading? Forget it. No one is judging you. No one is timing your every move. The only thing that matters is that you swim your CSS honestly, set the rhythm, and commit.

Take the front. Own it. Do it week after week, session after session.

That’s where the real gains live.

Thanks for reading,

Your Coach, Paul.

Can’t Train With a Swim Smooth Squad?

And if you’re reading this thinking, that all sounds great, but I don’t have a squad, here’s the quiet punchline.

You already do.

Inside the Swim Smooth GURU, our Routine and Ultimate subscribers are effectively part of the world’s biggest swim squad (or WBSS for short!). Each week, at least three fresh sessions land in the GURU every Monday. These are not generic templates dreamed up in isolation. They are real sessions, recently swum in Swim Smooth squads around the world, built around CSS, refined by coaches, and tested by swimmers just like you.

Train solo if you like. Train at odd hours. Train in a quiet lane with no one watching. You are still swimming alongside a global community, following the same structure, the same intent, the same progression, all with your precise targets dialled in automatically.

And for those days when motivation wobbles? Session Roulette has your back. One tap. No decision fatigue. No procrastination. Just turn up, press start, and swim.

You might not have infinite lanes. You might not have a coach on deck. But with the GURU, you’ve still got structure, accountability, and a place in a squad that never closes its doors.

Join the Worlds Biggest Swim Squad

Want to Join Us on a Camp in 2026 to Improve Your Swim?

We’re now down to only a few places remaining on our various Swim Smooth Experiences in 2026. For the full run-down of events where I’ll be coaching, head to:

Boost my Swim in 2026!

And There’s More!

All of our Swim Smooth Coaches also offer their own experiences, squads, camps and clinics and can be reached here:

Get Me Some Swim Smooth Magic!

Here’s some highlights from our awesome Coaches:

• Lanzarote 🇪🇸 with Coach Marieke 🇧🇪 31 Jan to 7 Feb here

• Lanzarote 🇪🇸 with Coach Alison 🇬🇧 15-22 March here

• Croatia 🇭🇷 with Coach Marieke 🇧🇪 12-14 May here

• Italy 🇮🇹 with Coach Fiona 🇬🇧 27 May to 3 June here

• Italy 🇮🇹 with Coach Fiona 🇬🇧 2-9 September here

• Canada 🇨🇦 with Coach Mary 🇺🇸 7-11 May here

• Greece 🇬🇷 with Coach Lorna 🇬🇧 6-13 September here

• Mallorca 🇪🇸 with Coach Tim 🇬🇧 4-8 May here

Read more

Hey Swimmers,

Never before have we had such instant access to swimming advice. Instagram reels, YouTube tutorials, slow-motion clips with arrows and captions promising effortless speed. In many ways, that is a good thing. There is far more curiosity about technique now than there was even ten years ago. But there is also a growing downside that I am seeing daily on pool decks, in video analysis sessions, and in my inbox.

A 12-Week Waiting List and a Familiar Conversation

At the time of writing, I have an unprecedented 12-week waiting list for my most popular and favourite coaching session: the 1-to-1 video analysis and stroke correction session. I love these sessions because they allow dedicated 1-to-1 time with a swimmer, allowing me to explain the nuances of their stroke and also help them understand what is truly holding them back.

Increasingly, many of the swimmers coming to see me arrive having spent hours diligently watching Instagram and YouTube content, trying to “fix” their stroke. They are motivated, committed, but often frustrated. The advice they followed has not worked for them. Sometimes it has actively made things worse.

I’m often met with the answer in response to my question, “so, tell me about your swimming - how’s it going?”, with:

Since launching our 6-day Swim Smooth Experiences in 2022, we set out to distinguish them from typical swim holidays by ensuring every swimmer receives dedicated 1-to-1 video analysis. This was a deliberate response to the growing confusion caused by generic, one-size-fits-all advice. I’m genuinely looking forward to working closely with the swimmers joining us on our 2026 Swim Smooth Experiences in Lanzarote, Mallorca (twice) and Crete, where this personalised coaching remains a central part of the package.

You Can’t Coach the Stroke. You Have to Coach the Swimmer

The core reason is simple. You cannot coach a one-size fits all stroke. You have to meet the swimmer where they’re at.

What is helpful for one swimmer can be neutral or even damaging for another. I recently shared a clip of three swimmers who were all overgliding, pausing excessively at the front of the stroke because this is what they’d seen on Instagram as “dream-like” swimming with a backdrop of mountains, waterfalls and classical music. Check it out below:

I used this same video to initiate the first conversation with a group of over 30 British Triathlon Coaches at our recent workshop at Mount Kelly College in Devon, UK.

On the surface, the fault looks identical. But the outcomes were very different. The first swimmer had developed an enormous leg kick to blast herself through the dead spot. The other two had begun to suffer shoulder pain from holding the lead arm extended for too long while waiting for the recovering arm to catch up. Same visible habit. Very different consequences. Try to see if you can spot which shoulder caused the second swimmer to cease his Rottnest Channel Swim aspirations, and for the third swimmer to have ongoing shoulder niggles.

When Good Intentions Create Bad Mechanics

Then there was my 1-to-1 swimmer, just yesterday.

She had watched a lot of content about “sinky legs” and became convinced that her body position was her biggest weakness. In response, she buried her head deeply underwater, eyes straight down, fully submerged.

In reality, her body position was her biggest strength. It really was excellent:

But, looking down so much lifted her legs too high in her wetsuit, unbalancing her completely.

She had also successfully learned a two-beat kick, no small achievement, but because she was pressing down with her left hand and starting from such a low head position, she had to lift and turn excessively to breathe. The knock-on effect was a wildly bent-knee kick as her body tried to compensate with what we call a “kickstart” (usually attributed to overgliders trying to do a two-beat kick with an excessively slow stroke rate).

A classic chain of cause and effect, all triggered by well-intentioned but misapplied advice.

The Problem With Short-Form “Guru” Content

This is where short-form content can become a problem. When everyone is a “guru” and every clip is presented as a universal truth, swimmers are left to diagnose themselves. Some content is genuinely helpful. Some of it is incomplete. But without context, feedback, and an understanding of individual constraints, it can send you down a rabbit hole of stroke correction that simply is not right for you.

Coaching the Swimmer, Not the Stroke

That is why we have always prided ourselves on coaching the swimmer, not the stroke. When time is limited, as it is for all of us, the real cost is not just the subscription or the view count. It is the months, sometimes years, spent reinforcing habits that take you further away from your best swimming.

How to Be Smarter About the Content You Consume

If you are using online content to guide your training, here are a few ways to be more judicious:

1. Ask whether the swimmer in the video actually swims like you. Body type, flexibility, breathing pattern, kick and history of injury all matter;

2. Be wary of advice that focuses on a single body part in isolation. Strokes are systems. Changes always have downstream effects;

3. Notice whether the advice is framed as “this can help some swimmers” or “everyone should do this.”

4. Track outcomes, not intent. If something feels harder, more stressful, or starts to cause niggles, pause and reassess;

5. When in doubt, get feedback early rather than doubling down.

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Why Certainty Beats Endless Experimentation

Access to information is a gift. But guidance, applied correctly, is what saves time. A session with a Swim Smooth Coach can ensure you are working on the right thing for you, right now, rather than hoping that the next reel holds the missing piece.

Book a Session with Your Local Coach

Coming Next: Finding the Low-Hanging Fruit in Your Stroke

From next week, I’ll be kicking off a six-part Swim Types series for 2026. This framework underpins how we help swimmers and coaches quickly identify the low-hanging fruit in each individual stroke. Not generic fixes. Not copy-and-paste drills. Just clear, swimmer-specific priorities that actually make sense.

A question we’re often asked is whether Swim Types contradict our belief in individualised coaching.

The answer is a practical one. Every swimmer is unique, but infinite variation is impossible to coach against. Swim Types are intentionally broad, designed to highlight the dominant pattern most likely holding a swimmer back right now. They don’t define the swimmer, and they’re not mutually exclusive. Most swimmers will recognise elements of more than one.

Sometimes, the fastest way forward isn’t more effort, more drills, or more content. It’s better context. A clearer understanding of where to start and what to prioritise. That’s exactly what this series aims to provide.

Thanks for reading - I look forward to sharing that series with you from next week, as we boldly close in on our 1,000th blog post. Oh, and we’ve got a few spots left in those Swim Smooth Experiences, so please make sure you check out the links within the blog itself - thanks!

Your Coach, Paul.

Want to Join Us in 2026 to Improve Your Swim?

We’re now down to only a few places remaining on our various Swim Smooth Experiences in 2026 (only one spot left for Lanzarote on 12-18 March - get in quick!) and I would love for you to join us. For the full run-down of events where I’ll be coaching, head to:

Boost my Swim in 2026!

And There’s More!

All of our Swim Smooth Coaches also offer their own experiences, squads, camps and clinics and can be reached here:

Get Me Some Swim Smooth Magic!

Here’s some highlights from our awesome Coaches:

• Lanzarote 🇪🇸 with Coach Marieke 🇧🇪 31 Jan to 7 Feb here

• Lanzarote 🇪🇸 with Coach Alison 🇬🇧 15-22 March here

• Croatia 🇭🇷 with Coach Marieke 🇧🇪 12-14 May here

• Italy 🇮🇹 with Coach Fiona 🇬🇧 27 May to 3 June here

• Italy 🇮🇹 with Coach Fiona 🇬🇧 2-9 September here

• Canada 🇨🇦 with Coach Mary 🇺🇸 7-11 May here

• Greece 🇬🇷 with Coach Lorna 🇬🇧 6-13 September here

• Mallorca 🇪🇸 with Coach Tim 🇬🇧 4-8 May here

Read more

Hey Swimmers,

Some training sessions linger in your mind long after the wetsuit is peeled off and the coffee is finished. Not because they were hard or heroic, but because they quietly reframe how you think about greatness.

That’s exactly how it felt swimming with Chrissie Wellington, one of my all-time favourite athletes and, in my view, a genuine GOAT of triathlon. Chrissie dominated the sport of Ironman triathlon, winning the Hawaii Ironman World Championships in 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2011, and being undefeated during her career over the Ironman distance. She seemingly disappeared from the scene as quickly as she had arrived: job done.

Greatness Without the Noise

What struck me most is something beautifully simple. She doesn’t even have an Instagram profile to tag. No feed. No highlights. No need to prove anything. And yet her impact on the sport, and on the people around her, is enormous.

It’s a powerful reminder that true greatness isn’t built on likes, followers or curated moments. It’s built on integrity, consistency, humility and the quiet confidence that comes from doing the work day after day. Walking the walk, long after the crowds have moved on.

In an era obsessed with visibility, Chrissie remains influential through substance alone. And that, to me, says everything.

New Year’s Day, Port Beach

Our first swim together was a relaxed but purposeful 3km open water session at Port Beach on New Year’s Day, joined by fellow pro Ironman athlete Caleb Noble, fresh off an astonishing 7h42m performance at Ironman Busselton.

Chrissie arrived carrying a bit of a running injury, which meant she couldn’t kick much during the swim. Anyone who has watched old footage of her knows this is significant. In a video shot by Swim Smooth Coach Julian Nagi back in 2012, a year after Chrissie’s fourth and final Kona win, she is visibly kick dominant. That leg drive was a huge part of her rhythm and propulsion.

The following morning, in the pool, she smiled and said something that perfectly sums her mindset:

Technique, Timing and the Goldilocks Session

We swam a classic Goldilocks session together, using pull buoys and occasionally paddles:

Straight away, something interesting happened. Despite being naturally kick dominant, Chrissie was swimming around 20 seconds per 100m faster than she had been the day before in open water.

That’s unusual. For many kick-led swimmers, removing the legs exposes inefficiencies. In Chrissie’s case, it highlighted the depth of technical work she had done over the years to address those very weaknesses.

One thing that stood out was a pronounced thumb-first entry on her right side, something that would compromise the catch and pull-through. We also talked stroke rate. I handed her a Tempo Trainer and explained that at peak fitness her effective range would likely have been around 78 to 84 strokes per minute. To swim well in open water with less reliance on the legs, the rate has to come up.

This wasn’t new thinking for her. Just a timely reminder.

Lessons From a World Champion

In her book A Life Without Limits, Chrissie is refreshingly honest about her swimming. She describes herself as an average swimmer who loved the social side of her childhood swim club more than racing. Her rise in the water came later, built on consistency, technique and confidence rather than raw talent.

Buy the Book

Under coaches Brett Sutton and Dave Scott, she was repeatedly challenged to address her kick dominance. Pull buoys, paddles and bands became staples, not shortcuts. Stroke rate was emphasised as a tool for better upper-body recruitment and open water resilience. She focused on efficiency over speed, constant self-assessment, and being the best Ironman athlete overall, not just excelling in one discipline.

Would She Still Win Today?

Looking at the numbers puts her achievements into perspective. Chrissie’s world record first ever sub-9-hour Ironman in Kona in 2009 saw her swim less than five minutes slower than Lucy Charles-Barclay did in her 2023 win. Chrissie’s best Kona marathon, 2:52, is almost exactly five minutes quicker than Lucy’s 2:57, achieved well before carbon-plated “super shoes” existed. The biggest modern difference is on the bike, where advances in technology may explain the differential of approximately 20 minutes. Check out these comparisons if you’re a data nerd like me:

Chrissie's Ironman Results

Lucy's Ironman Results

None of this detracts from either athlete’s dominance. If anything, it invites a fascinating question.

I’m quietly confident the answer is yes.

Because true greatness doesn’t age. It adapts. And it always walks the walk.

Thanks for reading.

Your Coach, Paul.

Want to Join Us in 2026 to Improve Your Swim?

We’re now down to only a few places remaining on our various Swim Smooth Experiences in 2026 and I would love for you to join us. For the full run-down of events where I’ll be coaching, head to:

Boost my Swim in 2026!

And There’s More!

All of our Swim Smooth Coaches also offer their own experiences, squads, camps and clinics and can be reached here:

Get Me Some Swim Smooth Magic!

Here’s some highlights from our awesome Coaches:

• Lanzarote 🇪🇸 with Coach Marieke 🇧🇪 31 Jan to 7 Feb here

• Lanzarote 🇪🇸 with Coach Alison 🇬🇧 15-22 March here

• Croatia 🇭🇷 with Coach Marieke 🇧🇪 12-14 May here

• Italy 🇮🇹 with Coach Fiona 🇬🇧 27 May to 3 June here

• Italy 🇮🇹 with Coach Fiona 🇬🇧 2-9 September here

• Canada 🇨🇦 with Coach Mary 🇺🇸 7-11 May here

• Greece 🇬🇷 with Coach Lorna 🇬🇧 6-13 September here

• Mallorca 🇪🇸 with Coach Tim 🇬🇧 4-8 May here

Read more

Hey Swimmers,

Firstly, happy new year! I hope you’re set for a great year ahead and have had a wonderful week or so with your family and loved ones over this festive period.

This time of year often encourages big declara…

Read more