🔷 Swim Types: Nearly 20 Years On!
What You Can Learn From Our Coaches to Boost Your Swim in 2025...
Hey Swimmers,
For nearly two decades, Swim Smooth has led the way in swim coaching innovation through our Swim Types methodology—an advanced classification system designed to tailor coaching to each individual swimmer. Today, we’re going to show you how we’re still working with this innovative system in 2025 and what it means for your swimming.
One Size Doesn’t Fit All!
Unlike traditional coaching approaches that assume one technique fits all, Swim Types recognizes that every swimmer has unique strengths, weaknesses, and movement patterns that must be addressed with personalized guidance. This is very much why we coined our under-pinning coaching ethos,
“Coach the swimmer, not the stroke!”
Swim Types has always been our structured system for helping Certified Coaches both identify the root of a swimmer’s issues and effectively communicate the solutions to them.
This systemised methodology is the primary reason why we were approached to partner exclusively with British Triathlon (2010 - current) and World Triathlon (2014 - current) to raise the standard of coach education worldwide simply and effectively.
Since we first introduced this system in 2008, many have tried to imitate our approach, but only Swim Smooth Certified Coaches have the expertise, resources, and training to correctly assess your Swim Type and deliver the right coaching for lasting improvement. Somewhat embarrassingly, some have merely rebranded the process and claimed it as their own—but, I guess as the saying goes, imitation is the highest form of flattery!
With 2025 bringing further refinements to our coach education program, there's never been a better time to work with a Swim Smooth Coach—or even become one yourself!
Have You Been on the Swim Types Journey?
If you’ve been following Swim Smooth for a while, you may have encountered Swim Types at different points along the way. Perhaps you:
📥 Downloaded one of the original Swim Type Guides in 2010, when they first caused a stir in the swimming world.
📖 Read about this game-changing classification system in our best-selling 2012 book, "Swim Smooth: The Complete Coaching System for Swimmers and Triathletes".
💻 Registered for access to the Swim Smooth GURU, in one of its four previous guises over the past decade, to explore how your Swim Type impacts your technique.
Now, in 2025, we’ve taken Swim Types to the next level. With our patented Stroke Insights℗ technology in the Swim Smooth GURU, we’ve combined everything we’ve learned about identifying Swim Types since 2008 with advanced motion data algorithms. This allows us to analyze stroke rate, hand path, rhythm, and propulsion mechanics etc, delivering precise, data-driven insights for an even deeper level of personalization. Unlike other coaching systems, we pinpoint inefficiencies that others simply miss. While imitators struggle to keep up, Swim Smooth is leading the way with cutting-edge technology to refine your stroke like never before.
A Swimmer’s Perspective: The Swim Smooth Method in Action
Back in October 2013, Johanna Derry of The Guardian shared her experience learning to swim “the Swim Smooth way” (as she called it) with one of our coaches in the UK. She highlighted how our method:
"focuses on the individual swimmer, identifying faults and correcting them with specific drills."
Unlike traditional approaches, which force swimmers into the same mould, Swim Smooth personalizes technique correction based on a swimmer’s unique stroke.
Derry also praised the accessibility of Swim Smooth's online resources, noting that "they do give lessons, but they also have a website with a vast amount of free information," which allowed her to refine her technique independently. This reflects our ongoing commitment to empowering swimmers of all levels, ensuring that the knowledge and tools they need to improve are always at their fingertips.
What Are Swim Types? (And How Do You Improve?)
The Swim Types system classifies swimmers into six distinct groups, each with their own technical tendencies and challenges. By understanding these differences, we can coach swimmers in a way that is uniquely tailored to their needs, rather than trying to force them into an arbitrary “ideal” stroke.
But isn’t this still pigeon-holing someone? No. Swim Types provides a flexible framework that helps identify key stroke inefficiencies while allowing for personalized coaching and adaptation as a swimmer progresses.
Our coaches won’t necessarily label you as an “Arnie” or an “Overglider” unless it’s clearly fitting and adds a bit of lighthearted encouragement to your stroke correction. Instead, they use the Swim Types framework as a starting point to understand your technique, then tailor their coaching to your unique strengths and areas for improvement. Personally, I rate creative ingenuity as a coach higher than almost any other attribute, and armed with the Swim Types system and their extensive mentoring, our coaches really excel in this regard.
🎉 New Guides for 2025!
In 2025, the absolute best way of using the Swim Types system to define your path to technique improvement is via the Swim Smooth GURU. You can read about the entire system, discover the in-depth process for each Swim Type (including four scalable sessions for each type on the Routine level subscription), and - using the device you already own - have us determine a percentage likelihood of which Swim Type you are after every session using the link below:
If you prefer a hard copy—something you can print, read offline, and keep for reference—we’ve got you covered. Coach Cyndy has been hard at work remastering the original 20-24 page Swim Type PDFs from 2010, bringing them up to date with links to the latest training aids, additional resources, and expert guidance. These PDFs are perfect for swimmers new to Swim Types, offering a detailed breakdown of stroke characteristics, common inefficiencies, and key drills. You’ll find their links below in the appropriate section. Plus, as a bonus, they include a 25% discount on FINIS swim gear when you use the code 'swimsmooth' at finisswim.com.
If you’ve seen the originals before, we still recommend checking them out in the Swim Smooth GURU, where you’ll find accompanying videos and scalable training sessions for an even more interactive experience.
Can You Spot Yourself?
Have a quick watch - and particularly a listen - to the very distinctive way each Swim Type talks about their swimming - can you spot yourself?
1. Arnie – The Strong But Inefficient Swimmer
Arnies bring natural strength and determination to the water but often struggle with efficiency due to excessive muscle tension and poor catch mechanics.
✅ Action Points:
Improve exhalation to help reduce drag
Relax your stroke and reduce unnecessary muscle tension.
Work on a improved alignment to avoid snaking.
2. Bambino – The Cautious and Inexperienced Swimmer
Bambinos tend to be less confident in the water and often exhibit a slow, hesitant stroke with low propulsion.
✅ Action Points:
Build confidence through progressive skill-building drills.
Improve body position with gentle kicking drills and head position awareness.
Develop better arm propulsion using sculling and feel-for-the-water exercises.
3. Kicktastic – The Over-Kicking Swimmer
Kicktastics have a strong leg-driven stroke but often lack upper-body propulsion.
✅ Action Points:
Reduce reliance on the kick and shift propulsion to the arms.
Use pull-buoy drills and tempo training to encourage better catch mechanics.
Focus on how swimming in a wetsuit doesn’t need to be your nemesis.
4. Overglider – The Stroke Length Obsessed Swimmer
Overgliders focus too much on extending their stroke and gliding, which can create dead spots in their technique and hinder propulsion.
✅ Action Points:
Avoid excessive glide by engaging the catch phase sooner.
Increase stroke rate using specific rhythm-based drills.
Incorporate continuous freestyle swimming to develop better flow.
5. Swinger – The Open Water Specialist
Swingers have a naturally fast stroke rate and excel in open water.
✅ Action Points:
Improve sighting and positioning skills for open water races.
Work on pacing control to avoid early fatigue in endurance events.
Develop better posture and alignment.
6. Smooth – The Natural Elite Swimmer
Smooths have an efficient, near-perfect stroke but often plateau due to small inefficiencies or suboptimal training structures.
✅ Action Points:
Use CSS training plans to push thresholds in speed and endurance.
Work on fine-tuning the catch mechanics for better propulsion.
Introduce variability in training (open water, interval sessions) to maintain adaptation and interest.
Is it Possible to be a “Hybrid” of 2+ Types?
Of course, it’s possible to be a hybrid of two or more Swim Types depending upon your level of development. Two classic hybrids we see regularly are:
Arnie/Overglider - you’ve recognised that you’re fighting the water and have taken onboard classic swim stroke correction advice to lengthen out and slow down your stroke, often to excess.
Bambino/Kicktastic - you’ve not fully addressed the timing of your breathing and the stroke in general and have developed a coping mechanism of kicking harder to over-ride this, often at the expense of efficiency.
Exciting News: Applications Are Open for the Class of 2025 Swim Smooth Coaches!
If you’re a passionate swim coach looking to take your coaching to the next level, applications are now open for our Class of 2025 Swim Smooth Coaches!
Becoming a Swim Smooth Certified Coach is more than just a qualification—it’s a chance to join a worldwide network of elite swim coaches who are making a real difference in the sport. Our comprehensive training program equips you with everything you need to succeed, including:
Expert instruction on Swim Types and stroke correction
Advanced video analysis techniques to diagnose and fix inefficiencies
Business and marketing support to help grow your coaching career
Ongoing mentorship and learning opportunities from Paul Newsome and the Swim Smooth Mentor team
With Swim Smooth recognized as the Coach Education Partner of World Triathlon, this certification not only validates your expertise but also opens doors to coaching opportunities worldwide.
🚀 Apply now to become a Swim Smooth Certified Coach:
Find Your Swim Type and Transform Your Swimming
If you’ve ever felt stuck in your swimming progression, the solution isn’t always more training—it’s smarter, more individualized coaching. The Swim Types methodology, refined over nearly 20 years, is the key to unlocking your full potential.
Now, with Stroke Insights℗ and the most advanced coaching system available, Swim Smooth remains the industry leader in helping you swim smarter, faster, and with more efficiency than ever before.
Work with a Swim Smooth Certified Coach today and experience the difference of world-class, truly personalized coaching.
🔎 Find a certified Swim Smooth Coach near you:
Thanks for reading!
Your Coach, Paul