The Power of a Good Technique Demonstration

How Luminous Gloves Can Light the Way to a Better Stroke

Hey swimmers,

I've got a fun and slightly unconventional tip for you this week, especially for those of you coaching swimming. Stick with me on this one—it’s not as crazy as it might sound!

What You Show Can Be Just as Important as What You Say!

As a coach, one of the most powerful tools in your arsenal is the ability to give a clear and effective demonstration. When it comes to teaching the finer points of swimming technique, what you show can be just as important as what you say. This is where a pair of luminous yellow tradie gloves comes into play—literally!

Imagine you're standing on the pool deck, and your swimmers are eagerly watching you demonstrate the perfect freestyle stroke. By wearing these bright gloves as I did on Tuesday for our Technique / Endurance Session (as detailed below), you’re not just adding a splash of color to your coaching attire; you’re drawing their attention to the most crucial aspects of the stroke—which in this week’s case was the catch and pull phases:

When giving the demonstrations for this session, the vibrant gloves made it impossible for swimmers to miss what my hands were doing, cutting through the visual clutter of other distractions. Check out my fun little video on this here (be warned, involves me dancing!)¹.

Catch Masterclass

What helped the swimmers too was that the previous day I’d also sent them through our Catch Masterclass video series to have a quick watch through of how to piece these 3 aspects together per the session structure above:

1. The set-up (of the hand entry into the water)

2. The mechanics (of the catch and pull through itself)

3. The effect (on the rhythm and timing of the stroke)

Then, seeing me with these silly gloves on, they were able to translate this into their swim.

Creative Ingenuity is in Our Soul

When you highlight the catch and pull with these bright gloves, you’re effectively guiding your swimmers to focus on the correct hand position and movement. This isn’t just about making the demonstration look good; it’s about ensuring that your swimmers can mentally lock in on the key elements that will make them faster and more efficient in the water. They’ll remember the image of those glowing hands pressing back against the water, driving them forward.

And here’s where the magic happens—once your swimmers have that mental image of the yellow gloves in their minds, they can take it with them into their own swimming. Encourage them to visualize their hands as those luminous yellow gloves during their stroke. This simple visualization technique helps them maintain focus on pressing water backward, keeping their movements efficient and powerful, just as you demonstrated.

This kind of lateral thinking and creative problem-solving is central to what we do—it’s even highlighted as Core Value #5 in our Certified Coaches program (along with squad sessions being full of fun in Core Value #4):

If these Core Values strike a chord with you as a coach, consider joining our Coaches Network mailing list to be kept informed about our next Coach Certification Courses etc.

Dad Dancing (was cool in 1996, maybe not so much now!)

Now, I can’t help but draw a parallel to my younger years spent rave dancing in the nightclubs around Manchester. Back in the 1990s, we’d often wear similar glowing gloves, using them to create a focus on movement and rhythm under the pulsating lights. Just as those gloves helped us feel the beat and stay in sync with the music, they can help swimmers tune into the rhythm and flow of their stroke, emphasizing the parts that matter most.

So, next time you’re giving a demo, try slipping on a pair of luminous yellow gloves. You’ll find they do more than just brighten up your swim sessions—they’ll illuminate the path to better technique for your swimmers. And who knows? Maybe you’ll feel a little bit of that old rave spirit lighting up your coaching, too!

Until next week,

Your Coach, Paul.

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