"The Shape of You"
How Ed Sheeran Might Help You With Your Swimming!
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?
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!
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
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.
