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Sports Psychology Tips for Swimmers - Table of Contents

By Society & Culture & Entertainment Last updated Monday, August/26/2024

Your Mind Is A Computer, So Run The Right Swimming Program!

Your mind is far more powerful than any computer will ever be - but, just like a computer, it can run several different 'programs' at the same time. This is not always good, however. So says JohnFletcher, Head Coach of Jersey Storm Swimming, who sent this gem into me during the week. He believes that for the best results, you should only run the specific mental 'program' you need, but you must also close down the other programs - or it will affect your speed and power.More »

Overcoming Swim Visualization Problems

What do you do when you find you can't visualize? A few swimmers have written to me since the last swimtip (on using visualization to improve technique) with the common problem of not being able to visualize the new technique. There are also many people who say that they simply cannot visualize at all - but this is untrue, EVERYONE can visualize. The thing is, everyone visualizes differently.More »

The Secret To Improving Your Swimming Technique

Are you trying to master a new technique? You can do this much faster and much easier than you think. A swimmer wrote to me during the week asking how to best overcome a technique problem such as over-using his arms and not utilizing his legs enough. I don't generally get involved in the technical side of swimming (I much prefer to leave this to the coaches, and remain within my own area of expertise) however this is an area where your mind (as well as your coach) can be of great assistance. By using your mind (as well as your body), you can be master a new technique 3-4 times quicker than swimmers who only work on the physical side!More »

Beat Fear And Succeed in Swimming

Fear is one of the greatest hurdles for a swimmer to overcome in their quest for greatness. Just to make your quest a little tougher, fear arrives in many different masks so that you never quite know where it will be lurking, or when to expect it. However, today I will show you one of the most potent ways of overcoming it - and at first, you're going to think I have gone a little crazy (But you will also see that I am right!).More »

Swimmers, You Must Conquer The Doubt

To be truly successful in swimming, it's not always the case of trying to achieve a goal, but being able to break through your own resistance to it. What is this resistance? The doubts you have in your own ability. But why would anyone have resistance to success? Surely everyone wants to be successful in their swimming?More »

Ups and Downs in Swimming

Are your results always strong and consistent, or do you experience extreme highs and lows, up and down like a yo-yo? It seems that some swimmers would do almost anything for more consistency in their results, which can sometimes range from brilliant to terrible all on the very same day. So where can you buy some consistency? There's only one place you can get it, but there's no need to hurry, because it will always be right there waiting for you... in your mind. This is where consistency lives. Let me show you how you can get hold of it.More »

Swimming Mind Games

It was interesting to notice many high-profile and successful swimmers, who are well-known for their mental strength, using subtle, legal and clever mind games to unsettle their competitors at this 2000 Sydney Olympics. These psychological ploys can be simply labeled as 'everyday psychological warfare' in swimming. As we all know, in a sport such as swimming (where every hundredth of a second counts) even a slight advantage can make a big difference to the result.More »

Nervousness Is Energy For Swimming

Ian Thorpe, Inge DeBruijn and Lenny Krayzelburg all won gold medals at the 2000 Sydney Olympics - which in some respects is not surprising as they were considered the 'swimmers to beat' in their particular events. However, as experienced as these swimmers are, they all admitted battling with severe bouts of nervousness - even with THEIR levels of inner-belief!More »

Experiment With Other Swimmer's Routines

One of the secrets of success is to copy certain areas of successful people's training, but especially those parts which fit snugly into your own routine. Here are some great ideas for mental preparation which were sent to me this week by a first year pro triathlete, Gordo Byrn, and he seems to have covered most of the important areas of mental training. I will try and do justice to his explanation he sent me.More »

Belief - An Essential For Swimming Success

The most potent weapon a swimmer can possess in their armory is a powerful, unquenchable belief in themselves. It can single handedly overcome a competitor with superior ability, technique and physical strength - and all because it originates from the subconscious mind, the control center of all human movement.More »