Super charging Your Swim Training: Swim Tools
Whether you're a beginner stepping into the pool for your first triathlon season or a solid middle-of-the-pack athlete looking to level up, swim tools can transform the way you train. The right equipment helps you refine technique, build strength, and train smarter—not just harder.
In triathlon, efficiency is everything. The goal isn’t to swim like an Olympic sprinter; it’s to exit the water calm, confident, and ready to crush the bike and run. Below are my favorite swim tools and how they can help you become a stronger, smoother, more efficient swimmer.
1. Pull Buoy—Build Upper-Body Strength & Improve Body Position
The pull buoy is one of the most underrated tools in the pool. By lifting your hips and legs, it forces your upper body to do the work—and lets you zero in on stroke mechanics without worrying about sinking legs or kicking fatigue.
Why It Helps
Encourages better body alignment
Strengthens lats, shoulders, and back
Helps break the habit of over-kicking
Allows you to feel proper hip rotation and long, efficient strokes
Great for beginners: Helps you understand what proper float and balance should feel like.
Great for MOP athletes: Builds sustained pull strength for open-water endurance.
Sample Pull Buoy Set
4×50m easy pull focusing on long, smooth strokes
3×100m pull with paddles (if experienced), moderate effort
200m continuous pull focusing on breathing pattern
2. Kickboard—Strengthen Your Legs & Improve Kick Timing
The kickboard is simple but powerful. It helps isolate the legs and develop a more effective, consistent kick. And while triathletes don’t rely heavily on kicking, having a functional kick helps stabilize your body and control pace.
Why It Helps
Builds leg endurance
Helps you practice proper kick rhythm
Allows you to focus on breathing separately from your stroke
Great for beginners: Helps learn how to engage the hips—not just bend the knees.
Great for MOP athletes: Adds propulsion and stability to your stroke.
Sample Kick Set
4×25m flutter kick with board—focus on small, fast kicks
2×50m kick on side, board held out front, practicing body rotation
100m easy kick with fins (optional) to reinforce form
3. Fins—Improve Ankle Flexibility & Feel the “Right” Body Position
Many triathletes struggle with stiff ankles from cycling and running. Fins instantly solve that. They allow you to move faster, experience better body lift, and feel how a proper kick should drive your stroke.
Why It Helps
Improves ankle mobility and kick efficiency
Helps develop a faster turnover (stroke rate)
Encourages correct hip-driven kicking
Great for technique drills and speed bursts
Great for beginners: Gives you confidence by letting you “ride” higher in the water.
Great for MOP athletes: Helps refine tempo and propulsion.
Sample Fin Set
4×50m moderate swim with fins—focus on fast turnover
6×25m drill: single-arm freestyle, fins helping support rotation
4×25m sprint with fins—feel the speed and rhythm
4. Snorkel—Master Technique Without the Distraction of Breathing
A front-mounted snorkel is a game changer. It gives you the freedom to focus on technique while keeping your head stable. No more struggling with timing your breath—just swim and feel the water.
Why It Helps
Improves body alignment and reduces head movement
Helps you isolate elements of the stroke (catch, pull, rotation)
Allows longer, uninterrupted technique sessions
Reduces breathing-related anxiety for newer swimmers
Great for beginners: Removes the stress of “when do I breathe?”
Great for MOP athletes: Enables deeper focus on catch mechanics and arm path.
Sample Snorkel Set
4×50m smooth technique swim focusing on high elbows
6×25m catch-up drill with snorkel
200m continuous snorkel swim: slow, smooth, efficient
5. FORM Swim Goggles—Train Smarter With Real-Time Feedback
While you don’t need specific drills for FORM goggles, they’re one of the most powerful tools in a triathlete’s kit. Seeing pace, stroke rate, heart rate, or split times as you swim helps eliminate guesswork and builds discipline around pacing.
Why They Help
Real-time pace control
Track efficiency metrics like SWOLF and stroke rate
Reinforce consistent pacing for race simulation
Great for structured sets and solo training days
These are especially valuable for middle-of-the-pack triathletes looking for that next level of consistency.
Final Thoughts
Using swim tools isn’t about making swimming easier—it’s about making practice more targeted, effective, and engaging. When you understand how each tool supports your technique and fitness, your sessions become more purposeful.
Beginner or MOP athlete, these tools will help you:
Improve technique faster
Build triathlon-specific strength
Boost confidence in the water
Enjoy your swim workouts more
I add them strategically into your weekly training and watch your swim split—and energy levels—transform.
