I have always been of the opinion that it is best for a swimmer to
workout with a coach present. I have developed this conclusion over
many years, first as a swimmer, then as a swimming teacher and
coach. This opinion has been reinforced frequently, both during my
own experience in the water, as an athlete in training, and then from
the deck, while observing the development of swimmers.
When a coach is part of the equation, there to design training
content and routines, guide the progression of development, and
provide motivation and challenge when needed, a swimmer can
concentrate on swimming! Of all the things a coach does, one of the
primary benefits lies in his or her ability to observe stroke technique
in terms of swimming efficiency. This is an important part of a
swimmer’s progress at all stages of development. For beginning and
intermediate swimmers, the coach’s observation is critical to
identifying technique errors, doing it early, and giving corrective
feedback long before those errors become habit. For advanced
swimmers, the coach’s observation takes the form of refining stroke
technique, and providing reminders so the swimmer remains focused
on maintaining the most efficient style even during the most
strenuous training phase. I believe a coach’s observation and
feedback facilitates the most direct path for a swimmer’s
improvement.