With just one thought, your shoulders will feel instantly relaxed! The secret to making your swimming softer and lighter

Hello everyone, it's Yoshi, the Fin Swimming President!

“My shoulders feel tight when I hold a streamline…”
“My swimming inevitably feels heavy in the second half of a race…”
“I want to make my kick bigger, but my own movements end up getting too big!”

Have you ever felt this way?

Actually, your problem might be improved surprisingly well just by changing your “glide ○○○”…!

Today, I will share a special technique that I believe is something “you absolutely must know” from my over 20 years of competitive and coaching experience!

Especially if you lack confidence in your shoulder flexibility or if your shoulders get tired while swimming, please read until the end, as there are items we will check together, so try practicing them right now!

Is your glide costing you? - A major mistake many people don't notice

The posture called “glide” or “streamline.”

It is the absolute basic of basics that everyone who has learned to swim is taught. I have also told you many times before that the streamline posture is incredibly important. However, there is actually a big pitfall hidden in this “obvious” movement.

What I mean is, after you dive into the pool, after you turn, and at the start of practice… the way you “clasp your arms” that you do casually every time, is what greatly influences the quality of your swimming.

“Huh? Because of such a basic thing? Surely I'm doing it right! (lol)”

Yes, that's right. Even for people who think they are doing it right, it is actually such a fine detail that you might not even be conscious of it, thinking, “Is it really that part?!”

Especially for those who do fin swimming or dolphin kicks, this difference is a serious issue that directly affects your records, no joke!

Why streamline is important in fin swimming

Everyone knows that it is important to create a “streamlined” posture in swimming. But in fin swimming and dolphin kicks, that importance is even higher.

Because…

1. The speed is faster than regular competitive swimming - Since fin swimming is about 1.5 times faster than competitive swimming, even a slight collapse in posture becomes a major resistance.

2. Full-body coordination is life - The dolphin kick generates propulsion not just from the legs, but from the undulation of the entire body. If the movement of the shoulders and chest is restricted, that coordination is lost.

3. Long-term sustainability is required - You need to maintain your posture throughout the entire race, and inefficient form causes premature fatigue.

For these reasons, a “relaxed” and “efficient” streamline” will greatly change your swimming!

I. The core of a streamline that makes your shoulders comfortable

This is where we get to the main point.
To put it bluntly, what I want to tell you today is that there are two ways to create a streamline!

"Raising from the side" vs. "Raising from the front" - The decisive difference

When you form a streamline, how do you raise your arms?

Many people unconsciously do it the "raising arms from the front of the body" way.

Specifically, from a standing position, you extend your arms straight forward, go through a "forward reach" posture, and then lift them straight up to stack your hands over your head... something like that.

The other way is the "raising arms from the side of the body" way.

From an attention position, you raise both arms as if flapping them open to the sides, and stack your hands over your head.

"Is that all? Isn't the final posture the same anyway?"

That's right. Because it looks like the same posture from the outside, many people don't notice the difference. And this small difference actually creates a surprising gap in how your shoulders and chest are used within your body.

The sense of shoulder release and full-body coordination that changes with just one mindset

Let's try it right now! You can even do it while sitting.

1. First, try the "raising from the front" method below
   : extend both arms forward and lift them straight up over your head

2. Next, try the "raising from the side" method below
   : raise both arms as if spreading them to the sides, and clasp them over your head

How was it? Which one felt easier?
Sensitive people might have already felt the difference.

To conclude, many people will find that "raising from the side" is...

• feels easier on the shoulders

• feels like the chest and back are free

• makes it easier to breathe

You should feel differences like these.

II. The theoretical basis for why that difference matters

So, why does such a small difference change the sensation so much?

Understanding correct scapular movement from human anatomy

Our shoulder blades have a movement called "upward rotation". This is the natural rotation of the shoulder blade when you raise your arm—well, there's no need to memorize the term.

The "lifting from the side" motion is one that allows you to maximize this upward rotation of the shoulder blade smoothly. On the other hand, the "lifting from the front" motion restricts this natural movement.

Imagine this. When samurai of old drew their swords, they didn't draw them from straight in front, but from the side, right? That, too, is a natural movement that fits the structure of the human shoulder.

The impact of shoulder movement on the range of motion of the chest and back

With the "lifting from the front" method, the shoulder blade doesn't move well as mentioned earlier, so the body tries to raise the arm using other methods instead.

As a result...

• The chest ends up arching

• Unnecessary tension is placed on the trapezius (the raised muscle above the shoulder at the base of the neck), causing the neck to tense up

• The shoulders lift unnaturally

This is the cause of that "vague feeling of tightness".

Flexible movement of the chest and back is especially important in dolphin kick and fin swimming. The "lifting arms from the front" method, which restricts that movement, significantly lowers the quality of your swimming.

The relationship between fatigue accumulation and athletic performance

It would be fine if this just ended as a "matter of sensation," but it actually has more serious consequences.

If you continue to form a streamline using the wrong method...

1. Excessive muscle tension - Unnecessary muscles keep working, leading to faster fatigue

2. Restricted breathing - Movement of the chest and diaphragm is restricted, leading to throat breathing and an inability to take in sufficient oxygen

3. Reduced propulsion - Full-body coordination is lost, and the power of the kick is not fully transmitted

"I lose speed drastically in the second half of a race"
"My pace drops significantly over long distances"
If you are struggling with these issues, you might feel a major change just by reviewing this "way of raising your arms".

III. Practical Methods and Sensory Checks

Now, I will share specific practical methods with you.

Simple Self-Check: How to Verify Your Current Streamline

First, let's check your current streamline.

Simple Self-Diagnosis Method:

1. Stand in front of a mirror (sideways is best)

2. Try to form your streamline as you usually do

3. Check the following:

   • What path did your arms take to go up?

   • Are your shoulders raised?

   • Is your chest arched?

   • Is there tension in your neck?

Step-by-Step: How to Form an Ideal Streamline

Step 1: Basic Posture

• Stand with your feet together (or align your posture in the water)

• Keep your back straight

• Relax your shoulders

Step 2: Raise your arms "from the sides"

• First, lightly open your arms to the sides of your body

• Raise your arms upward as if drawing an arc

• Stack your hands above your head

Step 3: Lower your shoulder blades

• Be conscious of not letting your shoulders get close to your ears

• Relax the trapezius muscles (the muscles between your neck and shoulders)

• The sensation of pulling your shoulder blades down toward your lower back (scapular depression)

Step 4: Maintain

• Swim while maintaining this feeling of your shoulders and chest being 'free'

• Be especially conscious of this during the second half of a race or when you are tired

Common mistakes and how to fix them

I will teach you the mistakes I often see in the field and how to correct them.

Mistake 1: 'Shoulders rising'

Cause: Too much tension in the trapezius muscles
Correction: Consciously lower your shoulders and shoulder blades with the image of 'keeping your shoulders away from your ears'

Mistake 2: 'Arching the chest'

Cause: Scapular upward rotation is not being achieved
Correction: This can be easily solved by raising your arms 'from the side'

Mistake 3: 'Neck feeling cramped'

Cause: Shoulder tension spreading to the neck
Correction: Do not tuck your chin too much; just keep it tucked in slightly

Mistake 4: 'Elbows bending'

Cause: Trying to compensate for a lack of shoulder range of motion by bending the elbows
Correction: First, perform loosening exercises to increase the flexibility of your shoulders and chest area

IV. Application to advanced techniques

Once you have mastered the basics, let's incorporate more advanced techniques.

Conscious points for maintaining 'shoulders down'

After forming a streamline, what you want to be especially conscious of is maintaining the state of 'keeping your shoulders down'.

However, this is surprisingly difficult! Especially when you get tired, your shoulders will rise unconsciously.

Moreover, in the final stages of a race, everyone tends to get tired and their form starts to break down. The changes that are particularly likely to occur are...

1. Shoulders rising due to fatigue

2. Chin lifting due to distress

3. Resulting in an arched chest

4. Which further causes the lower back to arch in a chain reaction

5. Core strength is lost, making it impossible to transfer strong power to the fins

Once this "negative chain reaction" begins, your swimming will quickly become heavy.

The secret to preventing this is periodically resetting your focus.

For example...

• Focus on "dropping your shoulders" every time you turn

• Create a moment to relax your shoulders once per set rest

• Check your shoulder position during your breathing timing

By setting these small "checkpoints", you can minimize the breakdown of your form.

Dolphin kick and propulsion transformed by this technique

By mastering the correct way to set up your streamline, what kind of changes will occur in your dolphin kick and fin swimming?

1. Increased range of motion in the chest and back
   👉 Enables a larger undulation while keeping arm and shoulder movement to a minimum

2. Improved energy efficiency
   👉 Eliminates unnecessary muscle tension, improving body control and endurance

3. Streamlined propulsion
   👉 Kick power is transferred to the water more efficiently

4. Improved breathing
   👉 Tension around the shoulders is released, making breathing easier

Your pace distribution during the race will also become much more stable, and you should notice a difference in your extension, especially in the second half.

An action plan you can try immediately in tomorrow's practice

Let's try what you learned today starting from tomorrow's practice.

Step 1: Verification on land

• Compare 'lifting your arm from the side' and 'lifting your arm from the front' in front of a mirror

• Experience the difference and memorize the correct sensation

Step 2: Basic practice in the water

• Try gliding in a correct streamline position during your warm-up

• Focus on 'lifting from the side' and 'lowering your shoulders' before pushing off the wall

Step 3: Application during swimming

• Check your awareness during each set

• Pay special attention to your posture after turns as well

Step 4: Reflection

• Record what differences you felt after practice

• Continue this from the next day onwards and observe the changes

The long-term effects of this small improvement

You might think, 'it's just a way of lifting the arm,' but the long-term effects of this small change are immeasurable.

1. Reduced shoulder and neck fatigue - Also leads to a longer competitive career

2. Form stability - You will acquire a form that doesn't easily break down even when tired

3. Improved performance - Differences become especially noticeable in long-distance events or the latter half of a race

4. Reduced risk of injury - To prevent breakdowns caused by unnatural posture

Finally

Raise from the side
Lower your shoulders

Just this simple focus might bring a revolution to your swimming!

Please try it out in your practice tomorrow. And be sure to let me know in the comments what kind of changes you experienced.

I would be happy if you could share your experiences.

So, thank you for reading this far this time as well.

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See you next time!
See you later

Finswimming Specialist
Fins President Yoshihide Sekino

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