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From the coaches

The Herts Swim
Coach Blog

Evidence-informed coaching for ambitious, real-world swimmers — triathletes, club and competitive swimmers, and adult improvers across Hertfordshire and North London. Practical technique, training science and race craft.

Club swimmer in a white cap fighting through a butterfly stroke at race pace Competitive · 15 July 2026

Why Has My Child Stopped Dropping Time?

 Team-mates reaching down to congratulate a swimmer at the wall during a busy swimming meet Competitive · 15 July 2026

Open Meets and Galas, Explained

 Swimmer powering through breaststroke mid-race in an outdoor competition pool Competitive · 15 July 2026

How to Qualify for the County Championships

 Young swimmer in a purple cap racing breaststroke at a swimming competition Competitive · 15 July 2026

How County Qualifying Times Work (and How to Read Your Child's)

 Young club swimmers racing freestyle in adjacent lanes at an indoor swimming gala Competitive · 15 July 2026

A Parent's Guide to Competitive Swimming in Hertfordshire

 Young swimmers of different ages stepping onto the starting blocks before a session Competitive · 15 July 2026

The Age-Group Development Pathway

 Young age-group swimmers in caps and goggles waiting behind the starting blocks at a summer swimming meet Competitive · 11 July 2026

The Summer Break Problem: What Competitive Swimmers Should Actually Do in August

 Underwater view of a front-crawl swimmer holding a high-elbow catch, forearm vertical and pressing straight back Technique · 1 July 2026

Where Front-Crawl Power Really Comes From: The Biomechanics of the Underwater Catch

 Open-water swimmer in a bright UK lake on a hot, hazy summer morning, entering the water calmly Open Water · 24 June 2026

Outdoor Swimming in an Extreme Heatwave: Staying Safe When the Water Looks Inviting

 Masters swimmer standing behind the blocks at a competition pool, adjusting goggles before a race Competitive · 14 June 2026

Masters Meet Ready: Rest, Nutrition and Race-Day Routines for Adult Swimmers

 Adult swimmer doing relaxed freestyle in a pool lane, head low and breathing calmly to the side Technique · 12 June 2026

From Length-4 Panic to a Confident 400m: A Coach's Framework for Adult Improvers

 Young age-group swimmer performing butterfly with both arms recovering low over the water Competitive · 10 June 2026

Butterfly for Club Swimmers: A Parent's Guide to the 'Scary' Stroke

 Open-water swimmer sighting forward towards a marker buoy in a lake Triathlon · 9 June 2026

Sighting Without Losing Speed: Open-Water Navigation for Age-Group Triathletes

 Underwater view of a swimmer setting the forearm at the catch in front crawl Technique · 8 June 2026

Why Your Freestyle Catch Stalls — and the Three Drills That Fix It