Andrew Sheaff, USA 

March 14, 2026

Coaching Stroke techniques for Grassroots

Andrew Sheaf, USA Masters in Exercise Physiology

What actually makes swimmers faster? Is it more yardage, harder sets, or endless technical corrections?

This presentation breaks down the core skills that truly drive swimming speed and simplifies technique across all four strokes plus underwater kicking. Instead of focusing on countless technical details, this framework highlights the three universal performance skills that determine speed in the water:

• Minimizing resistance
• Enhancing propulsion
• Optimizing timing

These principles apply across freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly, and underwater kicking, providing coaches with a consistent way to analyze technique and improve performance.

Designed especially for grassroots and developmental coaches, this presentation shows how to evaluate technique using a clear sequence:

Alignment → Timing → Propulsion

Inside the presentation, you'll learn:

• Why skills often improve speed more than effort

• How alignment and body position reduce drag

• The timing patterns that power each stroke

• Key propulsion concepts used by elite swimmers

• How underwater kicking contributes to race performance

• A simple system coaches can use to analyze any stroke

This practical coaching framework helps simplify complex technique and provides clear priorities for developing faster swimmers at any level.