By Olivier Poirier-Leroy on SwimSwam
Sprint swimming is a skill challenge as much as it is about training the right energy systems.
At high speeds, the limiting factor isn’t effort but keeping the stroke organized at full effort and at high tempos.
With our foot to the floor, small timing errors in the catch, pull, and body control compound quickly. Swimmers lose grip on the water, strokes shorten, and speed leaks like dollar store swim goggles.
This set is all about helping you fine-tune control and timing at higher speeds. By shifting intensity mid-length, you will develop the ability to modulate tempo, accelerate smoothly, and see where your stroke starts to slip or spin out under pressure.
Here she be:
The Top Gears Sprint Set
2-3 rounds:
4×25 freestyle as: 15m at 80% effort, 10m at 90% 100 swim easy 4×25 freestyle as: 15m at 85% effort, 10m at 95% 100 swim easy 50 freestyle as: 5 strokes at 80% effort, 5 strokes at 90%, 5 strokes at 95%, remainder maximal effort to the wall. 100 swim easyWhy This Sprint Set Matters for Sprint Performance
Faster sprinting is more than just gritting your teeth and white-knuckling all-out effort. It’s about understanding how different tempos and intensities shape propulsion.
This set challenges you to feel those differences and walk the chlorinated line between out-of-control technique and powerful speed. You’ll learn when to stay aggressive and when to dial things back just enough to retain velocity without spilling over into sloppy swimming.
Even world-class sprinters see drops in output and stroke kinematics in the final meters. That’s because the event isn’t a true 100% mechanical sprint from start to finish. Although it feels like 100% effort, high-performance sprinting typically lives just below absolute max.
A classic study by Seifert et al (2004) analyzed elite male sprinters swimming across a range of race-specific paces—from 3000-meter pace all the way up to maximal velocity.
They saw that 50m pace was not swum at maximal stroke rate (i.e. “effort”). Instead, swimmers deliberately kept their turnover slightly below their absolute maximum, preserving coordination. When swimmers went fully maximal, stroke rate increased and stroke length went down.
Variable 50m race pace Maximal velocity Velocity (m·s⁻¹) ~1.85 ~1.93 Stroke rate ~49.9 ~53.7 Stroke length (m) ~2.23 ~2.16In other words, elite sprinters don’t race at 100% full send. They tend to race just below it, where speed is still high, they are holding more water, and they can sustain stroke coordination for the full 50m.
“I’d actually swim faster [in the 50 free] if I backed off a little bit. I found it helpful to throttle back the first eight, nine strokes.” – Matt BiondiAnother study by Morais et al. (2022) analyzed race performance and stroke kinematics of 50m freestylers at the 2019 LEN European Junior Championships. The high performers were faster in every section of the race, especially in the start and finish, with stroke length the primary factor in surface swim speed.
This is noteworthy as there were no meaningful differences in stroke rate between the fastest and slowest swimmers—success was driven by how well swimmers maintained stroke length and timing as they charged to the wall.
The set above shows you how your body moves through the water at different intensities, giving you more control and more speed on race day.
Happy sprinting!
ABOUT OLIVIER POIRIER-LEROY
Olivier Poirier-Leroy is a former national level swimmer, 2x Olympic Trials qualifier, and author of several books for swimmers, including YourSwimBook, Conquer the Pool, The Dolphin Kick Manual, and most recently, The 50 Freestyle Blueprint.
The book is a beastly 220+ pages of evidence-based insights and practical tips for improving freestyle sprint speed.
It details everything from how to master stroke rate, technique, build a thundering freestyle kick, improve your start and underwaters, and much more.
The 50 Freestyle Blueprint also includes 20 sprint sets to get you started and a bonus guide on how to master the 100 freestyle to complete your sprint preparation.
Learn more about The 50 Freestyle Blueprint today.
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