For many swimmers, breaking 1 minute contained in the 100 freestyle is a significant milestone. Whether or not or not or not you need to swim a 59.99 (or sooner!) 100 free at your subsequent meet or simply need to beat your lane mate to the wall in observe, you’ve come to the precise place!
It doesn’t matter what your present 100 free time is, the subsequent concepts will current you the way one can swim sooner. You most likely can apply these ideas to the 100 butterfly, backstroke and breaststroke as appropriately.
Breaking Down 50 Splits
Let’s begin by breaking down splits for every 50 of the 100 free. You most likely can purchase a sub-1 minute time in a virtually infinite mixture of splits, however let’s check out three examples:
- 29.99 + 30.00 = 59.99 sec
- 28.50 + 31.49 = 59.99 sec
- 26.00 + 34.99 = 59.99 sec
These races mustn’t all created equal! Inside the primary race, we’re able to see that the swimmer evenly break up the primary and second 50. That could possibly be very troublesome to do (the professionals normally don’t do this), nonetheless it’s potential!
Race #2 is our candy spot. There’s a number of three-second distinction between the primary and second 50. In case your second 50 break up is bigger than three seconds slower than your first 50, you is probably going out too quick.

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The third race reveals what occurs in case you exit like a rocket and die on the final word 50 — not a superb technique. There’s an eight-second unfold between the primary and second 50 splits. Contained in the 100 free, you need to begin out with managed velocity so you possibly can protect all of it by the entire race.
The professionals normally have about 1.5 to 2.2 seconds distinction between their first and second 50. Correct proper right here’s what that change looks like for a sub-minute 100 free:
- 29.00 + 30.50 = 59.50 sec (1.5 sec distinction)
- 29.20 + 30.70 = 59.90 sec (2.2 sec distinction)
So, how do you purchase these sooner splits? Let’s strive every part of the 100 free:
1. The Begin

The beginning is the quickest diploma of any race. The second you hit the water, you’ll begin to decelerate. You most likely can shave just a few tenths of a second off your 100 free time by enhancing your response time without work the blocks.Â
2. The Flip
Turns can normally truly actually really feel like a welcome break from quick swimming — however you shouldn’t handle them that technique! Velocity up into your turns, and likewise you’ll carry that momentum out of the flip and into your underwater dolphin kick. Make sure that your streamline might very nicely be very tight to keep away from creating an excessive amount of drag!

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Your turns are notably crucial contained in the transient course 100 free. You have bought 3 flip turns, whereas in extended course meters you may have only one.
3. The End
Don’t glide into the wall in your end. Energy by way of your previous couple of strokes and hit the wall exhausting, ideally on a full stroke. For a lot of who watched the males’s 100 butterfly remaining from 2008, you take note how hundreds the tip factors!Â
4. Respiration
Sticking to a unbroken respiratory sample all by means of your 100 free will current you the way one can uncover a sturdy rhythm. For a lot of who go into the race with out a respiratory technique, you is probably doing all of your complete muscle mass a disservice. For instance, in case you happen to swim the primary 25 with out taking a breath, you’re going to really actually really feel it on the final word 50.Â

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Whether or not or not or not you breathe each 2, each 4, each 3 or each 5, observe your respiratory sample in observe so that you just simply’re used to it on race day.
5. Tempo
It’s really frequent for swimmers to swim the primary 50 with really safe stroke tempo, however we watch their arms decelerate considerably as they method the tip.Â

Associated: Be taught to Heat Up for a Swim Meet
A part of this draw back comes correct proper all the way down to pacing (further on that in a second!), nonetheless it may even be attributable to an absence of race tempo educating all by means of exercise routines.
You most likely can enhance your stroke tempo with a tempo coach. Set it to your required stroke worth and stick it in your cap or be a part of it to your goggles, and it’ll beep to maintain up you on observe!
6. Pacing

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As we talked about earlier, the very remaining factor you need to do contained in the 100 free is to exit too quick on the primary 50. Primarily based completely in your aim time, break down what your 50 splits should be, and observe at race tempo! Swim 50s and 25s at or above your aim tempo to draw back your physique and assemble endurance so you possibly can protect these speeds over the course of the 100.
Strive This 100 Free Pacing Set
Prior to you strive the prepare beneath, calculate your aim break up for the second 50 of your 100 free. You’ll use that tempo all by means of this set! Let’s use a 31 sec aim tempo for example.Â
- 6 x 50 Free @ 1:10 (2nd 50 Tempo + 2 sec = 33 sec)
- 100 straightforward
- 4 x 50 Free @ 1:20 (2nd 50 Tempo + 1 sec = 32 sec)
- 100 straightforward
- 2 x 50 Free @ 1:30 (2nd 50 Tempo = 31 sec)
- 100 straightforward
- 1 x 50 Free @ 2:00 (2nd 50 Tempo – 1 sec = 30 sec)
What’s your aim time to your 100 freestyle? Share contained in the options, and inform us your favourite technique to work on velocity contained in the pool! For added Exercises, technique ideas and Educating Plans, purchase the MySwimPro app! Be a part of MySwimPro Coach to unlock all of our educating and training property.