I’ve skipped a couple of days updates as I finally made it down to London to see some of the games. While I was there I had the pleasure of meeting some of our ex-Olympians among other ex-swimmers and current coaches and support staff. Obviously the disappointing medal tally and lack of great individual performances [...]
Olympics Day 5: Jamieson Bucks GB Trend
August 2, 2012 by Leave a Comment
As a Scotsman and a breaststroker I was always going to be most excited about the men’s 200 breaststroke last night and, despite Michael Jamieson being touched out by Daniel Gyurta for gold, I was not disappointed. Gyuarta’s performance was incredible. He went out after it and held on well, normally (like Jamieson) more of [...]
What is Talent?
May 16, 2012 by 1 Comment
Open up a debate about talent in just about any circles and it’s likely to be pretty lively. After posing the question on twitter recently, it’s clearly no different in swimming. Why does the question of talent spark such debate? What is it, and is it important for swimming coaches and sport scientists to understand? [...]
Can Swimmers Choke?
March 22, 2012 by 2 Comments
We see it in sports like golf and tennis, where an elite athlete’s skills fail them, often dramatically, under pressure. There are many different explanations for choking in sport, but can it happen in swimming? What is Choking? Simply put, choking occurs when an athlete’s performance suffers under pressure. Most often we associate it with [...]
SwimPsych is now live!
March 16, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Hi, and if you’re reading this, “Welcome to SwimPsych!”. I committed to doing something less than two weeks ago, and it’s amazing what a leg up you can get from some of the technology that’s available, and the advice that’s out there on the web. I’ve started off with a few articles, and hope to [...]
Build Confidence Day-by-Day
March 16, 2012 by 3 Comments
If I had to name the single most important psychological factor in swimming performance, it would have to be confidence. Confidence is a motivator, but it is also a protector. It acts like a shield and helps you to overcome setbacks, doubt and anxiety. The good news is that confidence isn’t magical or elusive. It [...]
Ryan Lochte: Inside the Mind of a Hunter!
March 16, 2012 by 15 Comments
As a psychologist I find Ryan Lochte fascinating. Not only is he a great swimmer and a great competitor, he embodies something that I believe in deeply about human nature. We are not fixed, we are not consistent. We do not behave according to traits. I don’t know Ryan, unfortunately, but as a swimming fan and observer [...]
3 Rules for Being a Positive Swimming Parent
March 16, 2012 by 2 Comments
Being the parent of a swimmer is a thankless combination of roles, from financier to taxi driver and many things in between. At the same time as making huge sacrifices yourself, there’s every chance that your teenage child will probably reward you by finding you intolerably embarrassing and tell you on a frequent basis that [...]
How to Make Swim Training Less Boring
March 14, 2012 by Leave a Comment
OK, so the title of this post suggests that training is actually boring. That doesn’t mean that it is for me or it should be for you, but training can get to be repetitive and we’ve all probably found it hard to get excited about 8x400s at some point in our lives. There are two basic [...]
Performance Review: An Essential Skill for Competitive Swimmers
March 14, 2012 by 4 Comments
Reviewing your performance is one of the key skills that a young swimmer can learn. After all, how else do you know what to work on to improve? That’s what matters – continual improvement – whether you’re an agre grouper or an Olympian. I used to envy the guys that could throw away a bad [...]
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