How the Three Keys Interact with Each Other

     One of the reasons why you need to work on all three of the keys at the same time is that the three areas interact and benefit each other – i.e. they add up to more than the sum of their individual parts. A good example of this is how fitness training benefits your stroke technique development. Many swimmers focus purely on their technique in the pool and avoid any training sets for fear they will harm their stroke technique – we affectionately call this group of swimmers ‘Technique Hermits’. Although these swimmers may make some initial progress with their swimming, they soon hit a plateau in performance beyond which they cannot progress. In fact some of these guys are so diligent that they have been repeating the same technique sessions for years with the hope that one day they will break through to better swimming. This is a great shame; such dedicated swimmers deserve much better.

     Of course, the opposite is also true: many Masters swimmers focus purely on training and never work on improving their stroke technique. Just as much as the Technique Hermits, this group stands to make some large improvements by following a more balanced approach to their swimming preparation from introducing structured and focused technique sessions.
     A second classic example of the interaction between the three keys is how open water skills benefit stroke technique development. If you exclusively focus on stroke technique, the tendency is to develop a long stroke at a slow stroke rate. You may make some progress in the pool by focusing on technique but when summer comes around and you swim in open water you would soon be left behind by swimmers with a slightly shorter faster stroke that is much more suited to this environment. By performing regular open water skills sessions (in the pool in winter) alongside your technique sessions, your stroke technique will naturally develop in the right direction to be efficient in the open water. If you are a triathlete this is especially vital for you.