Balancing the Scales: How to Manage the Physical Trade-Offs of Swimming
Part 1. Stay tuned for Part 2.
Mobility on Land, Power in the Water: How Dryland Training Shapes Swimming Performance
Recently, I had the opportunity to present alongside MASA, a co-lead national swim coach working closely with Team Singapore athletes. What made this session powerful wasn’t just the sharing of knowledge; it was the alignment between what coaches observe on the pool deck and what we, as physiotherapists, see in the body.
And one thing became very clear.
The issues we see in our swimmers aren’t random.
They are patterns—repeated over and over again across different levels.
Rounded shoulders. Tight hips. A weak posterior chain. Stiff ankles.
At first glance, these may seem like minor physical limitations. But in reality, they directly shape how a swimmer moves, performs, and eventually breaks down in the water.
The Real Problem: Swimmers Adapt to the Water… But At a Cost
Swimming is unique. It builds a body that is highly efficient in the water but not always well-balanced on land.
Over time, swimmers develop:
Greater joint laxity, but less control.
A reliance on quads, with underdeveloped glutes.
Mobile ankles, but lacking strength and stability.
These adaptations may improve short-term performance, but they often come at a cost. Because when the body lacks control and balance, it begins to compensate.
And compensation, over time, leads to inefficiency—and eventually, injury.
Why Mobility Actually Matters
Mobility is often misunderstood. It’s not about being flexible or how far you can stretch—it’s about having control through a range of motion and being able to access the positions your sport demands.
In swimming, this directly translates to a better streamline, more efficient stroke mechanics, and reduced strain on the body. A swimmer with limited thoracic mobility may struggle to achieve an optimal overhead position, leading to a broken streamline, while restricted ankles can reduce kick amplitude and limit propulsion.
These aren’t isolated issues—they are performance limitations. Mobility doesn’t just support swimming; it shapes it.
What Coaches See vs What Physios Fix
One of the most valuable aspects of this workshop wasn’t just the content—it was the perspective.
On one side, we had the coach’s eye. On the other, the physio’s lens.
And when both perspectives aligned, the patterns became impossible to ignore.
From the Coach’s Eye (What we see poolside):
Rounded shoulders that limit the catch.
Tight hips that break streamline positions.
A weak posterior chain that reduces kick power.
Stiff ankles that affect push-offs and propulsion.
From the Physio’s Lens (What we see in the body):
Restrictions in thoracic mobility.
Limited hip range and poor control.
Underactive glutes and posterior chain weakness.
Ankles that lack both mobility and strength.
Different language. Same problem.
From Observation to Action: Building a Framework That Works
This is where the conversation shifted.
Because identifying patterns is one thing. But solving them—consistently, across different swimmers, age groups, and training environments—is something else entirely.
How do we give coaches a system to translate what they see into something they can actually coach on the ground?
The answer wasn’t more exercises. It wasn’t more complexity. It was clarity.
We needed a framework that:
Helps design exercises that match the swimmers—not overwhelm them.
Allows progression across different levels and developmental stages.
Ensures every drill on land has a clear transfer into performance in the water.
Because without structure, training becomes guesswork.
Athletes either progress too quickly into movements they can’t control, or they repeat generic drills that don’t translate into performance.
The Framework That Changes Everything
Out of this came a simple but powerful progression: Central → Proximal → Distal
Start with the centre. Build outward. Finish with performance.
Central (Core & Spine) → Stability and control.
Proximal (Shoulders & Hips) → Movement quality.
Distal (Limbs & End-range) → Performance output.
This gives a clear roadmap: Build what the swimmer can control first. Then build how they move. Then build how they perform.
Why This Matters More Than It Seems What makes this framework powerful isn’t just what it adds, but what it prevents. It prevents athletes from being pushed into positions they cannot control, and it stops coaches from skipping foundational work in pursuit of more advanced training. More importantly, it ensures that progression is earned, not assumed.
Take something like a poor streamline. It’s easy to think of it as a shoulder issue, but more often than not, the limitation sits deeper. A stiff thoracic spine or poor core control can prevent a swimmer from achieving the position, no matter how much they stretch their shoulders.
The same applies to kicking. What looks like an ankle problem is often linked to weak glutes, poor pelvic control, and a lack of coordination through the chain.
When you take a step back, the pattern becomes clear: everything is connected.
Meeting the Swimmer Where They Are
At the heart of this framework is one key principle: Meet the swimmer where they are—not where you want them to be.
Not every athlete is ready for the same exercise. Not every athlete should be progressed at the same pace.
A younger swimmer needs exposure and control. An older athlete may be ready for load and performance.
This framework allows coaches to:
Scale exercises appropriately.
Progress safely.
Create training that actually translates into performance.
The 10-Minute Daily Fix
You don’t need complicated programmes. You need consistency.
A structured 10-minute dryland routine before training can make a significant difference:
Breathing reset
Thoracic mobility
Hip mobility
Posterior chain activation
Ankle mobility
Integration work
It’s not about doing more. It’s about doing what matters—consistently.
Final Takeaway
Mobility on land translates directly to performance in the water.
Not eventually. Not indirectly. Directly.
If you want:
A stronger streamline.
A more efficient catch.
A more powerful kick.
And a more resilient body.
Then the work doesn’t start in the pool. It starts before that.
Don’t Just Train Hard. Train Right. At ATHLETIC INC, we focus on bridging the gap between rehabilitation, performance, and long-term athletic development.
Because being pain-free is not the goal. Being performance-ready is.
MEET THE AUTHOR
DEXTER KIN
Founder & Clinical Director
Lead Physiotherapist & Performance Coach
Team Singapore National Swimming Physiotherapist
Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games
World Aquatics Championships Doha 2024
SPECIALISATIONS
Strength & Conditioning
Sports massage, Manual Therapy and Dry Needling
Rehabilitation to Performance
Swim-Specific Screening & Performance Optimisation