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If your swimming vocabulary consists of glug, glug, it’s time to get with the program.
With this swimmer’s-lingo list, you’ll soon be body-rolling and circle-swimming with
the best of ’em—even if you do have raccoon eyes.
Body roll: Side-to-side movement that’s key to good form in freestyle.
Circle swimming: Recommended way to avoid collisions when swimming in
a crowded pool lane. Swimmers stay on one side of the lane in one direction, then
switch to the other side when returning in the other direction—like driving on a road.
Flip turn: A somersault-like move for turning around when you reach
the pool wall. Faster than the touch-and-go once you master it.
Free ride: An easy open-water swim made possible by going with a fast
current.
Freestyle: Most common, and fastest, swim stroke. Also known as front
crawl. Other common strokes: backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly.
Hand paddle: Device used to improve your stroke.
IM: Individual medley of four strokes, done in this order: butterfly,
backstroke, breaststroke, freestyle.
Interval: The time allowed to complete a repetition. Example: 8 x 50 on
1:00 (eight, 50-yard swims, with one minute between the start of one rep and the start
of the next rep).
Kickboard: A flotation device held in your hands while practicing your kick.
Lane lines: Tightly stretched cables with floats and discs that run the length
of pools. These absorb waves and define space for lap swimming.
Length: One length of the pool. Variation: lap.
Long course: Pool swimming in which one length is 50 meters.
Masters: An organized, coached fitness swim for adults.
Open water: Swimming in a river, lake or ocean, as opposed to pool swimming.
Pull: A drill in which you swim using only your arms. Typically done with a
pull buoy (floatation device) between your legs.
Raccoon eyes: Circular marks left in your face by goggles.
Repetition: A specified distance to swim, such as 50 yards.
Sighting: Raising your head to find a landmark so you can remain on
course in open water.
Short course: Pool swimming in which one length is 25 yards (or, less
common in the U.S., 25 meters).
Stroke count: The number of strokes required to swim one length of a
pool. You count the number of times each hand enters the water in front of you. A lower
count usually translates into more efficient swimming.
Swimmer’s shoulder: Common injury in which the prime swimming muscles
(such as latissimus dorsi, pectoralis major and triceps) become too strong for the
shoulder-stabilizing muscles (such as rotator cuff muscles). Without dryland training
of the stabilizing muscles, this condition can lead to tendinitis.
Windmill: Someone whose arms move quickly through the water.
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