By Mat Luebbers

Swimmers, can saying a few words to yourself while you are in the ocean or swimming pool make a difference to how you swim? Can what you think or say to yourself while you swim in a race change what happens? Swimmers could benefit - and swim faster - by applying a little sports psychology. Use positive, powerful words and affirmations to build a strong self-image and achieve swimming success.

While you are swimming, if you say a few words that strengthen or build your self image, you will cancel out some of the negative things encountered during a workout or race. Repeating a short, positive phrase or a few power words will help you ignore distractions and outside influences like:

• Minor aches and pains
• Other swimmers' distracting antics
• How many repeats you still need to complete to finish a set that seems to be going on forever
• The homework you still have left to do today
• The person swimming RIGHT behind me, touching my toes every other stroke

Saying a few, simple words or a short phrase, over and over, works like self-hypnosis. In this case, you don't want to do the "you are getting sleepy" routine, you want to use words or phrases that make you feel strong, secure, powerful, and confident. Repeat a positive affirmation that makes you feel good. Repeating that positive affirmation, power words, or self-talk will help your self-confidence. In turn, by increasing your self-confidence levels, you will increase your own ability to push yourself in a race or workout, and you will be more likely to achieve success - and more likely to swim faster.

What are the power words to use? Each swimmer may have different words or phrases that they like the best. What is the difference? It might be the specific words, it might be the order of the words, or it might even be the rhythm or timing of the words, but a positive self-affirmation - self-talk - must be individualized and custom-fit to each swimmer. The following paragraphs have some ideas to help you develop your own power words or affirmations.

Power Words for Swimmers

Swimmers can say a few words while in the swimming pool and make a difference in how they swim. What you think or say while you swim in a race changes what happens in the race. Swimmers benefit - and can swim faster - by applying a little sports psychology. Use positive, powerful words and affirmations to build a strong self-image and achieve swimming success.

Some of the power words I use regularly include:

• "smooth... strong..." on alternate arm pulls when I am cruising
• "smooth... smooth..." when I am rushing things
• "strong... strong..." when I feel a bit tired
• "hip... hip..." when I feel like I am not getting enough body rotation
• "steady... steady..." when I start too fast in a race or practice set, or if I let negative thoughts creep in to the mix
• And sometimes I just sing a song or repeat some lyrics (lucky for me - or maybe for them - no one can hear when I do this!)

Here are a few other ideas to get you started:

• Strong
• Now
• I feel good
• Smooth
• Power
• Roll
• Flow
• Stretch
• Easy
• Relax
• Reach
• Go
  

Swim On!

Reprinted from About Swimming - http://swimming.about.com

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