Get a coach or friend. You'll have to get someone to oversee you while you train. Your coach or friend will help you in various ways. They will observe you while you swim and perhaps look at your flaws in technique. They will also get your time during practices to see how much you improved. If you already have one then good, they will really help you in your swimming career.
Improve your stamina and over-all fitness. You should be doing an all-out in your 50 meter freestyle, and breathing minimally. Some swimmers tend to fatigue and slow down on their last 25 meters, resulting to a slow 50 freestyle. Doing dry land exercises will greatly contribute in increasing your fitness level and stamina. Planks, push-ups, sit-ups, and running are a few. The intensity of these workouts might vary with age, gender and level of swimmers. Ask your coach for a workout plan for you.
Improve your dive. A well executed dive can trim as much as 3 seconds of your time, so make sure you make the most out of your dive. Have a friend video you as you dive. Observe the video and look at your flaws. Are your legs and arms straight? Is your core tight and contracted? Does your body enter the water in a narrow hole? Does it take you a long time to react to the go signal? Evaluate your dive and list the areas you need to improve. Now that you know what you have to do and improve, go back to the pool and continue to practice to dive (your friend will continue to video you). Continue to practice until you can finally dive sharply and make the most out of your dive.
Improve your underwater dolphin kicks. Underwater dolphin kicks are essential to keep the momentum from your dive, and will definitely increase your time when done properly. Start from your dive phase when practicing this so you have a feel on the momentum from your dive. Go to the diving block, dive, do your underwater dolphins and swim 5 strokes of freestyle. Make sure to have a friend video this. Did you start your stroke too early and immediately kill the momentum from your dive? Were you too slow underwater? Was your dive to deep and gave you a hard time to recover? Observe the video and look at the distance covered by your underwater dolphins and the time it took. Make sure the distance does not exceed 15 meters, as doing so will get you disqualified in a race. Go continue your practice again and try to beat your previous time in this exercise. Try big kicks and small kicks and get which one works best for you by comparing the time of each technique. The size and speed of the dolphin kicks can vary with different person's height and built.
Improve your pulls. Make your strokes efficient by making less drag while swimming. Stretch your arms forward as if you are reaching something then pull down as fast as you can. Doing pull sets can help you with increasing the power and velocity created by your pulls. The best one to ask about the intensity and your workout plan is your coach, as again, the intensity can vary from swimmer to swimmer. Make sure you have a good stretch before you do the pull sets to prevent shoulder injuries.
Improve your kicks. Get a kick board and let a friend time your 50 meter time kicking. To improve your speed kick faster and harder. Contract your butt muscles to increase the speed and efficiency of your kicks. Imagine a coin in your butt and try your best to squeeze it and keep it in place. You will know when you have the right technique, when your time in your 50 kick drops.
Improve your finish. The touch is one of the most awaited part in any race. It tells who the winner will be. The 50 meter freestyle is a very tight race, so the speed of your last 5 meters and the touch will greatly affect your time. Once you see the flag (5 meter mark) kick as hard as you can, pull harder and try to start your estimation on which hand will touch the wall. It is important to not breathe on this last 5 meter of the race. End the race with a full stroke. Meaning, touch the wall with a fully extended arm. Don't breathe on your last stroke and keep your head down. Make sure you give all the energy that you have left on this phase.
Get enough rest. Start resting and decreasing your workload, 2 weeks before your competition. A well rested body will give you more energy, thus giving a better result and a faster swim.
Eat healthy foods. Give your body the nutrition and energy it needs to go at its maximum performance level. Eat a light meal before your race. You don't want to upset your stomach and have problems during the race.
Focus. You have to stay focused on the race itself. Think about beating your best time. Don't feel scared, afraid, or nervous on the race. Instead, think that you will be the first to finish, and try your best to do it. With a well rested and fed body, right mindset, proper dive, underwater dolphins, pulls, kicks, and finish, nothing can stop you from beating your best time and win. Let your opponents eat your bubbles!
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