Will training in a 25m pool have an adverse impact on swimmers?
The simple answer is no, training in a 25m pool is not a major disadvantage for swimmers. In fact, many swim coaches would argue that training in a short course (25 metre or 25 yard) swimming pool provides each swimmer and their coach with more opportunities to practice a variety of skills in preparation for racing.
Swimming in a 25m pool
Swimming in a 25m pool allows the athlete to increase dramatically the number of turns they do each practice. In a 200m swim they will do 7 turns compared with only 3 in a 50m pool. Because the turn and underwater swimming off each turn is so important in today’s swimming, the extra practice can lead to major improvements in both short course and long course racing. Doing turns correctly in a short course pool assists the swimmer to manage their breath control more easily.
Short course swimming is also good for speed work. Sets like dive 15m sprints with 10m easy can be done whereby the swimmer hops out at the end of the pool and walks back.
Training in a 25m pool will also allow the coach to be closer to the athlete more often as they can walk around the ends of the pool and watch an athlete’s technique and skills more closely, more often.
In races, we see faster speeds in short course events than long course. This is mainly due to the extra turns one gets in the short course events. The extra turns in the short course events have many advantages. These include increased speed after each turn (from the push off the wall) and a period of inactivity after each turn when the arms are streamlined underwater. Both of these produce a decrease in lactate concentration in blood and muscle and also lower the heart rate of the swimmer.
Compared with a 50m pool
There are however, some advantages of training in a 50m pool that are difficult but not impossible to replicate in a 25m pool. Training in a 50m pool will help swimmers to build their endurance capacity. While short course swimming has a focus on turns, long course is well known for the consistent building of speed through each lap. Swimmers must hold there stroke technique and rate for twice as long as they need to in a 25m pool. Training in a 50m pool will build a different type of endurance that is beneficial for both short and long course swimming.
In an ideal world, it would be nice for swimmers to train in both a 25m and 50m pool however many athletes have been successful training primarily in one or the other.
Hi Gary
Many thanks for your response (Training in a 25m pool). Very informative and much appreciated. I think this largely depends on getting the swimmer’s technique right in terms of turns, stroke and strategy for enhancing endurance. My question stemmed from watching a young swimmer who achieved several National times whilst training in a 50m pool and has now dropped in his performance after converting to training in a 25m pool. However, going on the information you have provided and watching this swimmer’s technique after converting to training in a 25m pool, I am of the opinion that he had achieved those National times (whilst training in a 50m pool) purely through his level of fitness. After converting to the 25m pool, his endurance has suffered, his technique is exposed (continuing bad turns at practice being carried into competition), his cadence, his kicking and overall performance has set him back. Whilst he achieves an occasional PB, I think this is attributed to ongoing growth and not improved performance. My opinion is based on the fact that swimmers of the same age group are doing far better times, on occasions, adding to their own times yet beating him easily. Some of these swimmers he surpassed whilst training in a 50m pool. All other swimmers in his age group train in 50m pools. I thank you for your response and will continue to learn from the ongoing and invaluable information you provide.
I had a swimmer make Nationals for 3 years training in a 25m. She had impeccable underwater work and turns. Most swimmers that compete in 200m events or less are sprint swimmers so the endurance wasn’t such an issue. Kept the rest interval short to help wiith endurance.
I think qge group swimmers thrive in the shorter pools because all they want to do is train and race FAST. 25m pools are easier to pick them up sooner on their technique.