The Smoothest 59 Second 100m Freestyle Ever?

I caught up with Olympian Dan Smith and recorded him swimming a very comfortable 59-second 100m freestyle from a wall push (no dive!). You'll also notice some subtle differences in his technique compared to the last video we posted. Can you spot them?
You might have seen our recent analysis of his stroke at slow speed. Watch the video here: • Freestyle Swimming: Ho...
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[@EffortlessSwimming]

If you’re enjoying these videos, hit the LIKE and SUBSCRIBE button on this video. It helps us reach more people. Thanks 🙏

[@mattgordonn]

Effortless Swimming is a 53.48 SCY 100 free as a 13 year old good

[@edge_bob]

This isn't a 25m pool????

[@watchout2827]

this is shorter than 25 meter, if it's 25 meter then this guy looks like he's 3 meters long = over 9 ft tall

[@eegnoagn8048]

This is 25m pool. Whatever wrongly perceived from the side rope is camera lens aberation.

[@watchout2827]

It's more of a 25 yard pool , it took him 8-9 strokes per length , while michael phelps takes avg 12 strokes in a 25 meter , just check out other professional swimmers race or past Olympics

[@tonyjablonski]

Dolphin kicks and flip turns are the secret sauce here. They represent 10 meters each turn, leaving only 60 meters of fluid freestyle. Great video.

[@Jim63071]

Holy shit, those kicks though...

[@claspuse3167]

@@Jim63071 he may have double jointed knees

[@Jim63071]

@@claspuse3167 Does that help?

[@claspuse3167]

@@Jim63071 I guess so. Watch Michael Phelps kick

[@hoolerboris]

It sounds like a reasonable assumption but there's videos of him doing 100m in 59s just as smoothly and impressively in a 50m pool

[@B1GM4]

In my head I look like that in the water but you can double that time lol

[@kaystoeffler]

Haha, same with me! Seems to me like he's got an invisible propeller attached that gives him that much extra propulsion at such a low stroke rate. :)

[@omarlerouge5420]

OR it's a 12.5 m pool :)) seriously I really don't get it. even the kick is soft.. may he got very strong arms I donno.

[@YoungTurksClub.]

Lol. Thought about the same thing!!!

[@montexic5201]

Maybe he’s taller and has more muscle? + technique and frequent practice?

[@justinlin7505]

哈哈

[@nanofan100]

These videos are inspiring and depressing at the same moment.

[@joseangelvieyragaytan7872]

Barna Bálint 😪

[@rbanerjee605]

I totally agree.

[@jackjack1244]

I cant agree with you more.

[@redachekroune]

This a yard pool tho

[@ahmedbennani5148]

@@redachekroune nop it's not

[@thibod07]

Awesome! 9 to 10 strokes per 25 meters all under 15 seconds! That is something Very few people can do. Thank you for sharing with all the measurements on the screen as this swimmer is so smooth it is hard to believe that he moves that quickly.

[@user-fw6zn2yq1t]

Swimmers know who's professional or not, and you count strokes, I bet you were a professional at least once in your life.

[@mishacol]

Long armed people can.

[@tankutyldrm5156]

İts not 25 Mt,its 20 yard pool

[@theswimmer4185]

@@tankutyldrm5156 How do you know?

[@tankutyldrm5156]

@@theswimmer4185 i just guest because in Abd they using diffrent metric sistem

[@MrVpassenheim]

I kept telling myself, "Well, I bet that's a 25y pool that he's claiming to be a 25m pool..." - All of it to make myself feel better for seeing somebody make a sub 60 100m (what is that a 53/54 100y equivalent?) look so freakin' effortless. Seriously, your technique, streamlining, etc. - a thing of beauty....and envy lol. Non-swimmers don't quite understand/can't appreciate the performance you just showed here.

[@TD-sl3ee]

What i find especially inspiring about his freestyle is his use of the arms and hands- the line he draws from the top of his fingers through the arm. It's perfection

[@filipkoodziejczak1862]

Wow, that's impressive. Probably the smoothest thing I've seen today.

[@gdog7066]

it's just impressing, it's poetic when you swim

[@sup9894]

I find myself thinking "good angle of the head, the eyes looking 45° to the front. Good wrist position, good catch... The legs don't create drag..." With your voice in my head 😂 it's very relaxing to watch this guy!!

[@EffortlessSwimming]

😂

[@edwinleong229]

Looking 45 is good

[@AdithyaRA26]

Meanwhile everyone outside the pool think I'm drowning when I freestyle

[@VadimKudim]

It's better than vise versa )

[@kyojin4328]

Xd

[@lillocosta1777]

I currently swim 100m (short course) in 1.04 and I probably spend double of effort compared to him. Thanks for sharing this experience I will definitely try your approach once the swimming pools will open again.

[@eegnoagn8048]

Thanks for the a very educational technique demonstration.

[@RichardLyleEsq]

I was really chuffed with myself for getting under 60s for 50m tonight for the first time. Looks like I still have work to do.

[@EffortlessSwimming]

It’s all relative. Good work on the sub 60!

[@Tellurical]

I swim a 49 100

[@maraisfan4life517]

Richard Lyle hopefully I can get sub 51

[@opticsucc8408]

I swim a 56 mid and I’m 14 idk if that’s good.

[@danielfoley9034]

@@opticsucc8408 For yards I swim a 50.4 for the 100 free, I think it's good, it's an AAA time.

[@mlegrand]

I don’t know why that’s so satisfying to watch but it is. 👍

[@Nice5fps]

Because its S M O O T H

[@Falquiboy]

Beautiful underwater kicks

[@NickGoldston]

Matt, you're everywhere and I love it

[@mlegrand]

@@NickGoldston - I stalk all of the cinematography and triathlon channels. 🙌

[@Arni_Klbg]

Perfect Video. Thx so much!

[@marlonmcdonaldproject600]

Wtf, the guy swims more smoother than a fkn dolphin

[@JorgeMartinez-jp6vk]

I love this style, I wish I could make it similar. Differences are four wall impulses with dolphin kick and more cadence.

[@ivanxx-op9oo]

Is it crol right?

[@servantofgod9679]

..//.. So we are all born with sin, but in order to get to HEAVEN we would have to be sinless, bc HEAVEN is a place w/o sin. This was not possible, but through HIS ONE AND ONLY SON JESUS CHRSIT, (GOD in the flesh) HE lived a perfect sinless life, and died the death we deserved as sinners, being crucified and whipped and tortured and suffocating to death. So HE could repay our debt of sin, thus making us able to go to HEAVEN. You see GOD loves us so much that not only did HE do all that for us, but HE made it free, GOD made is so that all we had to do to accept this free gift was to but our FAITH AND TRUST in JESUS, in what HE did for us. Thats it, that's all we needed to do. And in doing so HE will use us, in order to spread HIS love to others, to be vessels of HIS grace. I am just a mere peasant, but even though I am a peasant, GOD honors me like HIS child. HIS love for us is not comprehendible. All HE asks is that you love HIM as HE as loves you first. GOD BLESS.

[@panthiawhelan3565]

I could watch this all day

[@yourrandomguy1117]

this is a super video clearing so many things

[@FranciscoTabiloHuerta]

Truly amazing

[@jonathanevans5453]

Amazing, currently learning to swim and this makes it looks so easy!

[@lohanmiquelito1458]

How the hell is that possible, i have to sprint all out to go under 30. You got some real talent man, would love to see you swim long distance!

[@johny.echevers]

lol, he's an olympian bro. I'm sure you can find plenty of videos of him in long course.

[@pieterriley4846]

I did the same thing, only the clock stopped showed 2.11😃

[@steeevo93]

Very clean!

[@kieranoloughlin]

The head position is very interesting. Almost always totally immersed (bum up), also demonstrating great natural flexibility in his shoulders plus a superb inherent feel for the water ...................... part of the recipe that makes up an Olympian i guess . I am envious !

[@7R0bY_300]

That's just so satisfying

[@laurent3653]

Very impressive

[@daveschroeder427]

almost 0 bubbles on hand entry. Incredibly smooth & consistant

[@user-xl3bi6jf9w]

マジですげえ....

[@xuannguyenngo8969]

Wonderful

[@thousandwater]

It looks so good. I wish I could swim so well some day. it does not have to be fast but smooth

[@andrejzekic8208]

Complimenti, impressionante ! E di ispirazione ! 🔝🔝🙌🙌🙌

[@jbragg1001]

I’m not too experienced, but this guy just did my exact 50 m time without even trying and without a block start

[@lemillion91]

I want to cry

[@danielfreeman649]

his whole head is fully under water most of the time. whoa

[@sensi247]

Wasn't the 1.10 long course?Great content as always cheers. Fyi your channel came up when chatting with a stranger in the pool, South coast of the UK. You're getting about mate

[@barunosardadi4717]

Can we have above water and front side view of his swim?

[@Lummers70]

Could watch this for hours.....😁

[@lukeh9300]

I dont get how hes barely kicking and doesnt even look like hes trying and still beats me by 10 seconds

[@Falquiboy]

Push of at turns and great dolphin kicks. A strong/muscle based pull also helps.

[@platinumpineapple9943]

hes strong has great pull

[@kimprojects5747]

Insane

[@amrmuhammad8155]

This cures anxiety :D

[@RigoOXx]

This is amazing, he looked so relaxed! I've gone 57 in a 100, but for looking this relaxed I'd have to go up to like 1:15

[@adamkrecl]

True tho! :D I have 59 in a 100 but I'm swinging like a snake xd

[@alejandrolopez-romero8803]

@@adamkrecl i go a 47 lol

[@firestyt3440]

@@alejandrolopez-romero8803 that’s cap that’s the wr of 100m freestyle

[@alejandrolopez-romero8803]

@@firestyt3440 in yards, in meters i go a 54

[@staycurious644]

This is a reminder to us all: long and strong, long and strong!

[@nurledge]

with just 4 beat kicks; amazing

[@turcenoarthurjamil4364]

damn smooth

[@Alberto.81]

OMG! I wish I had half of his slide and glide.

[@fastwalker128]

Watching that is so ASMR!!!!!

[@BenjaminBriu]

I don’t know ! You may have to break it down!!

[@dariendude2]

With the 4-5 dolphins kicks underwater to start each length, he's effectively cutting each length down to 15-17 meters of actual freestyle stroking. So there's that.

[@Falquiboy]

Exactly

[@Falquiboy]

I reckon in a competition pool this would be around 1:05-1:10

[@williamrasoanaivo5381]

Very powerful dolphin kick though. And all his kicks are very powerful. Can see from the waves they creat around.

[@alexboof4414]

Props to the camera man for keeping up

[@nmejias370]

This guy is a pro ✅👍

[@yanzhuozhoo]

That's Sun Yang's technique. When breathing and the left arm extending kick only once, when not breathing and the other arm extending do continuous three kicks.

[@minesadab]

Close but he's doing more of a 3-beat kick

[@sjdj3000]

Great video! First comment with substance. 😋🏊🏻‍♀️🏊🏻🏊‍♂️

[@Whoizjr]

Look slow but yet so fast ! Graceful swimming my lad 💪

[@servantofgod9679]

..//.. So we are all born with sin, but in order to get to HEAVEN we would have to be sinless, bc HEAVEN is a place w/o sin. This was not possible, but through HIS ONE AND ONLY SON JESUS CHRSIT, (GOD in the flesh) HE lived a perfect sinless life, and died the death we deserved as sinners, being crucified and whipped and tortured and suffocating to death. So HE could repay our debt of sin, thus making us able to go to HEAVEN. You see GOD loves us so much that not only did HE do all that for us, but HE made it free, GOD made is so that all we had to do to accept this free gift was to but our FAITH AND TRUST in JESUS, in what HE did for us. Thats it, that's all we needed to do. And in doing so HE will use us, in order to spread HIS love to others, to be vessels of HIS grace. I am just a mere peasant, but even though I am a peasant, GOD honors me like HIS child. HIS love for us is not comprehendible. All HE asks is that you love HIM as HE as loves you first. GOD BLESS.

[@Domingjm2]

Damn you Dan.

[@GradietPanda12345]

Currently at VA senior champs! 22.02 50 free tonight

[@kepaaguirre5838]

Really good style but pool lanyard is 26-27 blue and white stripes. He is 3 or 3'5 stripes tall. If he is 180-190cm tall then each stripe is 60-70cm long maximun. 27x70= 1890cm. The pool is no longer than 20m.

[@louisjs544]

beware of lense distortion. In his 1.10/100m long course he was averaging 1.7m/stroke with 12-13m underwaters. Put the same here with only 9-10 strokes and you have your 25m

[@zmojofoot76]

If I could go through 100 meters so effortlessly man this would be awesome I have come farther than where I began I am not as tired after doing 50 at least.

[@Nebuchadnezzar_ll]

oh, smooth swimming is so good, that it even makes the air bubbles go up about a quarter faster than in real life. fascinating...

[@joequillun7790]

Wow! That looked "effortless". :)

[@TheRoyalFamilly]

Just got 59 with Combat Side Stroke 100m. Trying to get that technique down with freestyle but it's hard learning on your own without any criticism.

[@CarlosGonzalez-xi6cg]

I need that 😭😭

[@eventhorizon3117]

Less catch up. The pulling arm move faster before the recovery arm is extended fully than at 1:10?

[@Leptus87]

This is my long term goal here. I don't know it is even possible. When I swim with rapid tempo I have pace 1:24-1:30 with avg. 8 SPL on 25 m pool course.

[@glebshataylo6149]

Not too shabby

[@kawserahmed7716]

wow

[@urba-link3576]

Just got back from training. Just saw this video. I'm going to have a little cry which will last longer than 59.81 seconds.

[@Slander764]

59.81 nice man👍👍👍

[@thepemenace948]

It inspires me and makes me mad that it takes this little effort to swim faster than me

[@pedrogomes2399]

Hum, it's a 25m pool, so he has more opportunities to glide and dolphin kick.The only change I noticed is in his right hand entry, which is directed a little bit more downwards, when compared to the first video.

[@genelung8075]

Hmm... Tattoo on the right forearm shows that he is the same guy in the previous video. Surely he's improved his skill.

[@rabbigoldbergsilverstein2899]

Yeah lcm would of been more impressed. Lots of decent swimmers can easily go 59 swimming smooth and slow. And just kick 15 metres each wall.

[@GustavoA177]

It's that or this is a 25 yards pool...

[@ln5747]

@@GustavoA177 it's that.

[@ivanraynovski7886]

So he does two kicks per stroke on his non breathing side and one kick per stroke on his breathing side. Looks so smooth!

[@trykozmaksym]

The differences compared to the last video... - deeper catch and pull? - faster pace - 25 meter pool vs 50? - swimming cap? :) There must be a new video with full comparison soon!

[@kalpeti1]

... and that's not a 25m pool. Check the rope! 25 colored sections. 1 section is less than 1m or the guy is well above 2m.

[@trykozmaksym]

@@kalpeti1 Interesting observation :) but that must be just an optical effect (parallax?) since he's close enough to the camera. According to Wikipedia, he's 190 cm.

[@carlosuarez3161]

Se le ve tranquilo al pana

[@mariuszp9512]

I have seen your freestyle and I'm very impresive about your stroke, can you tell how many meters you are swimming under water before you start swim on the surface?

[@yamabushi170]

Meanwhile on the very same day I did an amazing job of doing 100m in the style of an old potato being pushed uphill....

[@britbyname3620]

Ahhhh, but we all have to start somewhere !

[@0daadaadaa0]

Ah, but you did do 100m. ^_~

[@DraGonite497]

Shout-out to the camera man lmao 😂

[@acelasbysy]

nice

[@ReedersAscent]

holy crap him at a comfortable pace is 59 seconds, when I'm going full speed mine is like 55, and by the end, I'm dying, I hope someday ill be fast enough where I can be comfortable and swim it, I doubt it though.

[@johnswimcat]

Hi Tristin, I'd say you'd have to go back to basics and work on your stroke technique to do it. However in his classic book "The Science of Swimming" James Counsilman said that a major stroke change will slow a swimmer down for a few months, but it may be possible to change technique bit by bit. I haven't swum at all for years and am quite old now but if I do get back in the water I would work almost entirely on stroke technique and not go for any speed until good technique was established. The other thing is pacing. Just going half a second slower on the first 25m of a 4x25 hundred metres, maintaining the pace for the second 25m and giving it all you've got from 65 or 75m could improve your time by half a second to a second. You need to practise this as it feels quite different. Almost all club swimmers I've seen go off too fast and then have to slow down. The same applies to all distances

[@josephpurdy4664]

John Melville Any tips on high elbow catch when doing freestyle. I’ve been struggling

[@johnswimcat]

@@josephpurdy4664 Hi Joseph, I'm no expert though I have done a lot of miles in training. The best advice I can give is to use a snorkel so the breathing doesn't disrupt the stroke and swim slowly so you can really focus on getting the movements and timing right. For movements and timing Effortless Swimming has some of the best advice I've found. It takes time and lots of repetition to establish a good habit. Only then start to breathe without a snorkel, then increase pace. In his book "The Science of Swimming" James Counsilman, who was the father of modern swimming training, says it takes months for a swimmer to make a major stroke change successfully and start to improve on former times. I find it helps to practise the movements you want out of the water. Personally I think it's well worth the time spent developing a good stroke. If you can get someone to video your stroke from different positions above and below water that should be very helpful

[@josephpurdy4664]

John Melville Thank you for the reply. I never realized that a snorkel could help with that part of the stroke because I rarely use one. Thanks for the help! i’ll be sure to look into the book!

[@johnswimcat]

@@josephpurdy4664 The Science of Swimming is an old book now and much of it will have been superseded by improvements in almost every area but Counsilman's thinking is very good. It's worth reading if you can get hold of a copy without spending much and you can apply the analytical approach to your own swimming

[@l0l1p0p7]

The camera man: finally a worthy opponent

[@kently4465]

DAMNNN

[@ghostlyenergy8205]

Das ist so krass

[@bignugget1659]

Camera man is going gods mode rn

[@petemartin1891]

I'm really struggling with breathing for this stroke. going side to side every 3rd stroke for breath. is it ok too do what this guy is going just coming up for air that often? Even if swimming this stroke for 40 mins a time?

[@lukecramer536]

Nobody: The camera man: 🏊🏻‍♂️💨

[@acidocloridrico9168]

Luke Cramer Bro, this not only made no sense, but it was also not funny, this “nobody:” ruins it all. Stop with that shit

[@aram8495]

@@acidocloridrico9168 nobody asked

[@acidocloridrico9168]

Aram K thanks

[@aram8495]

Ácido Clorídrico anytime 😘

[@user-bj3iu5bv2w]

@@aram8495 you mean Nobody: asked

[@ilanvogl779]

What is your best time when you're putting in max effort?

[@user-dn1mx3ir8y]

his flip turn is right hand to push water and body rotate to left

[@mikemosby8000]

2.5 beat kick is fascinating

[@DanielMooreDJ]

I have the same kick pattern as him and my coach thinks it’s weird 😂

[@margaretbarnett7878]

Yeah, picked up on that too. I suspect it's an instinctive balancing kick, nothing wrong with it at all if it appears in your stroke, I would think.

[@DanielMooreDJ]

Margaret Barnett Yes is a balancing think for me also. My right kick is more efficient than my left and an extra kick on the left helps me have an even rotation

[@mamamamamamamable]

Awesome. Is it normal to have such little foot activity though?

[@user-ix8wx5ks4g]

thats like a 20yd pool.

[@SwimmingLabJakubNowakowski]

It is simply amazing ! Looks like no effort at all but still so fast... I was wondering how it corelates with open water swimming ? If this is 59s/100m what would be Your avg. in open water or Tri ? Have You ever tried and measured ? Thank You for all the materials - it is great inspiration for me :)

[@Martinexefer]

1:05/100m could be a probably pace

[@SwimmingLabJakubNowakowski]

@@Martinexefer Thanks! How did You calculate it ? It would be super fast considering that olympic gold for Rio Men's Open Water Marathon Final avg. is above 1:07/100m

[@Martinexefer]

@@SwimmingLabJakubNowakowski Olympics Marathon Final is 10k long. The swimming part of an Ironman for example is 3.8k, so if they only did that distance the 1.07 it could be 1.05

[@SwimmingLabJakubNowakowski]

@@Martinexefer Makes sense! That is around Brownlee's pace at Olympic distance. Thanks for Your comments !

[@Martinexefer]

@@SwimmingLabJakubNowakowski you're welcome

[@masongao123]

Look how high that mans hips are! Poetry

[@anthonybruno8965]

It looks like he has a 3 beat kick if I'm not mistaken. Didn't know that was a thing

[@Zumaray]

Anthony Bruno are you talking about the little double kick on the one side?

[@syazwanahmad9679]

Its personal preference i think. Sometimes i would do that too

[@paulhetherington3854]

It's the - kipp tech, and breath control.

[@Trinidadianbeti]

Make us free 🎶

[@dannytwosocks]

Should I persevere with my bilateral breathing or stick to one side? How can I engage my lats more through my catch and pull?

[@bindi123pepper123]

dannytwosocks engage lats more by rotating your shoulder/body more into the water and making your elbow angle sharper as you’re pulling back. doing that should make you use more of your back/lats instead of just your arms.

[@sonnygarrett9894]

The camera man though really be swimming fast

[@matthewgiardinelli8450]

I kicked in this video like yea sure guy whatever mines definitely faster. I’m in awe rn

[@babackd.6485]

One kick on the breathing side and two on the other side. Interesting. Never thought of two right kicks in a row