I've seen too many athletes with big engines work hard (with underlying poor mechanics) and all that happens is their "engine out-torques the chassis" and fast swimming gets expensive from a metabolic efficiency perspective.

There are nuances in *ideal* stroke rate specific to a given individual and the water conditions but as your sustainable swim speed increase SPM will trend up and if it doesn't then one has likely substantively improved one's propulsion through technique.

If you want to improve your strokes per minute first figure out what your SPM is when you swim with your best perceived stroke.

Then focus on trying to swim short distances with 2-3spm higher (a). Once you can do that try longer distances (b). Once you can do that go back to (a) and repeat.

If you are unsure whether you have a basic level of technique I would encourage you to seek help with that first.

Technique under load is great but only if the technique is decent to start.

Regards

David

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David T-D
http://www.tilburydavis.com

I've been struggling with this over the years as well, but luckily my coach recently saw me swim in person and he gave me some stuff to help fix it.

1) buy a tempo trainer
2) do a "step test" to figure out the curve insofar as your stroke rate relates to your speed

Something like, 50s on ~1min starting at 65bpm and then progressing by 1 beat each 50. Write down your split times (to the tenth if you can) and you'll see a point at which your efficiency decreases (stroke rate increases but time remains the same for example).

Then you can start doing sets based around that knowledge.

But yea, it's tough and frustrating.

ETA - I waited 1min too long to respond!

What are your current pool splits and stroke rates?

Gotta be really careful and measure yourself at different stroke rates in these open water situations to know what rate is optimal.
If you just focus on stroke rate , its easy to cheat and make your stroke rate faster, but end up slower overall.