Neural training and control are essential skills for elite athletes. These skills combined with strength, agility, and flexibility are a few characteristics which separate professional athletes from pretenders. Some sports demand more neural control for success than others, but no matter the sport the elite athletes utilize precise neural control. I've worked with elite swimmers, NHL, and NBA players helping me grasp the varying level of neural control required at the top. From my experience, swimmers reply more on neural control compared to other sports.
One reason I feel neural control is higher in swimmers is due to the volume of swimmers who are purely 'aquatic animals'. These swimmers run like they are wearing stilts while riding a unicycle! During dryland, coaches cringe and pray that these swimmers will not injure themselves as they run around with their feet pigeon toed and back arched.
These one-dimensional swimmers are unique; it is rare to find another sport where the participants can only perform their sport. This may be due to the aqueous medium, the novel/unnatural movements, or the complex movements required in swimming. Nonetheless, swimming requires more neural control. Requiring more neural control has its pros and cons.
One reason I feel neural control is higher in swimmers is due to the volume of swimmers who are purely 'aquatic animals'. These swimmers run like they are wearing stilts while riding a unicycle! During dryland, coaches cringe and pray that these swimmers will not injure themselves as they run around with their feet pigeon toed and back arched.
These one-dimensional swimmers are unique; it is rare to find another sport where the participants can only perform their sport. This may be due to the aqueous medium, the novel/unnatural movements, or the complex movements required in swimming. Nonetheless, swimming requires more neural control. Requiring more neural control has its pros and cons.
- Pro: It is easier to become an 'elite' athlete. If mastering specific movements is the highest contributor to success, than athlete's with lower amounts of elite physical characteristics have potential for successful. This is one reason many old school, grinder coaches love the sport. These coaches often feel they can paint the lines of a zebra and create a thoroughbred.
- Con: Many swimmers and swim coaches rely heavily on this neural control, neglecting the importance of athleticism and overall fitness. This inhibits overall success and potential.
In other sports, excelling can involve being good at one specific movement. For example, a good basketball player may only be good at one aspect of basketball, rebounding. Being a dominant force on the glass makes an elite basketball player. In swimming, just being good at streamlining doesn't make you elite. Most good swimmers are good at swimming. They can be mediocre at starts or turns, but being good at swimming is essential (note this is for long course, short course relies more on turns, allowing athletic ability more important).
Finale
Despite this high volume of neural training required for swimming success, there is no need to dismiss athletic ability in swimming. Athleticism and neural control are additive, not separate entities. As one rises, the other does not fall. Unfortunately, many inhibit the volume of athlete's in the sport, impairing the top percentage of athletes in the sport. I feel this is the main reason the United State's dominance in the sport is rapidly decreasing. Equalize neural and athletic training to enhance both.
By Dr. G. John Mullen, DPT, CSCS. He is the founder of the Center of Optimal Restoration, creator of the Swimmer's Shoulder System, and head strength coach at Santa Clara Swim Club.

