One thing I talk to swimmers about a lot is that shoulder issues rarely appear suddenly — they usually build slowly over time.
I learnt this the hard way myself, both during my competitive swimming career as a young man and recently in November 2024, when I decided to try to break the Australian Masters record in the 50-54 100m free, and tried to cram too much training into too short a period. I only did 6 weeks of training to break the WA State Record, and because that wasn't too hard, my body could handle the load. But as soon as I tried to increase the load, my history of shoulder injuries reared its head, and I had to stop.
I still pressed on to do the Country Pennants in March 2025 with the Busselton Swimming Club, and we broke some records in the relays, but my shoulder was in extreme pain, and I had to stop and seek treatment.
It was a good reminder that even experienced swimmers can get caught out when progression outpaces the body's ability to adapt.
As swimmers, we ask the shoulders to perform thousands of repetitive movements every week, often while fatigued, tight through the upper back, or lacking stability around the shoulder blades. If movement quality breaks down, the shoulders eventually begin to absorb loads they were never designed to handle, in directions they are not prepared for.
One of the simplest and most effective exercises swimmers can use to support shoulder health is the IYTW drill.
This is a land-based movement sequence that helps strengthen the smaller stabilising and postural muscles around the shoulders and upper back — areas that are incredibly important for maintaining good swimming mechanics.
The letters describe the arm positions:
- I – arms overhead
- Y – arms slightly angled
- T – arms out to the side
- W – elbows bent and shoulder blades engaged
The movements themselves are controlled and deliberate, but they help swimmers develop:
- Better scapular control
- Improved posture
- Stronger shoulder stability
- A greater awareness of shoulder positioning
- Improved support for freestyle catch and recovery
What I like about these drills is that swimmers often feel the difference in the water quite quickly. Strokes feel smoother, shoulders feel less compressed, and swimmers become more aware of how they move through each phase of the stroke.
Importantly, these exercises are not about building “big strength.” They are about restoring good movement patterns and helping swimmers move efficiently, by providing BALANCE in the 4 muscles of the rotator cuff.
Additionally, they can be performed prone on the ground, while stronger athletes can do them with stretch bands attached to a wall.
For many adult and master's swimmers, shoulder problems are often less about fitness and more about posture, mobility, and cumulative overload.
As swimmers get older, recovery changes. We can still improve, still train well, and still enjoy swimming at a high level — but we need to become smarter about how we prepare the body.
That means:
- recognising early signs of strain
- progressing training gradually
- maintaining mobility
- building stability
- and understanding that good technique starts before we even enter the pool
Often, the best approach is small, consistent preventive work that keeps the body moving well in the long term, as consistency is so important in all endurance sports.
In particular, swimming is the most individual of the endurance sports, because water is heavy, and efficiency counts. It is sometimes much better to have more efficient movements, rather than just fitness or strength, if you want to become a better athlete.
See you poolside, Andrew
