Swim Terminology

New to swimming or just not sure what something means? In either case, you'll hopefully find what you're looking for on this list.

Pools

Long Course

Refers to any swimming pool 50m long, hence any Long Course championships will be held in a 50m pool.

Short Course

For a pool to be classed as Short Course it must be either 25 yards or 25m long.

Races

DQ

Disqualified. Your swim did not comply with the Rules.

DNQ

Did Not Qualify. Found in results to indicate a swimmer did not progress from the heats to the final.

DNS

Did Not Start. This will sometimes appear next to a swimmers name in the results of an event which they had entered but either did not turn up for or withdrew from.

DNF

Did Not Finish. Also found in the results, this indicates that a swimmer failed to finish the race.

Heat

A preliminary round to determine which swimmers go on to the final. Swimmers will usually be put in entered time order, with the fastest swimmers going in the last heat.

Splits

Time it takes to complete a given section of a race. For example, your 50m split on a 100m swim would be the time it took you to complete the first 50m of the race. Splits can be very helpful when planning how to pace an event.

Individual Medley (IM)

Race in which a different stroke is swum for each 1/4 of the race. Usually either a 100m, 200m or 400m distance. Strokes are swum in butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, freestyle order.

Freestyle

An event in which any stroke can be used. Almost always swimmers use front crawl as it the quickest of the four strokes.

Blocks

The same principle as starting blocks in a running race. Swimmers use these as a small platform from which to launch themselves into the water at the start of a race.

Training 

Freestyle

The official name of the front crawl stroke used more commonly at a competitive level.

Dolphin Kick

Usually used for the butterfly stroke, and the start and turns in a race, as it is very fast. It involves a whipping motion with the legs, keeping your feet together, similar to how a dolphin swims.

Flip Turns

Underwater somersaults used in backstroke and freestyle that allow swimmers to push off from the wall for the next length.

Taper

This is a technique used mainly to prepare for important meets. Started a few weeks before the event, the swimmer will decrease the amount of meters swum each session, while resting more and increasing the intensity of their sprints.

Kick-Board

Floatation device used to support the upper body whilst working the legs only. Used on a 'kick' set, the board will usually be used with fins.

Pull-Buoy

A small float that has been specially designed to fit comfortably between the legs, making the swimmer use their arms only. They come in many shapes and colors.

Paddles

Worn on the hands (usually whilst using a Pull-buoy) these increase the surface area of the hands adding more resistance when pulling, helping to build up shoulder strength and power.

Fins

Most fins are made of natural rubber. Some are made of high-density, heat-treated polyurethane and will last forever. You can choose between short training fins or longer-size fins.