Your Stroke Length is how far you travel with every arm stroke. To measure this count the number of strokes you take to cover a length of the pool, counting both arms. The fewer strokes you take the longer your stroke.
Your Stroke Rate is how many strokes you take in a minute, counting both arms. For example, 40 Strokes Per Minute (SPM) is a slow stroke rate, 80 SPM is a high stroke rate.
Swim Smooth believe that the word 'glide' has a lot to answer for! Whenyou add an element of glide into your stroke you introduce a pause. That hurts your rhythm. Imagine riding a bike and pausing on every pedal stroke!
When you glide you also slow down. On your next stroke you have to re-accelerate yourself, which feels hard.
Have you experienced this? Do you have a long stroke but on each stroke it feels hard, like a lot of force is required to maintain the long stroke? That's because you're having to re-accelerate all your body mass on every stroke!
Remove the glide, don't decelerate between strokes and it'll feel easier and be faster.