Most high school swimmers lose races in the first 15 meters — not the last 15.

You push off the wall, you're underwater, and instead of holding a tight streamline with a controlled dolphin kick, you rush to the surface. You pop up too early, lose momentum, and spend the first 3-4 strokes just getting back up to speed.

Meanwhile, the swimmer in the lane next to you held their streamline for an extra half-second, took 2 more underwater kicks, and broke the surface already at race pace.

That half-second compounds across every wall in a 200 free. That's 7 walls. 7 opportunities to gain or lose ground.

The fix is simple but takes discipline:

• Hold your streamline until you feel yourself slowing down, not before

• Practice controlled dolphin kicks — power > speed

• Count your kicks off each wall during practice. Make it consistent

I break down the full underwater phase — plus the 3 other technique fixes that drop the most time for club swimmers — inside StrokeHouse.

If you're a competitive swimmer trying to shave time this season, this is for you.