Most coaches design sets to build fitness.

 

But racing isn’t just about fitness — it’s mostly about executing skills under pressure.

 

So what happens when swimmers get fitter, without developing their skills?

 

• They stop getting faster.

• They miss cuts.

• Some eventually quit.

 

If your workouts don’t integrate skill development — every day, every set — then you’re training fitness, not performance.

 

Most coaches recognize that skills are the difference between winning and losing.

 

Yet they fail to build skill work into their training in a consistent, systematic way.

 

And writing one great set is just the starting point.

Skills have to be challenged over time if they’re going to show up in races.

 

If you’re like most coaches, you may appreciate these concepts and believe in them, but you’re not sure exactly how to make it happen in your practices.

 

You need help taking ideas and turning them into real sets that swimmers actually do.

 

That’s why I created the Set Design Intensive.

 

What This Is

 

A 5‑session, one‑on‑one virtual coaching program where you learn how to design sets that develop skill and fitness.

 

• Five 50‑minute Zoom calls, just you and me

• 100% focused on taking concepts and applying them to your actual training

• You’ll be writing sets the whole time, with live feedback

 

You’ll learn:

 

• How to design sets that help swimmers create more propulsion while still training hard

• How to build skill development into the sets and cycles you’re already using

• How to progress those sets over time so skills keep improving and show up in races

 

The goal is simple:
 

Make the practices you already write more effective at building the skills that matter.

 

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Why Focus on Propulsion

 

To keep the course practical and focused, we center everything on propulsion.

 

• How swimmers hold more water

• How they create more effective force in all strokes and underwater

• How to design tasks that make those changes happen in training

 

All coaching and content is geared towards designing sets to help swimmers develop that key skill.

 

Once you understand how to build propulsion into sets, you’ll have the tools to apply the same thinking to other skills.

 

The Framework We’ll Use

 

We’ll walk through an exact framework for designing effective sets throughout an entire season:

 

1. Understand the targeted skill

2. Identify strategies to improve that skill using task design and constraints

3. Design effective sets that build both skill and fitness

4. Progressively challenge skills so they hold up at speed and under fatigue

5. Evolve sets over a season to build toward championship performance

 

Each step is critical.

 

You can’t write great sets if you don’t understand the skill and the strategies.
 

And even the “perfect” set needs to evolve over time to continue to challenge swimmers.

 

You’ll learn how to do it all.

 

How the Intensive Runs

 

You’ll learn all this during five 50‑minute one‑on‑one Zoom calls.

 

Each call is recorded so you can revisit the discussion and examples anytime.

 

We’ll review and create sets every session so you’re applying the concepts immediately.

 

Here’s what we typically cover:

 

• Day 1 – The skills of propulsion and performance strategies for improving propulsion

• Day 2 – Sensory strategies for improving propulsion

• Day 3 – Set design frameworks to optimize how you implement skill development strategies

• Day 4 – Set progression over time so you can continue to challenge skills

• Day 5 – Integrating skill development into your season plan and how set design changes throughout the year

 

Throughout the process, I’ll:

 

• Work with you in real time to implement these ideas into your own sets

• Provide feedback on how to adjust sets so they do what you want them to do

 

This course is all about practical application.
 

The focus is on helping you make it happen in your real‑world context.

 

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What You Also Get

 

To support the live coaching, you’ll also receive:

 

Skill videos with commentary

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• Videos of key propulsion‑related skills across all strokes

• Paired with my commentary on what’s happening and why it matters

 

Written documents and educational videos

• Covering everything we talk about, so you can dive deeper on any topic later

• You don’t have to worry about missing a concept; it’s all documented in a simple, easy‑to‑use format

 

Set design checklists

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• Tools to guide you through writing sets designed to help swimmers create more propulsion

• Especially valuable early on as you learn to implement these ideas

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Strategy checklists

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• Quick references for the options you have to improve propulsion in training

 

75+ example sets across all strokes

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• Each with a video explanation of what’s happening and why the set is designed that way

 

What Coaches Are Saying

 

“Before I connected with Andrew, I struggled to maintain consistent progression within my group. Some swimmers would do extremely well, while many others plateaued or only got marginally better. It was inconsistent and wildly unpredictable.

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After I finished Andrew's set design course, I understood what was going on under the hood and was able to make practices more enjoyable for both the athletes and myself.

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Andrew's approach to skill development and ability to articulate it to others helped my club get its first finalist at Winter Junior Nationals, got many B swimmers up to AA standards or better, and break team records across all age groups.”

– Anthony P.

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Working with Andrew has been great! He breaks down complicated concepts into simple principles that I can easily understand and explain to my athletes, and the way he covers propulsion across all strokes and underwater kicking gave me a clear system for teaching these skills, setting up practices, and continually challenging my swimmers. It's really helped me see how to track their progress and keep pushing them in a way that makes these skills translate into their swimming.

 

-Travis A.

 

I highly recommend Andrew’s course. I learned creative strategies on how to design swimming sets that help swimmers maintain and improve their technique even while training. Andrew has given me an alternative approach to the constant challenge of teaching competitive swimming skills, correcting stroke mechanics, and providing interesting workouts for my swimmers.

 

-Steve H.

 

Taking this course with Andrew opened up my imagination to new possibilities for helping my swimmers achieve their goals in a constructive manner that challenges not only them but myself. I highly recommend taking this course. I'm not one that is easily impressed, but this course taught me more in 5 sessions than I've learned over the last several years.

 

-Naji A.

 

This is a Ph.D. level course in stroke mechanics, skill development, workout writing, and swimmer engagement.  Andrew is a fantastic teacher who has put a lot of thought into nearly every aspect of elite swimming.  This is the perfect course to help the average swim coach develop into an expert in what it takes to become an elite swimmer.

 

-Kevin B.

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Investment

 

I’ve spent a lot of time and money learning these ideas, putting them into practice, and helping other coaches do the same.

 

You don’t have to repeat that process.

 

You can shortcut that process.

 

The investment for the Set Design Intensive is $499.

 

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If you prefer to pay with PayPal or have any issues with checkout, email me at andrew@andrewsheaffcoaching.com and we’ll figure it out.

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FAQ

 

What technology is required?

All you need is an internet connection and a device that can run Zoom with video. I’ll send you a link before each call.

 

How does scheduling work?

Since it’s just you and me, we work together to find times that fit. At the end of each call, we schedule the next one. The goal is one call per day so you can move through the material quickly, but we can adjust based on your schedule.

 

Does the course cover other skills?

The main focus is on helping swimmers learn to hold more water and create more propulsion. The concepts and frameworks can be applied to other skills, and we’ll naturally discuss that as we go.

 

How interactive is the course?

It’s 100% interactive. It’s a conversation between two coaches that adapts to your interests and understanding.

 

How practical is the course?

This is not a theory course. I provide concepts as quickly as needed, then we get into examples of sets using those concepts. As soon as a concept is clear, you start writing sets with my guidance.

 

Is the course individualized to my needs?

Yes. During the first call, we discuss your challenges, your context, and your goals. The rest of the course is adjusted to meet those needs.

 

If you want to design sets that build the skills your swimmers need while still training hard, this intensive will show you exactly how to do it.

 

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Keep it simple…

 

Andrew