Swimming Drills
Posted: February 26, 2007
1. Streamline kick on front and back—Squeeze your ears and clasp your hands to stay as stable as possible by just using your legs. This will strengthen your core and familiarize your balance.
2. Vertical kick on left and right side- You must be kicking totally on one side with one arm leading and the other relaxed at side. Face in water looking down exhaling until need a breath turn to the side that is relaxed. This will exaggerate your rotation.
3. Pause drill- Combine drill above by counting 3-10sec and then rotate to other side. Breathe after rotation to allow your body to fully rotate.
4. Touch and pull or Catch up- Regular freestyle swimming but you will wait for hand up in front to touch the other hand before you begin to take another stroke. This will enable you to be patient and really extend each arm. Decreasing stroke count is key!!
5. Splash drill- Regular tempo freestyle but as your hand finishes each stroke out of the water you will push as much water out of the pool. Great extensions—you should feel it in your triceps and forearm. Beware of how much water you need to push before it comes out of the water.
6. Finger Tip drag- Regular temp freestyle except when hand is finished pulling through the water elbow will bend and finger tips will drag across the surface of the water until the are past your forehead. Then you will drive them at and angle down and forward in order to reach in front of you to begin your other stroke.
7. Tarzan- Head out of water (neck up). Do not swing head from side to side. Keep it straight and lift to take a breath. Your hips will drop making it harder to kick. Keep elbows bent out of water and finger tips enter first. Your arm position will seem a little wide and that is ok. Pretend to look for buoy at other end. Great open water drill. This will definitely increase your leg strength.
8. Alligator- Like Tarzan but only eyes out of water. Figure out head placement works best for you when spotting the buoy.
9. Fist Drill- Regular speed freestyle, but close your fists so you can concentrate on your under water press/pull. Keep elbows higher than fists when pulling under water. Use your lat and back muscles since your should have more strength from your larger muscle groups. Don’t forget to finish and follow through with each stroke.
10. One arm- Relax one arm at side, touching the side of thigh while other arm is stroking freestyle swimming. You must breath on the dead side or the side that is relaxed. Timing for breath should be when stroking side reaches out in front for that pause before pulling under your body. Repeat and switch arms after each length. This drill should recognize your more dominant side plus allow you to concentrate on one arm at a time. Also, your timing with stroking and breathing will be noticed as well.
11. Count your strokes- Each length count your strokes. Your lengths should stay consistent varying by one or two. Keep them stable so you are not adding ass your swim increases. Check throughout workout to make sure you are still on target.
