Technique is key in swimming - which is why drills should comprise 10-20% of your pool time! Drills should be performed slowly while concentrating on body movements, NOT speed. Try this during your warm-ups and cooldowns: swim 25 drill followed by 25 freestyle. During the 25 free, focus on how you felt during the drill. Do just one drill per swim session to focus on one element of your swim form at a time (at least that works for me!)

For your convenience, I’ve put together a list of swim drills to help solve specific problems in swimming form. Note: most links go to YouTube or Google Video.

Common Swim Errors and Focuses to correct. (covers head too high, overreaching, & dropped elbows)

Overreaching (extending arm too far before hand entry and/or arms cross center line)

• 11 and 2 o’clock. Imagine your head is at 12 o’clock your hands should be in the 11 o’clock or 2 o’clock position when they enter the water. This is roughly in line with your shoulders. They should never cross the center line of the body. Try swimming slowly, and each time your right hand enters, say 2 o’clock. Each time your left hand enters, say 11 o’clock. Or, if it’ easier to remember, each time any hand enters, say ’shoulder’. Try to be aware of where your hands are through out the entire stroke, and do not ever let them cross the center line!
• Fingertip, Zipper, & Shark Fin

Balance Drills:

• Side Kick
• Torpedo Drill
• Body Balance Roll
• Hiding Your head (read about 1/2 way down the page)

Rotation Drills:

• Fingertip Drag (also good for high elbow recovery)
• Torpedo Drill
• High Swingers

High Elbow Catch:

• Quick Catch Drill by Dave Scott
• Another explanation of Quick Catch (more details - watch the whole thing!)
• Fist Drill (also try this with your hands in a bear claw rather than a fist. This puts your wrist in a better postion)

High Elbow / Relaxed Recovery

• Fingertip, Zipper, & Shark Fin

Kicking Drills

• Triathlon Kicking by Dave Scott
• Streamlined Kick w/ pop up breath (2nd half of the video)

Here are three pages from trifuel.com’s swim section that describe various swimming problems and drills to correct. These are not Youtube videos, but is GREAT info:

• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3

Word Document with some Great Drills!

Phases of Swimming explained

Examples of Superb Swimming Form:

• Grant Hackett
• Women’s 800 m Olympics, 2000
• Slow Motion - Ian Thorpe

Trackback URI |