Introduction:
Swim drill sets are best done in person as the coach can see the problem and prescribe the drill to fix the error. If you don’t have a coach handy, you will need to self-prescribe by either:
a) Getting people to look at you and observe and give you a review of what they see.
b) Get people to film you. Probably the best way to see your errors.
c) Self-assess. This can be done through listening to your body. If something is sore on one side of your body and not the other, then an imbalance is on the cards.
To improve, you will need to deconstruct your stroke, address the problem with a drill and then reconstruct it. It is a constant process and needs to be repeated every time you swim. Each swim will need to have a drill after the warmup (just before the sprint set) and after the main set as part of the warm down.
Deconstruction of freestyle stroke
There are 5 main elements to the freestyle stroke. Important that you don’t over think when you are swimming normally. If you thought about all the elements of walking you would trip and fall through the process of paralysis by over analysis. But in this deconstruction stage you will need to switch on your brain and notice what your body is doing as you propel yourself through the water.
Five elements are:
a) Body position
b) Arm stroke
Catch (hand entry and catch)
Power (front end and accelerating back end)
Recovery
c) Breathing
d) Body rotation – driven by hips
e) Kick
Gear needed for swim drills
a) Fins (flippers in old speak)
b) Paddles (finger and full hand)
c) Snorkel
d) Kick board
e) 50 cm stick
f) Tick tock
My favourite drill for each of the five freestyle drill elements
a) Body position (12 x 25) – with snorkel
1) Push off wall and glide as efficiently as possible holding tucked/tight body position (arm our front – head pinched in between – core tight – backside tight) until speed starts to wane then swim to end of pool.
2) Push off wall and glide as efficiently as possible holding tucked/tight body position (arm our front – head pinched in between – core tight – backside tight) and extend glide until the point just before you stop then swim to end of pool.
3) Push off wall and glide as efficiently as possible holding tucked/tight body position (arm our front – head pinched in between – core tight – backside tight) and extend glide until you come to a complete stop then swim to end of pool.
4) Push off wall and glide as efficiently as possible holding tucked/tight body position (arm our front – head pinched in between – core tight – backside tight) and extend glide until you come to a complete stop then swim three strokes to get up to speed again and then streamline until you stop. Continue this until you reach the end of the pool.
5) Repeat 1- 4
6) Normal swim – focus on tight body position for 4 x 25m moderate
Notes - As you glide you will note how your body interacts and moves through the water. Note how your body completes the glide and flat stage. Does it contort, does it drift off the centre line. If it does make corrections.
b) Arm stroke
Hand entry (12x25) – Stick (min 50cm), fins (long) and snorkel
1. Up - Swim with catch up drill hands grabbing the very outside of the stick
2. Back – Without stick - swim with focus on exaggerated wide hand entry
3. Up – Without stick – Hold wide hand entry for two beats
4. Back – with stick – repeat step 1
5. Up – without stick – Normal swimming
6. Back – without stick – Normal swimming
7. Repeat (1-6)
Catch Scull (12 x 25) – Fins (long or short) and snorkel
1. Up – Scull figure eights from hand entry to high elbow position both hands together
2. Back – Scull figure eights from hand entry to high elbow position right hand – left hand by side.
3. Up – Repeat 2 with opposite arm
4. Back – Normal swimming – focus on catch
5. Repeat (1 – 4) x 2
Power (12x 25) – Snorkel and fins (focus on the back end of the stroke – accelerating from elbow up position to thumb touching the side of the leg – stroke should be accelerating all through this section – visualize water being flicked off fingers at the end of the stroke as the hand exits the water)
1. Up - 1 stroke – 6 kicks (repeat for whole length)
2. Back – 2 strokes – 6 kicks (repeat this pattern for the whole length)
3. Up – 3 strokes – 6 kicks (repeat this pattern for the whole length)
4. Back – 4 strokes - 6 kicks (repeat this pattern for the whole length)
5. (repeat 1- 4) x 2
Recovery Tap-Tap-Tap (12 x 25) – Snorkel and fins
1. Up – Tap head with fingertips on hand recovery above the water
2. Back – Tap shoulder and head on hand recovery above the water
3. Up – Tap hip, shoulder and head on hand recovery above the water
4. Back – Fingertip drag for whole hand recovery
5. Up (no toys) – Normal freestyle focused on high (pretty) arm recovery
6. Back (no toys) – Fast freestyle maintaining good recovery under stress
7. (repeat 1- 6)
(Advanced no toys)
c) Breathing - Single arm (12 x 25) – Fins. Non action arm by your side.
1. Up – Right action arm – natural breathing side
2. Back – Left action arm - Natural breathing side
3. Up – Right action arm – non natural breathing side
4. Back – Left action arm – Non natural breathing side
5. Up - Two arm swimming – focus on looking at the bottom of the pool one eye never leaves the water
6. Back – moderate/max effort
7. Repeat 1-6
(Advanced – No fins)
d) Body rotation (25m) – Fins, snorkel. Start with both arms by your sides, Head centred looking down. Roll body from hips which rotates shoulder out of the water and then flicks hand out of water. Return shoulder and hand back into the water and move and repeat on other side. Two beat kick for each stage of the rotation. Drill up – Swim back
e) Kick – Cork screw (25 or 50 m pool – as many as you like – its fun) – fins
Start by kicking on your back with arms in streamlined position above your head. Slowly rotate your body in a clockwise position (pig on the spit style) with the whole movement being controlled through your hips. Do a full rotation until you finish back on your back again. Then reverse direction. Goal is to make movement seamless.
(Advanced – No fins)
(Remedial – hands by your side)