Lesson Five: Meet Your New Stroke

Lesson Five, though simple to master, will teach you precisely how your stroke will feel for the rest of your life. For some, Drills 12 and 13 are their form of “swimming,” at least for a while. The great value of Lesson Five, particularly Drills 12 and 13 is that it gives almost anyone, even someone in the very early learning stages, an easy way to practice Fishlike Swimming.

DRILL 14: OVERSWITCH

Why We Do It: Our final step is a drill that teaches you how your new “Fishlike” stroke will feel. In fact, you’ll be swimming with your new stroke between pauses in your Sweet Spot. This drill reinforces the timing you began imprinting with Under- and ZipperSwitch. That timing helps you swim taller. It also allows you to practice a deft, knife-like entry … Both of these skills help connect your arm to effortless power from core-body rotation.

Follow This Sequence

1. This drill is a natural extension of the corresponding drill in the Zipper drill series. Start with at least one length of Triple Zipper. Make sure you’re recovering with a compact, relaxed—almost lazy— recovery. On the second length, raise your recovery hand so it barely clears the water and immediately reenters. Do three or more “switches” on each cycle before going to Sweet Spot.

2. Practice with the following focal points:

• Keep your head hidden and stable. Keep watching the tiles on the pool bottom during the switches. Water should flow over the back of your head much of the time.

• Be “patient” on your switches: Wait for the recovering arm to reach your ear before you start to “pull” with your extended hand. Make the switch just before your hand enters the water.

• Put your hand into the water just in front of your goggles. Cut a hole with your fingers and slip your arm cleanly through that hole.

OVERSWITCH TIMING.

• Gradually shift focus from the timing of your switches to your core-body-rolling rhythm.

• Once you feel body rhythm, adjust body roll to allow for fluid, rhythmic, and seamless movement with no hesitation or interruptions.

3. If you feel good and don’t particularly need to breathe, add switches. Most TI students can do four to six switches with ease. The key is to sustain a relaxed, effortless, switching-and-rolling rhythm. You may find yourself able to complete a full 25 yards without pausing in Sweet Spot.

Lesson Five Practice Plan

Except for the pauses in Sweet Spot, what you’ll be practicing here with multiple switches is swimming. Drill-based practice helps minimize the pressures or situations that might cause you to revert to your old “human-swimming” habits. Particularly in early stages, it will be helpful to “tune up” for Lesson Five practice with Lesson Four drills. Here are some suggested 150-yard sequences (continue to rest for two to three yoga breaths each 25):

150-YARD REPEATS

• 25 ZipperSkate on your right side, 25 ZipperSwitch, 25 Double Zipper right (breathing to your left), 25 ZipperSkate left, 25 ZipperSwitch, 25 Double Zipper left (breathing to your right).

• 25 ZipperSkate right, 25 Triple Zipper, 25 Triple OverSwitch, 25 ZipperSkate left, 25 Triple Zipper, 25 Triple Over.

• 50 ZipperSkate (25 right, 25 left), 25 ZipperSwitch, 25 Triple Zipper, 25 OverSwitch, 25 Triple Over.

FIND YOUR BLISS WITH TRIPLE OVERSWITCH

Concentrated practice of Triple Over can put you into a Flow state. Do 25-yard reps (resting for two to four yoga breaths) for seven to fifteen minutes. Try to do 4 to 6 switches before pausing in Sweet Spot for three yoga breaths. Here is a menu of focal points:

•Look down so water flows over the back of your head.

•Lean in (swim downhill) so your hips and legs feel light.

•“Hug” the surface. Take your hand out of the water for the briefest possible period; put it back in right beside your goggles.

•“Pierce” the water. Slip through the smallest possible space above and below the surface.

•Soften your recovery and bring your hand forward as slowly as you can.

•Cut a hole with your knuckles (if wearing fistgloves®) or fingertips and slip your entire arm through cleanly and steeply until it’s below your head.

•Lengthen your vessel. Feel your hand just float forward with no hurry.

•Time your switches consistently. 

•Move as silently as you can.