About This Workout
The workouts here have been “serious.” The main goal was for you to accomplish something. For this workout, the orientation is fun! Fun is especially important during the “off season.”
Fall is the off season, the hardest time to stay motivated. You have finished a summer of vigorous swimming and/or other aerobic sports, days are getting shorter, and the temperature is dropping. Whatever “high” you had after nationals, triathlon season, or just the sunny swim weather, is subsiding. Other areas of life are getting your attention, making it hard to get back in the water.
Read up on swim literature, see swim videos, practice stroke drills, try new strokes in workouts, work on your turns, find friends for relays, start a supplemental weight workout, surgical tube resistance training, perhaps do some running, and definitely start planning your next year’s season and goals. No matter what, plan on swimming at least twice a week—OK, I’ll settle for just once. This workout is designed to keep you wet and aerobic during the cold months.
The off season is a time to experiment: time to change your strokes and concentrate on technique. Go over Chapters 7 through 10 or use any SWIM Magazine technical articles to help clean up your strokes. Establish good habits now, before next season. Read your swim literature, listen to your coach (or seek some coaching), and go at that stroke problem you have had for too long.
1. Warm-up. Pick some drills for the odd twenty-fives and swim for even twenty-fives. See next section for technique drills you can use.
2. More warm-up. Do 2 × 200 (2 × 150) with 45 seconds rest. Do the flip turn drills (see next section). If you have extra time, do some flips under the guidance of a friend or coach.
3. Development set for all levels. Do 10 × 50—four of your worst stroke, three of second worst stroke, two of your third worst stroke, and one of your fourth worst stroke (your best stroke?). Take about 20 seconds rest. Starting with your worst stroke is a way to encourage you to focus on your weaknesses.
4. Hard set individual medley, but never do the same order. Examples: fly, back, breast, free; then back, breast, fly, free; breast, fly, back … Great fun motivator! Interesting to see how the different strokes feel as they are placed differently in the 100-yard swim. See how your times fare when you change the order. The regular IM order should generally be the fastest. Take about 20 seconds rest.
5. Kick set. Start easy and gradually build your effort. You should be able to descend your times. This kick set is challenging: dolphin kicking on your back is like doing sit-ups as you kick. (Note: any time during workout, swim an easy fifty if you have the time. This is a great relaxer and psychologically builds you into the next set.
6. One last IM here. Go for your best time of the day! You’ll be surprised how fast you can go—even if you’re out of shape. Reason: you’re relaxed and say, “What the heck, I’ll just do it.” There is no pressure to perform.
7. Pull 3 × 300 (or 200, 150). Try breathing less often every third lap. The off season is time to try pulling some other strokes. If you are a serious IMer, or backstroker, you should pull 40 percent of your pull back. If your shoulders can take it, do it with paddles. Paddles probably aid backstroke more than any other stroke.
8. Sprint 3 × 50 mixing up strokes. The first one is fly/back, second is back/breast, third is breast/free. These also should be high-quality sprints. If you have friends with you, do these in relays.
9. Warm-down. Finish up the way you started out.
Flip Drill
During the 2 × 200 (or 2 × 150), concentrate on the walls. Go very easy in the middle of the pool, between the flags. The extra effort and concentration come as you pass the flags, to the turn and back to the flags.
From the flags to the wall, kick only, keeping your arms to your sides. Do not let your arms leave your sides; glue your elbows to your ribs until you bring your legs out of the water for the turn.
On the flip, concentrate on the tips here. As you push off, kick below the surface under the turbulence until you pass the flags (see Figure A.14A).
Stretch your arms ahead of you, Superman-style. Unlike the Man of Steel, you have limited power, so keep your head tucked, glide, conserve the thrust, and start kicking. Stay streamlined!
Start your first arm pull after you kick past the flags, then don’t breathe until your third stroke. Go easy swim until the next flags—you will need the time to catch your breath.
Tips
BEGINNER’S FLIP TIP:
Don’t take that extra stroke before the wall. Relax, skip that last stroke, glide in. Flip turns can be easy. They don’t need to be a huge acrobatic effort. You don’t need to lift your head up to look at the wall just as you start turning. That is called the Bunny Hop. A slow, relaxed, tucking pike will be faster than a huge effort (See Fig. A.14B). Keep both elbows glued to your sides.
INTERMEDIATE FLIP TIP:
Do not twist! Flip over and then, after you leave the wall, roll onto your front. Twisting during the flip is old style. It takes time and effort. Instead, push off while mainly still on your back (see Figure A.14C). It is during the stretch and glide off the wall that you roll over completely to your stomach.
ADVANCED FLIP TIP:
Retain your air during the flip. Most swimmers blow it all out as they tuck. If you can learn to keep your air, you won’t have to surface right away for a big gulp. This allows for a longer stretch and glide and a delay of your first breath to the second stroke. This push off should extend past the flags (five yards) under the incoming turbulence that you brought behind you (see Figure A.14A).
TIDBIT FACTS
Fastest swimming human over 50 yards 19.05 seconds 5.37 miles per hour Fastest Masters swimmer over 50 yards 19.38 seconds 5.16 miles per hour Average beginning Masters swimmer over 50 yards 1 minute 1.7 miles per hour Average intermediate Masters swimmer over 50 yards 40 seconds 2.56 miles per hour Average advanced Masters swimmer over 50 yards 30 seconds 3.41 miles per hour
DRILLS
One of the major keys to success in swimming is improving your technique. Stroke drills help you focus on one aspect of your swimming, so you can emphasize proper technique. Try to do one drill set in every workout. Even Olympic swimmers use drills daily to improve their technique.
Here is a variety of drills used by top swim coaches to help improve technique in each of the four strokes. Many of these drills have been adapted from Swimming Technique magazine.
Freestyle
Arm Recovery Drills
CATCH-UP
Pull with one arm while the other arm remains outstretched in front of you. Recover with a high elbow until hands touch out in front. Then repeat, using the other arm.
FINGERTIP DRAG
Drag the tips of your fingers through the water with a high elbow and your hand close to your body.
Pulling Drills
PULLING DRILL 1
Five × 50 yards. Pull one length (25 yards) with your right arm while the left arm is stretched out in front of you. Then swim the next length using the left arm with your right arm outstretched. Concentrate on your underwater pull and on getting a good body roll to each side.
PULLING DRILL 2
Pull one length (25 yards) with one arm while the other arm remains at your side. Concentrate on rotating your shoulders out of the water during the recovery and the opposite shoulder out during the pulling phase. Keep a good head position. Then swim another length using the other arm.
Body Roll Drill
SIX- OR TWELVE-KICK SWITCH
Kick on your side with the bottom arm out and the top arm on your hip.
On the flip, concentrate on the tips here. As you push off, kick below the surface under the turbulence until you pass the flags (see Figure A.14A).Do not twist! Flip over and then, after you leave the wall, roll onto your front. Twisting during the flip is old style. It takes time and effort. Instead, push off while mainly still on your back (see Figure A.14C). It is during the stretch and glide off the wall that you roll over completely to your stomach.
TIDBIT FACTS
| Fastest swimming human over 50 yards | |
| 19.05 seconds | 5.37 miles per hour |
| Fastest Masters swimmer over 50 yards | |
| 19.38 seconds | 5.16 miles per hour |
| Average beginning Masters swimmer over 50 yards | |
| 1 minute | 1.7 miles per hour |
| Average intermediate Masters swimmer over 50 yards | |
| 40 seconds | 2.56 miles per hour |
| Average advanced Masters swimmer over 50 yards | |
| 30 seconds | 3.41 miles per hour |
One of the major keys to success in swimming is improving your technique. Stroke drills help you focus on one aspect of your swimming, so you can emphasize proper technique. Try to do one drill set in every workout. Even Olympic swimmers use drills daily to improve their technique.
Here is a variety of drills used by top swim coaches to help improve technique in each of the four strokes. Many of these drills have been adapted from Swimming Technique magazine.
Freestyle
Arm Recovery Drills
CATCH-UP
Pull with one arm while the other arm remains outstretched in front of you. Recover with a high elbow until hands touch out in front. Then repeat, using the other arm.
FINGERTIP DRAG
Drag the tips of your fingers through the water with a high elbow and your hand close to your body.
Pulling Drills
PULLING DRILL 1
Five × 50 yards. Pull one length (25 yards) with your right arm while the left arm is stretched out in front of you. Then swim the next length using the left arm with your right arm outstretched. Concentrate on your underwater pull and on getting a good body roll to each side.
PULLING DRILL 2
Pull one length (25 yards) with one arm while the other arm remains at your side. Concentrate on rotating your shoulders out of the water during the recovery and the opposite shoulder out during the pulling phase. Keep a good head position. Then swim another length using the other arm.
Body Roll Drill
SIX- OR TWELVE-KICK SWITCH
Kick on your side with the bottom arm out and the top arm on your hip.
After every twelve or six kicks, take a good freestyle pull, then switch sides (see Figure A.15).
Hand Entry Drill
SPLASHLESS DRILL
Emphasize entering the water without making a splash and then run your hand forward. Repeat for 4 × 50 yards.
Stroke Finishing Drill
WEIGHT THROW
Pretend that you have a weight in your hand. As you lift your hand at the end of each stroke, throw the weight out of the water.
Stroke Rate/Breathing/Timing Drills
FIST DRILL
Instead of holding your hand flat, make it into a fist while you swim 4 × 25 yards freestyle. This will feel very awkward, but it can add speed to your arm pull.
DISTANCE PER STROKE DRILL
Swim 5 × 50 yards. For each fifty try to decrease the number of
strokes you take by one to two. Use a six-beat kick.
ALTERNATE BREATHING DRILL
Swim 8 × 50 yards. On the odd fifties (1, 3, 5, 7), breathe to the right on the first lap and to the left on the second. On the evens, breathe to the left on the first lap and to the right on the second.
Streamlining Drill
TURN DRILL
Starting at the center of the pool, swim to the wall and do a flip turn. Hold the streamline position past the flags (5 yards). Still holding that position, kick back to the center of the pool. Repeat six times.
Breath Control/Sprinting Drill
SHOOTERS
Wearing Zoomers, push off the wall and kick one length (25 yards) underwater as fast as you can. Try to go the entire length without breathing. Wait one minute, then do another length. Swim 6 × 25 yards. As these become easier, gradually reduce your recovery time.
My Favorite Freestyle Drill
ALL-PURPOSE DRILL
Swim 100 yards as follows:
1. 25 yards right arm only;
2. 25 yards left arm only;
3. 25 yards kick, with arms in front;
4. 25 yards swim, stretching out the stroke, emphasizing body roll, correct underwater pull, and breathing every third or fifth stroke.
Do 4 × 100 yards.
This drill combines elements of many other drills, allowing you to focus successively on the correct underwater pull with each arm and the body roll, the leg kick, streamlining, and alternate breathing.
Backstroke
Arm Recovery Drills
KICK WITH HALF RECOVERY
Lift your thumb out of the water and recover to the midpoint. Stop your arm and slowly lower it to your hip. Repeat with the other arm. Do 6 × 25 yards.
THUMB-PINKIE DRILL
Exit the water with your thumb up, bring your arm straight up and stop. Turn your hand to palm out so that your pinkie will enter the water first, then finish the recovery.
Hand Entry Drills
ONE-ARM BACKSTROKE DRILL
Swim 6 × 50 yards. Swim backstroke for 25 yards using your right arm while keeping the left arm at your side. Then swim another length using only your left arm, keeping your right arm at your side. Concentrate on the roll and slicing down in the water so that the catch is deep.
BACK CATCH-UP DRILL
Start on your back with both arms over your head. Pull with one arm while the other remains outstretched. Complete the stroke until your hands touch. Then swim a stroke with the other arm.
DOUBLE-ARM BACKSTROKE
Swim with both arms recovering together while concentrating on entering with your pinkie. Swim 2 × 100 yards. This drill is good for correcting overreaching—a common error.
Pulling Drills
PULLING DRILL 1
Swim 5 × 50 yards. Pull one length (25 yards) with your right arm while the left arm is stretched out. Then swim the next length using the left arm with your right arm outstretched. Concentrate on your underwater pull and on getting a good body roll to each side (see Figure A.16).
PULLING DRILL 2
1. 25 yards right arm only;
2. 25 yards left arm only;
3. 25 yards kick, with arms in front;
4. 25 yards swim, stretching out the stroke, emphasizing body roll, correct underwater pull, and breathing every third or fifth stroke.
Do 4 × 100 yards.
This drill combines elements of many other drills, allowing you to focus successively on the correct underwater pull with each arm and the body roll, the leg kick, streamlining, and alternate breathing.
Backstroke
Arm Recovery Drills
KICK WITH HALF RECOVERY
Lift your thumb out of the water and recover to the midpoint. Stop your arm and slowly lower it to your hip. Repeat with the other arm. Do 6 × 25 yards.
THUMB-PINKIE DRILL
Exit the water with your thumb up, bring your arm straight up and stop. Turn your hand to palm out so that your pinkie will enter the water first, then finish the recovery.
Hand Entry Drills
ONE-ARM BACKSTROKE DRILL
Swim 6 × 50 yards. Swim backstroke for 25 yards using your right arm while keeping the left arm at your side. Then swim another length using only your left arm, keeping your right arm at your side. Concentrate on the roll and slicing down in the water so that the catch is deep.
BACK CATCH-UP DRILL
Start on your back with both arms over your head. Pull with one arm while the other remains outstretched. Complete the stroke until your hands touch. Then swim a stroke with the other arm.
DOUBLE-ARM BACKSTROKE
Swim with both arms recovering together while concentrating on entering with your pinkie. Swim 2 × 100 yards. This drill is good for correcting overreaching—a common error.
Pulling Drills
PULLING DRILL 1
Swim 5 × 50 yards. Pull one length (25 yards) with your right arm while the left arm is stretched out. Then swim the next length using the left arm with your right arm outstretched. Concentrate on your underwater pull and on getting a good body roll to each side (see Figure A.16).
PULLING DRILL 2
Pull one length (25 yards) with one arm while the other arm remains at your side. Concentrate on rotating your shoulders without moving your head. Then swim another length using the other arm.
Streamlining Drills
BELLY BUTTON DRILL
Kick 25 yards with your hands locked overhead, concentrating on keeping a streamlined position. Your belly button should be out of the water; kick just below the surface.
FLAGS DRILL
After each turn, maintain a streamlined position and kick (at least) until you pass the backstroke flags.
Body Roll Drills
KICK AND ROLL DRILL
Kick with your arms at your sides and roll your body from one side to the other every twelve kicks for one length. Kick the second length rolling every six kicks. Repeat 6 × 50 yards. Keep your head very still.
HESITATION DRILL
Take twelve kicks on one side, take a stroke, then roll to the other side for one length. Repeat the second length, stroking every six kicks. Repeat 6 × 50 yards.
Stroke Rate/Breathing/Timing Drills
DISTANCE PER STROKE DRILL
Swim 5 × 50 yards. For each fifty try to decrease the number of strokes you take by one or two.
INHALE/EXHALE DRILL
Inhale on one arm recovery, exhale on the other. Swim 5 × 50 yards.
Breath Control/Sprinting Drill
SHOOTERS
Wearing Zoomers, push off the wall on your back and kick one length (25 yards) underwater as fast as you can using the reverse dolphin kick. Try to go the entire length without breathing. Wait one minute, then do another length. Do 6 × 25 yards. As these become easier, gradually reduce your recovery time.
My Favorite Backstroke Drill
ALL-PURPOSE DRILL
Swim 100 yards as follows:
1. 25 yards right arm only
2. 25 yards left arm only
3. 25 yards kick, with arms stretched back in a streamlined position
4. 25 yards swim, stretching out the stroke, emphasizing body roll and the correct underwater pull
Do 4 × 100 yards.
This drill combines elements of many other drills, allowing you to focus successively on the correct underwater pull with each arm and the body roll, the leg kick, streamlining, and putting it all together.
Breaststroke
Arm Recovery Drills
ELBOW SQUEEZE DRILL
Swim 6 × 25 yards concentrating on squeezing your elbows together in front of your chest. Shrug your shoulders to lift your body higher out of the water and to speed up the recovery (see Figure A.17).
HALF PULL BREASTSTROKE
Swim breaststroke using only half a pull. Your arms should stay in front, and the motion should be fast from the end of the out sweep to the end of the recovery.
DISTANCE PER STROKE DRILL
Swim 5 × 50 yards counting strokes. For each fifty try to keep your stroke count the same or decrease the number of strokes you take by one. This drill helps you concentrate on reaching and making a full recovery before starting the next stroke.
Sculling Drill
COORDINATION DRILL
For one length of the pool, pull with your right arm and kick with your left leg, while your left arm holds your right leg. Reverse the procedure for the next lap.
Underwater Pulling Drills
ALTERNATE ARM PULLS
Swim 25 yards, pulling with one hand only while the other is out-stretched. Then repeat with the other hand. Glide as much as possible, stretch, catch, and accelerate through the pull. Do 6 × 25 yards.
DOUBLE ARM PULLS
Take two right-hand-only pulls, leaving your left arm straight out. Take two regular breaststroke pulls. Then take two left-hand-only pulls (right arm straight out). Do 6 × 25 yards.
Kicking Drills
OUT-OF-WATER KICK
Kick 25 yards with your head out of the water and your arms at your side. Do 8 × 25 yards.
HANDS LOCKED DRILL
Kick breaststroke with your hands locked behind your back. Concentrate on lifting your heels together all the way to the buttocks, until they touch your hands. Keep your knees inside the width of your hips during recovery. Repeat using a kick board (but without having your hands locked behind your back). Do 8 × 50 yards.
BACK KICK DRILL
Kick breaststroke on your back 2 × 100 yards. You will quickly realize whether you are pulling your knees up under instead of pulling your feet to your buttocks.
Streamlining Drills
TWO KICKS, ONE PULL DRILL
Keep a streamlined position and take two kicks before each pull. During the kicks your head should be underwater. Do 2 × 100 yards.
THREE KICKS, ONE PULL DRILL
This is the same as the preceding drill, except you take three kicks per pull.
NO ARMS DRILL
Kick breaststroke without a board, keeping a streamlined position with your arms in front of you. At each turn, take three underwater kicks before coming to the surface. Do 2 × 100 yards.
Pull-Out Drills
PULL-OUT PROGRESSION
1. Push off the wall in a streamlined position and glide to the surface.
2. Push off wall, pull, and glide to surface.
3. Push off wall, pull, kick, and glide to surface.
4. Push off wall, pull, kick, then take a second pull, exploding out of the water as high as you can.
Repeat the sequence four times.
DOUBLE PULL-OUTS
Push off the wall, pull, kick, and glide. Then pull, kick, and glide again before popping to the surface. Swim the rest of the way to the end of the pool. Repeat six times. After you build up your lung capacity, you may want to try triple pull-outs.
Stroke Rate/Breathing/Timing Drills
STRETCH-OUT DRILL
Swim 25 yards and try to stretch out your glide as much as possible, maintaining a streamlined position. It is important to understand how crucial distance per stroke is in breaststroke. If you do this drill correctly, you will take about half as many strokes per length as you normally do.
TIMING DRILL
Swim the full breaststroke cycle, then take a two- to three-second glide in a streamlined position. Do 2 × 50 yards. Repeat, reducing your glide to one to two seconds. Do 2 × 50 yards. Then repeat using your normal stroke. Do 2 × 50 yards.
My Favorite Breaststroke Drill
ALL-PURPOSE DRILL
Swim 100 yards as follows:
1. 25 yards arms only (let legs move naturally in an undulating pattern)
2. 25 yards kick with arms in front
3. 25 yards of two kicks, one pull
4. 25 yards swim, stretching out the stroke. Do 4 × 100 yards.
This drill combines elements of many other drills, allowing you to focus successively on your arm pull, leg kick, streamlining, and putting it all together.
Butterfly
Stroke Rate/Breathing/Timing Drills
TIMING DRILL
Dolphin kick with your arms at your sides, emphasizing constant undulating head motion coordinated with breathing (see Figure A.18).
HALF FLY
Swim 100 yards. For each lap, take one stroke butterfly, then swim easy freestyle. As this gets easier, take two strokes of fly, then three, and so on.
Arm Recovery Drills
ONE-ARM DRILL
Using a dolphin kick, swim 25 yards butterfly with your right arm, left arm out front. Breathe to the side. Then swim 25 yards using just your left arm, right arm out front. Concentrate on straight-arm recovery. Swim 4 × 50 yards.
COMBINATION DRILL
Swim one length as follows:
1. Two right-arm fly pulls
2. Two full fly pulls (do not breathe)
3. Two left-arm fly pulls
4. Repeat.
Swim 6 × 25 yards.
Underwater Pulling Drill
FIN SWIM
Swim 25 yards fly using fins. Concentrate on the pull, as you feel the lift from each kick. Swim 4 × 25 yards.
Streamlining Drills
UNDERWATER DRILL
Dolphin kick the width of the pool underwater without a board. Maintain a streamlined position. Repeat ten times.
FLAGS DRILL
Push off the wall and begin dolphin kicking, maintaining a streamlined position. Kick until you pass the backstroke flags.
Kicking Drills
REVERSE FLY KICK
Dolphin kick on your back for 25 yards. Rest. Do 6 × 25 yards.
BACK KICKS
Kick on your back, concentrating on keeping your shoulders above the water and making sure your knees do not break the surface. Do 4 × 50 yards. This drill can also be done wearing Zoomers.
Hand Entry Drill
HEAD UP DRILL
Swim four strokes of butterfly with your head out of the water, using a flutter kick, then four strokes of regular butterfly. Do 4 × 25 yards. This is a difficult drill, but it is good for correcting an entry that is too narrow.
My Favorite Butterfly Drill
ALL-PURPOSE DRILL
Swim 100 yards as follows:
1. 25 yards right arm only
2. 25 yards left arm only
3. 25 yards kick, with arms stretched in front in a streamlined position
4. 25 yards swim, stretching out the stroke and the correct underwater pull
Do 4 × 100 yards.
This drill combines elements of many other drills, allowing you to focus successively on the correct underwater pull with each arm, the strong dolphin kick, streamlining, and putting it all together.
My All-time Favorite Combined Drill
MEDLEY DRILL
Swim 400 yards individual medley, combining 100 yards of my favorite drills in butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle:
1. 100 yards butterfly: 25 yards right arm, 25 yards left arm, 25 yards kick, 25 yards swim
2. 100 yards backstroke: 25 yards right arm, 25 yards left arm, 25 yards kick, 25 yards swim
3. 100 yards breaststroke: 25 yards arms only, 25 yards legs only, 25 yards of two kicks to one pull, 25 yards swim
4. 100 yards freestyle: 25 yards right arm, 25 yards left arm, 25 yards kick, 25 yards swim
Do 2 × 400 yards. This is my favorite and most challenging drill, because it allows me to work on technique in all four strokes.
1. 25 yards right arm only
2. 25 yards left arm only
3. 25 yards kick, with arms stretched back in a streamlined position
4. 25 yards swim, stretching out the stroke, emphasizing body roll and the correct underwater pull
Arm Recovery Drills
ELBOW SQUEEZE DRILL
Swim 6 × 25 yards concentrating on squeezing your elbows together in front of your chest. Shrug your shoulders to lift your body higher out of the water and to speed up the recovery (see Figure A.17).
HALF PULL BREASTSTROKE
Swim breaststroke using only half a pull. Your arms should stay in front, and the motion should be fast from the end of the out sweep to the end of the recovery.
DISTANCE PER STROKE DRILL
Swim 5 × 50 yards counting strokes. For each fifty try to keep your stroke count the same or decrease the number of strokes you take by one. This drill helps you concentrate on reaching and making a full recovery before starting the next stroke.
Sculling Drill
COORDINATION DRILL
For one length of the pool, pull with your right arm and kick with your left leg, while your left arm holds your right leg. Reverse the procedure for the next lap.
Underwater Pulling Drills
ALTERNATE ARM PULLS
Swim 25 yards, pulling with one hand only while the other is out-stretched. Then repeat with the other hand. Glide as much as possible, stretch, catch, and accelerate through the pull. Do 6 × 25 yards.
DOUBLE ARM PULLS
Take two right-hand-only pulls, leaving your left arm straight out. Take two regular breaststroke pulls. Then take two left-hand-only pulls (right arm straight out). Do 6 × 25 yards.
Kicking Drills
OUT-OF-WATER KICK
Kick 25 yards with your head out of the water and your arms at your side. Do 8 × 25 yards.
HANDS LOCKED DRILL
Kick breaststroke with your hands locked behind your back. Concentrate on lifting your heels together all the way to the buttocks, until they touch your hands. Keep your knees inside the width of your hips during recovery. Repeat using a kick board (but without having your hands locked behind your back). Do 8 × 50 yards.
BACK KICK DRILL
Kick breaststroke on your back 2 × 100 yards. You will quickly realize whether you are pulling your knees up under instead of pulling your feet to your buttocks.
Streamlining Drills
TWO KICKS, ONE PULL DRILL
Keep a streamlined position and take two kicks before each pull. During the kicks your head should be underwater. Do 2 × 100 yards.
THREE KICKS, ONE PULL DRILL
This is the same as the preceding drill, except you take three kicks per pull.
NO ARMS DRILL
Kick breaststroke without a board, keeping a streamlined position with your arms in front of you. At each turn, take three underwater kicks before coming to the surface. Do 2 × 100 yards.
Pull-Out Drills
PULL-OUT PROGRESSION
1. Push off the wall in a streamlined position and glide to the surface.
2. Push off wall, pull, and glide to surface.
3. Push off wall, pull, kick, and glide to surface.
4. Push off wall, pull, kick, then take a second pull, exploding out of the water as high as you can.
Repeat the sequence four times.
DOUBLE PULL-OUTS
Push off the wall, pull, kick, and glide. Then pull, kick, and glide again before popping to the surface. Swim the rest of the way to the end of the pool. Repeat six times. After you build up your lung capacity, you may want to try triple pull-outs.
Stroke Rate/Breathing/Timing Drills
STRETCH-OUT DRILL
Swim 25 yards and try to stretch out your glide as much as possible, maintaining a streamlined position. It is important to understand how crucial distance per stroke is in breaststroke. If you do this drill correctly, you will take about half as many strokes per length as you normally do.
TIMING DRILL
Swim the full breaststroke cycle, then take a two- to three-second glide in a streamlined position. Do 2 × 50 yards. Repeat, reducing your glide to one to two seconds. Do 2 × 50 yards. Then repeat using your normal stroke. Do 2 × 50 yards.
My Favorite Breaststroke Drill
ALL-PURPOSE DRILL
Swim 100 yards as follows:
1. 25 yards arms only (let legs move naturally in an undulating pattern)
2. 25 yards kick with arms in front
3. 25 yards of two kicks, one pull
4. 25 yards swim, stretching out the stroke. Do 4 × 100 yards.
This drill combines elements of many other drills, allowing you to focus successively on your arm pull, leg kick, streamlining, and putting it all together.
Butterfly
Stroke Rate/Breathing/Timing Drills
TIMING DRILL
Dolphin kick with your arms at your sides, emphasizing constant undulating head motion coordinated with breathing (see Figure A.18).
HALF FLY
Swim 100 yards. For each lap, take one stroke butterfly, then swim easy freestyle. As this gets easier, take two strokes of fly, then three, and so on.
Arm Recovery Drills
ONE-ARM DRILL
Using a dolphin kick, swim 25 yards butterfly with your right arm, left arm out front. Breathe to the side. Then swim 25 yards using just your left arm, right arm out front. Concentrate on straight-arm recovery. Swim 4 × 50 yards.
COMBINATION DRILL
Swim one length as follows:
1. Two right-arm fly pulls
2. Two full fly pulls (do not breathe)
3. Two left-arm fly pulls
4. Repeat.
Swim 6 × 25 yards.
Underwater Pulling Drill
FIN SWIM
Swim 25 yards fly using fins. Concentrate on the pull, as you feel the lift from each kick. Swim 4 × 25 yards.
Streamlining Drills
UNDERWATER DRILL
Dolphin kick the width of the pool underwater without a board. Maintain a streamlined position. Repeat ten times.
FLAGS DRILL
Push off the wall and begin dolphin kicking, maintaining a streamlined position. Kick until you pass the backstroke flags.
Kicking Drills
REVERSE FLY KICK
Dolphin kick on your back for 25 yards. Rest. Do 6 × 25 yards.
BACK KICKS
Kick on your back, concentrating on keeping your shoulders above the water and making sure your knees do not break the surface. Do 4 × 50 yards. This drill can also be done wearing Zoomers.
Hand Entry Drill
HEAD UP DRILL
Swim four strokes of butterfly with your head out of the water, using a flutter kick, then four strokes of regular butterfly. Do 4 × 25 yards. This is a difficult drill, but it is good for correcting an entry that is too narrow.
My Favorite Butterfly Drill
ALL-PURPOSE DRILL
Swim 100 yards as follows:
1. 25 yards right arm only
2. 25 yards left arm only
3. 25 yards kick, with arms stretched in front in a streamlined position
4. 25 yards swim, stretching out the stroke and the correct underwater pull
Do 4 × 100 yards.
This drill combines elements of many other drills, allowing you to focus successively on the correct underwater pull with each arm, the strong dolphin kick, streamlining, and putting it all together.
My All-time Favorite Combined Drill
MEDLEY DRILL
Swim 400 yards individual medley, combining 100 yards of my favorite drills in butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle:
1. 100 yards butterfly: 25 yards right arm, 25 yards left arm, 25 yards kick, 25 yards swim
2. 100 yards backstroke: 25 yards right arm, 25 yards left arm, 25 yards kick, 25 yards swim
3. 100 yards breaststroke: 25 yards arms only, 25 yards legs only, 25 yards of two kicks to one pull, 25 yards swim
4. 100 yards freestyle: 25 yards right arm, 25 yards left arm, 25 yards kick, 25 yards swim
Do 2 × 400 yards. This is my favorite and most challenging drill, because it allows me to work on technique in all four strokes.
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