Swimming Technique Drills
If swimming is your weakest link, it is probablyto a great degree because of lack of good technique in the pool. The good news is that technique is an issue that youc an resolve. The bad news - depending on how long you've been swimming with poorstrokes or balence - is that it can take a lot of work over an extended period of time to undo bad habits and replace them with good ones.
The trick is to make swim drills a standard part of your workouts. You can use drill sets as a warm-up and cool-down for your interval workouts or for long swims. The powerful combination makes for more efficient, effective training. the key is that you tackle individual drills on a regular basis until you master them and move on to another. Don't be discourages - swimming is a highly technical activity. It takes persistance , time and patience before all that work translates into seconds and then minutes off your swim.
The following swimming drills will help you improve your swimming technique, giving you greater confidence and comfort in the open water. Swimming drills are specific movements, done repetitively, to get your technique in the grove. They can help you get faster and more efficient.
CATCH-UPS
The drill helps isolate one arm to practice a long stroke and a lonbody position. Swim as in regular freestyle, except that ones arm is stationary, always extensing forward and pointing toward the destination (front arm), whole the other arm performs the stroke (working arm). When the working arm moves forward and catches up with the stationary arm, they change places. Please visit this website for a video of the drill
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fszey7mJSb4
Variations:
*3/4 Catch-ups - Just like full catch up, except the stationary (front) arm begins to work or move before the other arm fully catches up. it begins to move after the working arm is about three-quarters of the way through the full arm motion.
*Catch-up with a borad - Just like regular catch up, only front hand is holding a kick board; as the arms trade places, they hand off the board to each other. The board lets you focus on one arm at a time, helping you pinpoint any flaws in your technique as you switch from your dominant hand to your nondominant side.
FINGETTIP DRAG
This drill helps to promote a high elbow recovery and to make you aware of your hand position during recovery. Swim regular freestyle, except that your fingertips never leave the water as your arm moves forward during your stroke recovery. You drag your fingers forward and throught he water, slightly off to the side of your body, focusing on good body roll and keeping our elbows pointed up. vary how much of your hand stays in the water: fingertips, hand, wrist, even your whole forearm. Please visit this website for a video of the drill:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAqBSgMX3es
FIST
This drill developes your feel for the water by getting you in tune with how cping your hand can affect how fast you propel yourself forward. Swim your regular freestyle stroke, but hols one or both of your ands in a fist instead of using your normal cupped hand. Vary the pattern and the number of storkes for which you are fisted. When you unclench your hand, you should notice a difference in pressure on your hand; use this feeling to fine-tune how you cup the water as you propel yourself forward while you moe through your pull pattern. When your fists is clenched, you should also try to press on the ater with the inside pal side of your forear, - think of the lower arm, from teh elbow to wrist, as an extension of your hand. And don't forget towatch your body roll. Please visit the following websites for a video and description of the drill:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPKx8P7EWJQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4E5PhoJoR7E&feature=PlayList&p=F6CE6F3935705B58&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=17 S
The drill helps isolate one arm to practice a long stroke and a lonbody position. Swim as in regular freestyle, except that ones arm is stationary, always extensing forward and pointing toward the destination (front arm), whole the other arm performs the stroke (working arm). When the working arm moves forward and catches up with the stationary arm, they change places. Please visit this website for a video of the drill
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fszey7mJSb4
Variations:
*3/4 Catch-ups - Just like full catch up, except the stationary (front) arm begins to work or move before the other arm fully catches up. it begins to move after the working arm is about three-quarters of the way through the full arm motion.
*Catch-up with a borad - Just like regular catch up, only front hand is holding a kick board; as the arms trade places, they hand off the board to each other. The board lets you focus on one arm at a time, helping you pinpoint any flaws in your technique as you switch from your dominant hand to your nondominant side.
FINGETTIP DRAG
This drill helps to promote a high elbow recovery and to make you aware of your hand position during recovery. Swim regular freestyle, except that your fingertips never leave the water as your arm moves forward during your stroke recovery. You drag your fingers forward and throught he water, slightly off to the side of your body, focusing on good body roll and keeping our elbows pointed up. vary how much of your hand stays in the water: fingertips, hand, wrist, even your whole forearm. Please visit this website for a video of the drill:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAqBSgMX3es
FIST
This drill developes your feel for the water by getting you in tune with how cping your hand can affect how fast you propel yourself forward. Swim your regular freestyle stroke, but hols one or both of your ands in a fist instead of using your normal cupped hand. Vary the pattern and the number of storkes for which you are fisted. When you unclench your hand, you should notice a difference in pressure on your hand; use this feeling to fine-tune how you cup the water as you propel yourself forward while you moe through your pull pattern. When your fists is clenched, you should also try to press on the ater with the inside pal side of your forear, - think of the lower arm, from teh elbow to wrist, as an extension of your hand. And don't forget towatch your body roll. Please visit the following websites for a video and description of the drill:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPKx8P7EWJQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4E5PhoJoR7E&feature=PlayList&p=F6CE6F3935705B58&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=17 S
S
ONE-ARM
This drill helps you to focus on one arm at a time. Swim regular freestyle, except that only one arm is moving. The other arm is stationary, either forward (front hand) or backward against your side (back hand). The moving hand takes a series of strokes; each arm performs a set of pulls before it switches roles with the other. Practice this drill with the stationary arm in both positions. When you stationary arm is at your side, breathe toward that side (away from the moving arm). When your stationary arm is forward, breathe away from it (toward the arm doing the work). Again, time the breathign so that as your body rolls, your head rolls with it for a breath, and then your head should return to its forward alignment. Please visit the following website for video pf the drill:
ONE-ARM
This drill helps you to focus on one arm at a time. Swim regular freestyle, except that only one arm is moving. The other arm is stationary, either forward (front hand) or backward against your side (back hand). The moving hand takes a series of strokes; each arm performs a set of pulls before it switches roles with the other. Practice this drill with the stationary arm in both positions. When you stationary arm is at your side, breathe toward that side (away from the moving arm). When your stationary arm is forward, breathe away from it (toward the arm doing the work). Again, time the breathign so that as your body rolls, your head rolls with it for a breath, and then your head should return to its forward alignment. Please visit the following website for video pf the drill:
0 comments:
Post a Comment